Live Home 3D vs SketchUp: Which Should You Use?
The verdict
Live Home 3D and SketchUp are both home & construction design tools, compared here side by side. Live Home 3D is free, with limits ($49.99 once) and is a desktop install with no browser version; SketchUp is free, with limits ($129/yr) and runs in any web browser with nothing to install. The main difference is where they run: SketchUp works in the browser with nothing to install, while Live Home 3D is a desktop app.
Free tiers & pricing last verified Jul 3, 2026.
Pick Live Home 3D if…
Free, with limitsMac, Windows, and iPad users who want a polished, offline, lifetime-license app with real architectural tools.
Pick SketchUp if…
Free, with limitsHobbyists, students, and makers doing personal 3D models or 3D-printing in the browser for free.
Side by side
Live Home 3D
Free, with limitsThe free version limits you to one active project at a time, watermarks all image and video exports, and disables 3D-model export entirely; a one-time Standard purchase removes those limits.
SketchUp
Free, with limitsSketchUp Free is free for personal, non-commercial use in the browser only; you can model and download skp/png/stl, but DWG/DXF/OBJ/PDF export, the desktop app, and extensions all require a paid plan.
Read the full reviews
Live Home 3D
The free version limits you to one active project at a time, watermarks all image and video exports, and disables 3D-model export entirely; a one-time Standard purchase removes those limits.
SketchUp
SketchUp Free is free for personal, non-commercial use in the browser only; you can model and download skp/png/stl, but DWG/DXF/OBJ/PDF export, the desktop app, and extensions all require a paid plan.
Live Home 3D vs SketchUp: questions, answered
What is the main difference between Live Home 3D and SketchUp?
The main difference is where they run: SketchUp works in the browser with nothing to install, while Live Home 3D is a desktop app.
Is Live Home 3D or SketchUp free?
Live Home 3D is free, with limits and SketchUp is free, with limits. Live Home 3D: The free version limits you to one active project at a time, watermarks all image and video exports, and disables 3D-model export entirely; a one-time Standard purchase removes those limits. SketchUp: SketchUp Free is free for personal, non-commercial use in the browser only; you can model and download skp/png/stl, but DWG/DXF/OBJ/PDF export, the desktop app, and extensions all require a paid plan.
Can you export CAD files from Live Home 3D or SketchUp?
Live Home 3D exports PNG, JPG, PDF, OBJ; SketchUp exports SKP, PNG, STL, DWG, DXF, OBJ, PDF. Only SketchUp exports CAD (DWG/DXF).