SketchUp Free
by Trimble
Last verified 12 Jun 2026 May be outdated
Free browser-based 3D modelling for design concepts, massing and simple documentation.
- Conceptual Modelling
- Residential
- Buildings
- Free
- Web
- Established
Executive summary
What SketchUp Free is, who it suits and how it sits in the market.
- Best for
- Conceptual Modelling
- Industry
- Residential · Buildings
- Vendor
- Trimble
- Platform
- Web
- Deployment
- Browser
- Pricing
- Free
- Market presence
- ★★★☆☆ Established
- Learning curve
- Moderate
- OpenBIM support
- Limited
Derived from the tracked capability dataset and index attention, never from vendor marketing.
Is SketchUp Free right for your work?
Plain-language fit, based on tracked capabilities and where the product is actually used.
Excellent for
- Building design
- Model-based documentation
- Design coordination
- Conceptual modelling
- Budget-constrained teams
Less suitable for
- Clash detection at portfolio scale
- Fabrication-level steel detailing
- IFC-based OpenBIM exchange
- Offline or disconnected sites
Industries using SketchUp Free
Sectors where this product is a tracked fit.
- Residential
- Buildings
Project types
Where the product is commonly applied, by project suitability rather than individual claims.
- Residential developments
- Housing masterplans
- Mixed-use schemes
- Commercial buildings
- Healthcare facilities
Market position
Adoption context that is hard to find anywhere else, based on attention across the index.
- Adoption level
- Moderate
- Ecosystem size
- Large
- Index rank
- #19 of 88
- Rank in BIM Authoring
- #7 of 27
- Architects
- BIM managers
- Structural engineers
- MEP engineers
Strengths and limitations
Traded off against each other, so the page is not a brochure.
Strengths
- No licence costUsable without a vendor licence fee.
Limitations
- Limited native OpenBIMNo full IFC4 export is tracked, so exchange may need converters.
- Closed integration surfaceNo public API is tracked for custom automation.
Alternatives to SketchUp Free
Ranked by shared category, standards support, platform overlap and editorial comparisons — never by paid placement.
RevitAutodeskMulti-discipline BIM authoring for architecture, structure and MEP with a large plugin ecosystem.
Why consider itsame BIM Authoring category, real-time collaborationBuilding DesignWinSubscription
AutoCADAutodesk2D and 3D CAD drafting and documentation with specialised toolsets and web/mobile apps.
Why consider itsame BIM Authoring category, runs on macOS2D DraftingWinMacSubscription- ArchicadGraphisoft
Architectural BIM authoring with strong native IFC and OpenBIM workflows.
Why consider itsame BIM Authoring category, adds IFC4.3 exchange, runs on macOSArchitectural DesignWinMacSubscription - BonsaiIfcOpenShell community
Native IFC authoring inside Blender. Formerly BlenderBIM.
Why consider itsame BIM Authoring category, adds IFC4.3 exchange, open sourceOpen-source BIM AuthoringWinMacLinuxOpen source - MicroStationBentley Systems
Infrastructure modelling and drafting platform that underpins Bentley design applications.
Why consider itsame BIM Authoring category, air-gap capableInfrastructure DraftingWinSubscription 
Civil 3DAutodeskCivil infrastructure design and documentation for roads, earthworks and drainage.
Why consider itsame BIM Authoring categoryRoads & UtilitiesWinSubscription
Deployment and technology
Where it runs and how it is licensed, before the deeper technical detail.
- Win
- Mac
- Linux
- Web
- Deployment
- Browser
- Licensing
- Proprietary (web app)
- Commercial model
- Free
- Mobile
- Browser access tracked
- Cloud
- Not tracked
- Local processing
- Not tracked
- Offline
- Not tracked
- Self-hosted
- Not tracked
Pricing & licensing
Model and licensing facts tracked by the index. No price figures are reproduced.
- Commercial model
- Free
- Licence
- Proprietary (web app)
- Free tier
- Available
- Free trial
- No trial tracked
- Perpetual option
- Not tracked
- Price figures
- Not published here
Trimble publishes current pricing for SketchUp Free. Figures are not reproduced on BIM Market Index because they vary by region, seat type and contract length, and change frequently.
Pricing on the official SketchUp Free siteBIM and OpenBIM capability
Capability badges rather than an abstract score. Partial support is marked as limited.
- IFC 2x3 Limited
- IFC4 Limited
No IFC exchange tracked. Support is tracked per product, not certified here.
Full interoperability detailIFC & OpenBIM
SketchUp Free tracks partial IFC exchange. Standards support is tracked at product level, not certified on this page.
- IFC 2x3
- PartialPartial
- IFC4
- PartialPartial
- IFC4.3
- Not supportedNot tracked
- BCF
- Not supportedNot tracked
- IDS
- Not supportedNot tracked
- bSDD
- Not supportedNot tracked
- COBie
- Not supportedNot tracked
- MVD
- Not supportedNot tracked
Exchange with IFC 2x3 workflows still common in public-sector and legacy projects.
Round-trip design and reference models with IFC4-capable applications.
Exchange infrastructure entities such as alignments, roads and rail beyond building models.
Move viewpoints and issues between this product and coordination tools.
Check models against an Information Delivery Specification.
Link model objects to buildingSMART Data Dictionary classifications.
Hand over asset and maintenance data to owners and operators.
Deliver models against a defined model view definition.
What that means in practice
Limitations & evidence
- Exporter settings, product version and the receiving application can still restrict a specific exchange, even where a format is supported.
- Supporting an IFC file format is not the same as IFC certification. No certification is claimed here unless a source is linked.
- Tracked as partial: IFC 2x3 and IFC4. Treat these as workflow-dependent rather than guaranteed.
AI and automation
How much of the work can be generated or scripted, and what it plugs into.
AI features
No AI features are tracked for this product.
Automation and integrations
No scripting or API surface is tracked.
Software ecosystem
Products commonly considered alongside SketchUp Free.
Capabilities
Only capabilities tracked by the index are listed. Partial support is not shown as full support.
Core application
- BIM Authoring · Conceptual modelling — supported
- Native BIM modelling for architecture and engineering.
Automation, APIs & extensibility
How far the product can be scripted, extended or connected to other systems.
- Public APIpartial — partial support
- Automate workflows and connect third-party tools from your own code.
Platforms & evaluation
Where the product runs and how it can be evaluated.
- Browser — supported
- Usable from a web browser with no desktop install.
Quick facts
- Latest version
- WebVendor reported
- Last updated
- 12 Jun 2026Vendor reported
- Platforms
- WebVendor reported
- Pricing
- FreeVerified
- Deployment
- BrowserVerified
- Licence
- Proprietary (web app)Verified
- Free trial
- Not supportedNot supportedVendor reported· 19 Sept 2026
- Developer
- TrimbleVendor reported
Data & privacy
- Cloud
- Not supportedNot supportedVendor reported· 20 Sept 2026
- Local processing
- Not supportedNot supportedVerified· 10 Sept 2026
- Offline
- Not supportedNot supportedVerified· 6 Sept 2026
- No account required
- Not supportedNot supportedVerified· 20 Aug 2026
- Self-hosted
- Not supportedNot supportedVerified· 26 Sept 2026
- Open source
- Not supportedNot supportedVendor reported· 21 Aug 2026
- Real-time collaboration
- Not supportedNot supportedVerified· 22 Sept 2026
- Data residency
- Local onlyVerified
Cloud Infrastructure & Data Residency
Public infrastructure and security disclosures for SketchUp Free.
Vendor research pending. Missing information does not imply insecurity or lack of support.
Vendor statements are not independent certification. Organisation-level credentials and hosting-provider credentials do not automatically certify this product. Residency may apply to only specific services or data types.
- Cloud hosting provider
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Primary server provider
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Data centre / server locations
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Available data residency options
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Customer hosting-region selection
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- ISO 27001 certification
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- SOC 2 compliance
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- GDPR compliance
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Encryption at rest
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Encryption in transit
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Customer-managed encryption keys
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Air-gapped deployment
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- On-premise deployment
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
- Government, defence / sovereign cloud
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
Trust centre, security & infrastructure documentation
Information not publicly disclosed by vendor.
Last editorial review: Not yet reviewed · Last automated source check: Not yet checked
Cybersecurity & Compliance
Security information not disclosed for this product. Absence of information here does not imply a lack of security — it means no reliable public evidence has been reviewed yet.
Release history
Sources
Where the capability claims on this page came from, with the date each was accessed.
- SketchUp Free — official product documentationsketchup.comVendor documentationAccessed 12 Jun 2026
Partial support is community reported until the vendor documentation confirms it. See the data methodology for how records are verified.
SketchUp Free — frequently asked questions
Answers use only the information tracked on this page.
What is SketchUp Free?
SketchUp Free is a conceptual modelling product from Trimble, listed by BIM Market Index under BIM Authoring. Free browser-based 3D modelling for design concepts, massing and simple documentation.
What is SketchUp Free used for?
Its tracked focus is Conceptual modelling within BIM Authoring. The category covers native BIM modelling for architecture and engineering. Typical fit: design teams producing BIM models; model-based documentation. It is delivered as browser and licensed as Proprietary (web app).
Does SketchUp Free support IFC?
No IFC exchange is tracked for SketchUp Free in the index, so working with other BIM tools relies on native formats, converters or plugins.
Is SketchUp Free OpenBIM compatible?
OpenBIM workflows are not tracked for SketchUp Free. Without IFC exchange, open workflows would depend on a third-party converter or companion tool.
What platforms does SketchUp Free run on?
SketchUp Free runs on the browser, delivered as browser.
How much does SketchUp Free cost?
The tracked commercial model is free with Proprietary (web app) licensing. Trimble publishes current pricing for SketchUp Free. Figures are not reproduced on BIM Market Index because they vary by region, seat type and contract length, and change frequently.
Is there a free version or trial of SketchUp Free?
A free or freemium tier is tracked for SketchUp Free. No trial is tracked in the index.
Can SketchUp Free be automated or integrated with other software?
No public API or scripting interface is tracked for SketchUp Free. Integration would rely on file exchange or third-party tools.
What are the alternatives to SketchUp Free?
The closest tracked alternatives are Revit, AutoCAD and Archicad. BIM Market Index ranks them by shared category, standards support and platform overlap rather than by paid placement.
Frequently compared with SketchUp Free
Head-to-head comparisons built on the same neutral market data.
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