Comparison

SketchUp vs Deck Flows

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 3D modeling tools
  • Generative AI designs
  • Room planner & space design
  • Photorealistic visuals
  • Scan-to-design
  • Augmented reality (AR) visualization
  • DWG compatibility
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Deck Flows

Design custom decks in 2D and 3D, then get material estimates. Plan stairs, railings, and posts, and visualize your backyard projects. Pro features offer advanced design options and client proposal generation.

Highlights
  • 2D and 3D deck planning
  • Material quantity estimation
  • Custom stair and railing design
  • Client proposal generation (Pro)
  • Import and export project files
  • Guided planning lessons
Features
Read full description

Design your deck in 2D, explore it in 3D, and estimate the materials before you build. Deck Flows brings deck planning and estimating together for deck contractors and DIY deck builders. PLAN YOUR OWN DECK Draw a custom layout, enter dimensions, and see how stairs, railings, posts, beams, and finishes fit together. Compare ideas for your backyard and review material quantities as your design takes shape. PREPARE YOUR NEXT CLIENT PROJECT Show clients the deck in 3D. With Deck Flows Pro, reuse your material and labor prices, account for waste and profit margin, and prepare branded estimates and proposal PDFs from the same project. START WITH FREE BASIC TOOLS • Save up to three projects • Design one deck with custom stair landings in 2D and 3D • Add straight, L-shaped, and U-turn stairs • Plan standard baluster railings, beams, and support posts • Explore framing views and review a materials takeoff • Import and export project files • Follow guided lessons for core planning tools EXPAND YOUR WORKFLOW WITH DECK FLOWS PRO • Save unlimited projects and design multi-level decks • Add covered-deck and roof designs • Plan wraparound stairs and straight-stair landings • Explore cable, rod, and curved railings • Save reusable material prices, labor rates, and custom items • Add your company details and branding • Prepare client estimates, scopes, exclusions, and payment terms • Export material lists and branded proposal PDFs • Review deck, joist, beam, footing, and railing sheets in Pro Blueprint Pro features require a paid subscription. Basic tools are available without a subscription. Made for iPad, with landscape support on iPhone. Deck Flows is a planning and estimating aid. Verify quantities, dimensions, site conditions, structural requirements, and local building codes before purchasing materials or building. Pro Blueprint sheets are planning references, not certified or permit-ready construction documents. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SketchUp4 screens
Deck Flows4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Deck Flows at 100% against SketchUp's 37%. Deck Flows also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks). SketchUp's advantage is ratings volume (18K vs 2) and chart position (#126 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SketchUp sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and Deck Flows sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Deck Flows 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 Deck Flows's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SketchUp ships an update every 3 weeks, Deck Flows daily. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
SketchUp versus Deck Flows: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSketchUpDeck Flows
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (18K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings18K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#126 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.618.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size695 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTrimble Inc.Joistline Labs LLC

Customer experience

SketchUp

All ratings17,929 ratings
Positive86.5%
Neutral3.1%
Negative10.4%
Written reviews1,677 reviews
Positive37.0%
Neutral6.4%
Negative56.5%

Deck Flows

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Deck Flows

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

SketchUp

Subscriptions3
  • SketchUp AI Monthly$11.991 Month
  • SketchUp Go Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • SketchUp Go Yearly7 Days trial$129.001 Year
2 purchases

Deck Flows

Subscriptions2
  • Deck Flows Pro Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Deck Flows Pro Annual$119.991 Year

Questions

Is SketchUp free?
SketchUp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Deck Flows free?
Deck Flows is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SketchUp or Deck Flows?
Deck Flows is rated higher. SketchUp averages 4.5 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while Deck Flows averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do SketchUp or Deck Flows have ads?
Neither SketchUp nor Deck Flows shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SketchUp or Deck Flows?
SketchUp ships an update every 3 weeks, and Deck Flows daily. Most recently, SketchUp was updated on October 15, 2026 and Deck Flows on October 1, 2026.

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