Sketchup pricing

robint, I couldn’t agree more
I too am a purely personal user of Sketchup, probably before you, since the very early days of Sketchup, who has never earned a penny from this app, which allowed me to visualise in 3D what I had in mind
you write: “Serious designers would use ACAD anyway” I would like to add to that sentence: “often on top of Sketchup !!!, plus: many ‘serious designers’ are exclusively using Sketchup and no longer ACAD”
friendly greets,
Frank

Or simply added SU to their existing AutoDesk workflow/toolbox years ago. :wink:

1 Like

What they are missing between the free online version and the pro version is a middle tier pro/shop version without layout for around $300. I would jump on that.

1 Like

If you’re doing serious work, then you’re likely making money off of it, and in that case, the price is dirt cheap. If you’re not making any money at all, then it’s not likely that serious of work. Just an opinion, but I think it is valid.

I think it’s so weird that people think there should be a fully-functional Pro version of SketchUp that’s 100% free to use, while professionals are expected to pay. If they keep this up, it pretty much guarantees that professionals wouldn’t pay for software anymore.

2 Likes

Or even $500 without Layout, like it used to be priced.

I don’t understand how people are complaining about the price of SketchUp Pro. A one year subscription to AutoCAD will set you back about $1,600, even AutoCAD LT will cost you almost $300.00 per year.

My only complaint is that the Desktop version of Make should have been continued and offered at a fair price for the hobby user.

I agree that the online web based version of SketchUp is severely limited without the ability to load extensions. Without extensions SketchUp is simply a drawing environment/framework (but a very good one at that), you really need the extensions to do any serious (efficient) work with it

Do students get paid for their academic work? All I am saying is that if you allow students to get used to an application during their years of study, then they will stick with it after graduation.

3 Likes

Seems that a few software companies get this :wink:

Teaching everyone that ‘all is free’ has taught some Software companies the downside: the ones who are used to get it for free, will be upset when it isn’t free, anymore…
Illegal downloads/stricter TOS/control/etc.etc.
The way software is accessible for an individual or company will change in time, I guess, in transitions, there will always be collateral damage.
If you learn to pay for value, one might actually value it

2 Likes

Sketchup has a free online version. It’s more than adequate for students. If they ever need pro software for pro work they will be able to buy it because it’s DIRT CHEAP.

Why would ANYONE think that just because they got free use of some software while in school would mean that they should be able to use it for business for free? Software cost is as much a business expense like your office lease, energy bill, phone internet bill and so on. To think that you should be able to use it free after school is just plain silly.

EDIT: I work for a college and we pay for our software (AutoDesk AEC Suite, SketchUp, Adobe CC etc…). Students are given a laptop to use while enrolled with almost anything they need on it including Adobe CC. They are made PERFECTLY aware that once they leave school they either have to turn in their laptop or buy it (choice of Macbook or similar Lenovo/Dell) and their software access will STOP working.

3 Likes

I am sorry I started this topic. We are clearly not talking about the same subject. I apologize for wasting your time.

Not true…I use AutoCAD for a lot of things, but SketchUp can be used for everything…I use it for project development and visualizations and especially renderings.

AutoCAD has improved its 3D capabilities, but it is so much easier for me to think and draw whatever I want in SketchUp much quicker.

I have used AutoCAD since version 9 in 1988 and SketchUp since either version 4 or 5 in its infancy.

1 Like

Agree, mostly. I use both SU and Acad for a lot of tasks. I use them together for a lot as well. Sometimes I use just one or the other. Same for me, I learned on r9 DOS in high school and started using r12 Win when I got out of college in '96.

No, if they got paid for their academic work it would be professional, and a full Pro subscription would be required. Good thing is that students can get a full Pro subscription for only $55 a year. That less than $5 a month. So while not free, it’s the price of a single latte.

The latte index varies across the globe. I wonder if Edson’s, if I remember right, Brazilian students can afford to sip $5 lattes very often.

You’re right, a latte there could cost a lot less. My point is still entirely valid, though, in that the cost is less than 10% of the full price for full software, and is potentially 100% free if the educational institute and/or teacher gets their free pricing and license seats.