---
title: "SketchUp Alternative: Simple House Planner vs SketchUp"
description: "Compare Simple House Planner and SketchUp: price, AI, ChatGPT, 3D, exports and terrain. Facts checked in November 2026, with what each one does best."
url: "https://simplehouseplanner.com/compare/sketchup/"
---

# Simple House Planner vs SketchUp.

SketchUp is a full 3D modeler for any shape. Simple House Planner is made for one job: planning a house, with rooms, doors and roofs that know what they are.

[Edit with ChatGPT](https://simplehouseplanner.com/chatgpt/) [Open editor](https://simplehouseplanner.com/app/)

   ![A San Francisco Victorian house in the 3D view of the Simple House Planner editor.](https://simplehouseplanner.com/screenshots/hero-victorian-light.webp)

## At a glance.

| Feature | Simple House Planner | SketchUp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free to use. | Go $10.75, Pro $33.25 and Studio $71.58 per user a month, billed annually. A free version for non-commercial use. |
| Free plan | No paid plans. An account holds up to 40 plans. Without an account, plans stay in your browser and in files. | SketchUp Free is not for commercial use. |
| AI | ChatGPT or another assistant designs and changes the plan through plan tools. We charge no AI credits. The terms of your assistant's plan apply. | AI Render and Generate Object, with monthly credits on paid plans. |
| ChatGPT, Claude, MCP | An MCP server that works with ChatGPT, Claude and other MCP clients, and WebMCP tools in the browser. | A Claude connector for subscribers. More than 1,000 extensions on Pro. |
| Platforms | Any modern browser, on a computer, a tablet or a phone. Also inside the ChatGPT desktop app. | Web, iPad, Windows and macOS. Studio runs on Windows only. |
| 2D and 3D | 2D plans, 3D orbit and walkthrough, rendered images and 360° panoramas. | Full 3D modeling and walkthrough. 2D documents with LayOut on Pro. V-Ray in Studio. |
| Exports | PNG, SVG, PDF to scale, DXF, DWG (beta) and IFC. All free, with no watermark. | DWG and DXF from Go. IFC from Pro. Many other 3D formats. |
| Site and roofs | Slopes, spot heights, survey import, contours, cut and fill. Gable, hip, shed and flat roofs. Gardens. | Real-world terrain for site context. We found no dedicated floor plan or roof tool. |
| Furniture | More than 120 built-in items, plus items you make or find in the community. | Premade furnishings and materials, and a large model library. |

## Which one fits.

### Choose Simple House Planner for

-   Walls, rooms, doors and roofs as real parts of a plan, with no modeling skills.
-   Room areas and checks that update as you draw.
-   All features free, with ChatGPT in the same window.

### Choose SketchUp for

-   Modeling any shape, not only buildings.
-   A very large set of extensions and file formats.

## Questions.

### Is Simple House Planner a good SketchUp alternative?

Yes, if you want a free editor that works with ChatGPT, models the site, and exports to CAD and BIM. SketchUp is a good choice for modeling any shape, not only buildings.

### Is SketchUp free for house plans?

SketchUp Free exists, but it is not for commercial use. DWG and IFC need a paid plan. Simple House Planner exports DWG (beta) and IFC with no paid plan.

### Which one is easier for a floor plan?

Simple House Planner is made for floor plans: you draw rooms and walls, or describe them to ChatGPT. SketchUp is more flexible, and it takes more skill to model a house.

We checked these facts on 4 November 2026 on SketchUp's public pages. Prices and features change, so check them before you decide. “We found no” means that we did not find it on those pages. Prices are as shown to us, and may differ where you live. Sources: [sketchup.trimble.com/en/plans-and-pricing](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/plans-and-pricing), [help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/using-sketchup-data-other-modeling-programs-or-tools](https://help.sketchup.com/en/sketchup/using-sketchup-data-other-modeling-programs-or-tools), [help.sketchup.com/en/admin/sketchup-free](https://help.sketchup.com/en/admin/sketchup-free), [sketchup.trimble.com/en/blog/article/sketchup-claude-connector](https://sketchup.trimble.com/en/blog/article/sketchup-claude-connector), [help.sketchup.com/en/ai-features](https://help.sketchup.com/en/ai-features). SketchUp is a trademark of its owner. Simple House Planner is not affiliated with SketchUp.

## Try it on your own house.

[Edit with ChatGPT](https://simplehouseplanner.com/chatgpt/) [Open editor](https://simplehouseplanner.com/app/)