SketchUp vs ArchKit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SketchUp
This platform offers intuitive 3D modeling tools for design enthusiasts and professionals. Visualize concepts, create photorealistic visuals, and even use AI to generate design ideas. Scan real-world spaces and view your creations in augmented reality.
- 3D modeling tools
- Generative AI designs
- Room planner & space design
- Photorealistic visuals
- Scan-to-design
- Augmented reality (AR) visualization
- DWG compatibility
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Experience the world's leading 3D design platform with a free 7-day Go trial! Without a subscription, you can still view 3D projects for free. Go offers essential 3D design tools, including SketchUp for iPad and SketchUp for Web. Created for design enthusiasts, architects, interior designers, contractors, home remodelers, construction professionals, and set designers, our intuitive tools streamline the creative process, allowing you to effortlessly craft 3D models and visualize concepts. Whether you're planning a home renovation, designing interiors, or creating a detailed architectural model, SketchUp helps bring your visions to life through 3D design. Go Features: - Work seamlessly across devices: Create 3D models on your iPad and computer using SketchUp.com. - Generative AI Designs: Harness the power of AI to create stunning visuals for architectural and home designs. Generate images that inspire your creative process and support your design narrative. - Room Planner & Space Design: Experiment with different layouts and design options to find the perfect fit for your space. Model your space with designer fixtures and furniture. - Real-time, realistic visuals: Create stunning photorealistic visuals by integrating environments and customizable real-world materials. - Scan-to-Design: Use our 3D scanning feature to capture real-world spaces, which AI intelligently transforms and organizes into editable 3D models. - Augmented Reality (AR): Visualize your designs in the real world with our AR capabilities. - DWG Compatibility: Import and export DWG files seamlessly, ensuring compatibility with other CAD software. - Import real-world information: Import images to textures, satellite imagery, 3D terrain, 3D buildings, and location information to power your designs with real-world context. Why Go? - Architects & Contractors: Transform your architectural visions into reality with intuitive 3D modeling tools. Quickly visualize and iterate design concepts and present ideas to clients and stakeholders. - Interior Designers & Home Remodelers: Visualize your ideas in 3D and AR, ensuring your designs meet expectations. Use AI image generation to inspire additional finishes and layouts. - Landscape Designer: Plan and visualize outdoor spaces, from planters to parks, with our 3D landscape tools, like real-time shadow studies, geo-locating satellite imagery, and 3D terrain. - DIYer: Whether you're planning a small remodel or a complete home renovation, SketchUp provides the tools you need to design and execute your projects with confidence. Without a subscription: - Switch between perspective and orthographic camera views. - Control the visibility of parts of your model. - Adjust the look and feel of your model by controlling Edge and Face styles, Shadows, Hidden Geometry, Section Planes, and Section Cuts. - Take measurements and get information about edge lengths, the area of faces, the volume of solids, and component and group definitions. - View models in augmented reality. IMPORT/EXPORT -Import: SKP, SKE, SKM, HDR, EXR, PNG, JPG, PDF, DWG, DXF, STL -Export: Images (PNG), Animations (MP4), SKP, USDz, PDF, DWG, DXF, OBJ, STL, MP4 REQUIREMENTS Requires iOS 17 or higher with a minimum of 1024Mb of RAM. For additional info, please visit help.sketchup.com. The AR model viewing feature uses ARKit and is compatible with iPhone 6s and newer, iPad Pro, or any 2017 iPad or newer. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Create 3D designs with a free 7-day Go trial. Payment will be charged to your Apple Account on confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before your subscription expiration date. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before your subscription expiration date. After completing your initial purchase, you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renew by visiting your Apple Account Settings.
ArchKit
Design, measure, and visualize kitchens directly from your mobile device. Create accurate layouts using LiDAR scanning or manual measurements, with real cabinet dimensions and instant 3D visualizations. Streamline the kitchen design process from initial measurements to professional exportable reports and ordering lists.
- LiDAR room scanning
- Manual measurement mode
- Real cabinet dimensions
- 2D and 3D design tools
- Professional PDF exports
- Cabinet lists for ordering
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ArchKit – Kitchen Design Made Simple Design, measure, and visualize kitchens directly from your iPhone or iPad. ArchKit helps contractors, remodelers, designers, and homeowners create accurate kitchen layouts using real cabinet dimensions, LiDAR room scanning, and powerful 2D and 3D design tools. Whether you're planning a renovation, meeting with a client, or designing your dream kitchen, ArchKit makes it easy to turn ideas into professional layouts and realistic visualizations—without needing a laptop. Key Features LiDAR Room Scanning Capture room dimensions quickly and accurately using supported iPhone and iPad devices. Manual Measurement Mode Create layouts in any space, including unfinished rooms or devices without LiDAR. Real Cabinet Dimensions Design with industry-standard cabinet sizes used by contractors and suppliers. Accurate 2D Layouts Build detailed floor plans and kitchen layouts with precision. Instant 3D Visualization Transform layouts into realistic 3D designs to help clients and homeowners visualize the final result. Professional PDF Exports Export layout drawings and project reports in a professional format. Cabinet Lists for Ordering Automatically generate cabinet lists with sizes, quantities, and product details for pricing and ordering. Job Site Photos Store project photos and important information in one organized location. Perfect For • Kitchen Remodel Contractors • Cabinet Dealers • Interior Designers • Builders • Remodelers • Homeowners Planning Renovations From initial measurements to final layouts and cabinet lists, ArchKit streamlines the kitchen design process and helps bring ideas to life faster. Built for contractors. Simple enough for homeowners. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://archkitdesign.com/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ArchKit at 100% against SketchUp's 37%. ArchKit also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (16 vs 18.6). SketchUp's advantage is ratings volume (18K vs 2) and chart position (#105 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. SketchUp sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and ArchKit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ArchKit holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SketchUp has 18K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of SketchUp's written reviews are positive against 100% of ArchKit's.
SketchUp ships an update every 3 weeks, ArchKit every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SketchUp | ArchKit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (18K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 36.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 18K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #105 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 695 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Trimble Inc. | Archkit Design LLC |
Customer experience
SketchUp
ArchKit
Bugs and requests
SketchUp
Reported bugs
5 issues- Login and account creation problems
- Crashes and freezes when opening large models
- Inability to hide/unhide components
- Inconsistent behavior with Apple Pencil
- Outdated model not updating properly
Requested features
5 requests- 2D drawing and 3D model integration
- More intuitive navigation and controls
- Improved file management and syncing
- Offline mode and reduced dependency on internet
- Affordable pricing options for casual users
ArchKit
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SketchUp
- SketchUp AI Monthly$11.991 Month
- SketchUp Go Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
- SketchUp Go Yearly7 Days trial$129.001 Year
ArchKit
- Regular$9.991 Month
- Pro$19.991 Month









