--- title: SketchUp canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/sketchup/ category: 3D Modeling Software points: 24 rank: 9 of 9 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # SketchUp Subscription 3D modeler for desktop, web and iPad, with a Ruby extension API. 24 points out of 100. #9 of 9 3D modeling programs. Vendor: Trimble. Website: https://sketchup.trimble.com/ - SketchUp Go costs $10.75 a month billed annually ($129 a year), or $19.99 billed monthly; it runs on web and iPad only [2]. - SketchUp Pro, with the desktop app, costs $33.25 a month billed annually [1]. - The vendor lists subscriptions only: "annual subscriptions for all offerings, as well as monthly plans" [1]. - The free trial lasts 7 days, with no credit card needed [3]. - V-Ray rendering is included only in Studio, at $71.58 a month billed annually [1]. Verdict: SketchUp suits people who want a modeler across desktop, web and iPad, and who are happy to subscribe [1][15]. Go is the cheapest way in at $10.75 a month, and a public Ruby API supports extensions [2][5]. The catch: there is no free version for adults, no one-off licence, and only a 7-day trial [1][3]. Best for: Designers who want a subscription modeler for desktop, web and iPad. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Systems | Other systems | macOS, Web, iPad | 6/8 | Desktop lists Windows 11 and macOS; modelers for web and iPad are part of the plans [4][15]. | | Licence | Free version without a time limit | No | 0/10 | The pricing page lists no free version. Only K-12 schools get a free school product through Google or Microsoft accounts [1]. | | Licence | Free version allowed for paid work | No | 0/6 | No free version is listed for adults, so none allows paid work [1]. | | Licence | One-off licence you keep | No | 0/8 | The FAQ says SketchUp offers annual subscriptions and monthly plans for all offerings [1]. | | Licence | Open source | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's pricing or help pages [1][4]. | | Licence | Free licence for students | No | 0/4 | Students pay $55 a year. Free access is limited to K-12 schools with a Google or Microsoft education account [1]. | | Modelling tools | Precise curve and solid modeling | Not published | 0/5 | Solid Tools combine closed solids; the help page names no NURBS, parametric or B-rep modeling [11]. | | Modelling tools | Digital sculpting | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the help page read; only terrain tools such as Smoove and Add Detail are described [13]. | | Modelling tools | Node-based procedural modeling | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's pages read [1][5]. | | Modelling tools | Rigging and animation | Not published | 0/5 | Help describes scene transitions and timing, exportable as video; it names no bones or keyframe timeline [12]. | | Modelling tools | Physics simulation | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's pages read [1][12]. | | Modelling tools | UV unwrapping | Not published | 0/4 | Not published; the texture help page covers pin-based placement, not UV unwrapping [14]. | | Modelling tools | Built-in ray-traced renderer | No | 0/5 | V-Ray is included only in Studio, not in Go, the plan priced here [1]. | | Modelling tools | Scripting and add-ons | Yes | 5/5 | The developer site documents a SketchUp Ruby API for creating extensions [5]. | | Formats | Built-in export formats | FBX, OBJ, glTF, STL | 4/6 | Help pages cover export of FBX and OBJ (Pro), GLB and STL; only USDZ for USD, and STEP is not named [6][7][8][9][10]. | | Price | Cheapest way to use it for paid work | $10.75/mo | 9/12 | Go, $129 a year billed annually; the page calls it a toolkit for independent designers and firms [2]. | | Price | Full-feature trial | No | 0/3 | The trial page offers a free 7-day Pro trial, under the 14 days the rule needs [3]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Go | $129/year [1][2] | $10.75 | | Pro | $33.25/month, billed yearly [1] | $33.25 | | Studio | $71.58/month, billed yearly [1] | $71.58 | | Students | $55/year [1] | $4.58 | Prices are per user, shown as annual billing and before tax. Go also sells month to month at $19.99 [2]. ## Strengths - Runs on macOS, in the web browser and on iPad as well as Windows [4][15]. - Go starts at $10.75 a month billed annually [2]. - A documented Ruby API lets developers write extensions [5]. - Exports FBX, OBJ, glTF and STL files [6][7][8][9]. ## Limits - Subscription only; the vendor lists no one-off licence [1]. - The trial is 7 days [3]. - USDZ is the only USD-family export; SketchUp does not write USD, USDA or USDC [10]. - Scene animation covers transitions and timing only; the help page names no bones or keyframe timeline [12]. - V-Ray is included only in the $71.58 Studio plan [1]. ## Sources 1. [SketchUp plans and pricing](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/plans-and-pricing), Trimble, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [Buy SketchUp Go](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/products/sketchup-go/buy), Trimble, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [Try SketchUp](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/try-sketchup), Trimble, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [SketchUp system requirements](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/system-requirements), SketchUp Help, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [SketchUp Developer Center](https://developer.sketchup.com/), Trimble, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [Exporting FBX files](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/exporting-fbx-files), SketchUp Help, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [Exporting OBJ files](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/exporting-obj-files), SketchUp Help, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [Working with glTF files](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/working-gltf-files), SketchUp Help, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [Importing and exporting STL files for 3D printing](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/importing-and-exporting-stl-files-3d-printing), SketchUp Help, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [Working with USDZ files](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/working-usdz-files), SketchUp Help, accessed 2026-10-08 11. [Modeling complex 3D shapes with Solid Tools](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/modeling-complex-3d-shapes-solid-tools), SketchUp Help, accessed 2026-10-08 12. [Animating scenes](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/animating-scenes), SketchUp Help, accessed 2026-10-08 13. [Sculpting and fine-tuning terrain](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/sculpting-and-fine-tuning-terrain), SketchUp Help, accessed 2026-10-08 14. [Positioning textures](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/positioning-textures), SketchUp Help, accessed 2026-10-08 15. [SketchUp Pro plan](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-pro), Trimble, accessed 2026-10-08