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CAD · head to head

Mari vs SketchUp

Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SketchUp logo

SketchUp

Construction

3D design software for everyone

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mari the full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter; SketchUp studio tier limited to Windows only; not available for macOS or Linux
  • They diverge on capability: Mari covers High-resolution painting, SketchUp covers 3D modeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mari and SketchUp actually diverge.

Attributes where Mari and SketchUp differ
AttributeMariSketchUp
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWeb, iPad, Windows, macOS (Pro only)
CategoryCADConstruction
Founded19961978

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Mari

  • High-resolution painting
  • UDIM support
  • Procedural layers
  • Baking
  • Node graph
  • Color management
  • Maya
  • Nuke

Only in SketchUp

  • 3D modeling
  • 2D documentation
  • Rendering
  • Animation
  • Extension warehouse
  • 3D Warehouse
  • LayOut
  • V-Ray

Both cover

  • Windows support
  • MacOS support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mari

  • Painting textures directly onto high complexity 3D assets for film and gamesnot SketchUp
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot SketchUp

SketchUp

  • 3D architectural design and visualizationnot Mari
  • Product design and prototypingnot Mari
  • Interior design planningnot Mari
  • Real estate visualizationnot Mari

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mari

  • The full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • The cheap $299 per year or $35 per month subscription is restricted to a single licence for people working alone or in small companies
  • Node-locked and floating are separate licence types you must choose between
  • All listed prices are before applicable taxes
  • A separate non-commercial licence exists, so commercial use requires a paid tier

SketchUp

  • Studio tier limited to Windows only; not available for macOS or Linux
  • Go tier restricted to iPad and web—no desktop application access
  • LayOut (documentation tool) only available in Pro and Studio tiers
  • 1000+ extensions library only available in Pro and Studio; Go has limited extension access

Pricing, plan by plan

Mari

Free
  • Individual Subscription$86/month
    • Solo artists or small companies
    • $689 per year alternative billing
  • Team Subscription$null/year
    • Node-locked or floating licenses
    • Annual payment
  • Team Rental$949/quarter
    • Short-term access
    • Node-locked or floating licenses

SketchUp

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the SketchUp review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Mari if

  • You need high-resolution painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want udim support.
Mari review

Choose SketchUp if

  • You need 3d modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iPad, Windows, macOS (Pro only).
  • You also want 2d documentation.
SketchUp review

Questions people ask

Is Mari or SketchUp better?
Neither clearly leads. Mari starts at Free and SketchUp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mari or SketchUp?
Mari starts at Free and SketchUp at Free.
Does Mari or SketchUp run on more platforms?
Mari runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. SketchUp runs on Web, iPad, Windows, macOS (Pro only).
Can I use Mari for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Mari best used for?
Mari is most often used for painting textures directly onto high complexity 3d assets for film and games, handling very large multi-udim texture sets in a look development pipeline. Of those, painting textures directly onto high complexity 3d assets for film and games and handling very large multi-udim texture sets in a look development pipeline are not what SketchUp is typically brought in for.
What can Mari do that SketchUp cannot?
Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking. SketchUp covers 3D modeling, 2D documentation, Rendering, Animation. Both handle Windows support, MacOS support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mari: What is Mari's pricing?

Individual Subscription costs $689 per year or $86 per month. Team Subscription costs $1,289 per year. Team Rental costs $949 per quarter for short-term access. Both subscriptions support node-locked or floating licenses.

Source
SketchUp: How much does SketchUp cost?

SketchUp publishes three core annual plans, priced per user and billed annually: Go at $10.75 per month, Pro at $33.25 per month and Studio at $68.25 per month.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer a free trial?

Mari offers a free 30-day trial with unrestricted access to help users evaluate the software before purchasing.

Source
SketchUp: Is there a free version of SketchUp?

There is a 7 day free trial of the core features. SketchUp is also free for K-12 use when accessed with a Google Workspace for Education or Microsoft Education account.

Source
Mari: Does Mari offer student pricing?

Yes, Mari offers free or discounted access to all Foundry products for students, as well as free non-commercial licenses for learning and exploration.

Source
SketchUp: What is the difference between SketchUp Pro and Studio?

Studio adds a Revit importer, point cloud modelling, photorealistic visuals, animations and panoramas on top of Pro. Studio runs on Windows only, while Pro is available on web, iPad and desktop.

Source
SketchUp: What does SketchUp Go include compared with Pro?

Go is limited to iPad and web, with premade furnishings and materials, cloud storage, a mobile viewer and real time sharing. Pro adds desktop modelling, the LayOut documentation tool and access to over 1000 extensions.

Source
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