SketchUp's free trial gives you 7 days of SketchUp Pro. SketchUp doesn't collect payment details when you sign up, so it won't charge you when the trial ends and you don't need to cancel anything. If you don't buy afterwards, you can keep using SketchUp for free on the web for personal, non-commercial projects.
You may see older articles mention a longer SketchUp trial. Trimble's current trial page offers 7 days. That's short for learning a 3D modelling tool from scratch, so the way you plan the week makes a big difference.
SketchUp trial facts
| Question | What SketchUp says |
|---|---|
| Length | 7 days |
| Which product | SketchUp Pro |
| Card or payment details | Not collected for the trial |
| Do you need to cancel? | No. Stop using it whenever you like |
| Charged at the end? | No, because no payment details were taken |
| After the trial | SketchUp for Web stays free for personal, non-commercial use |
How to start the SketchUp Pro trial
- Go to the SketchUp Pro trial page on Trimble's site.
- Sign in with a Trimble ID or create one.
- Download SketchUp Pro for your computer.
- Open it and sign in with the same account. Your 7 days start.
Check the system requirements on the trial page before you start. SketchUp's desktop app needs certain hardware to run well, and you don't want to lose a day of a 7-day trial to a slow laptop.
What happens to your work afterwards
This is the bit worth understanding before you build anything big. SketchUp's help pages say subscription plans come with unlimited Trimble Connect cloud storage, while free plans get 10 GB. If you cancel a subscription with more than 10 GB stored, you can still open those files but can't add new ones until you're under the limit.
For a trial user, the practical advice is simple: save your important models somewhere you control as you go, so the end of the trial is never the moment you discover where your files live.
If you decide to buy
SketchUp's refund rules are tighter than many apps:
- You have 14 days from purchase to request a full refund. After that, no refunds, full or partial.
- SketchUp's refund article says annual plans qualify for a refund within 14 days of the initial purchase or the annual renewal date, and monthly renewal fees aren't refundable.
- The refund request has to come from the email address or company domain on the SketchUp account.
- If a refund is approved, SketchUp cancels the subscription immediately and you lose the paid features straight away.
- If you cancel yourself instead, you keep using SketchUp until the end of your term. SketchUp says the easiest way to avoid the next charge is to turn off auto-renew.
Monthly billing isn't available on every SketchUp plan, so check the specific plan page if you want to avoid an annual commitment.
Handy billing details if you go ahead
- SketchUp subscriptions are prepaid. You can remove auto-renewal at any time and keep access for the rest of the term you've paid for.
- If you buy more than one subscription, SketchUp can co-term them so they share one renewal date, adjusting the cost of the newer one.
- Invoices live in the Admin Console, which is where your bookkeeper will want them.
- Quantity discounts are available when you buy several seats at the same time.
- If you bought through a reseller, upgrades follow the reseller's terms, not SketchUp's.
One small tip from SketchUp's own FAQ: licensing and verification emails sometimes land in spam. If you don't see yours, check your spam folder and add SketchUp's sending address to your contacts so your licence emails arrive.
Free options worth knowing
- SketchUp for Web: SketchUp calls it a free product for personal projects, in a current web browser.
- K to 12 schools: Trimble says SketchUp is free with a Google Workspace for Education or Microsoft Education account.
- Non-profits: qualifying organisations can get SketchUp Pro at a heavily discounted rate, according to SketchUp's sales FAQ.
If you're weighing SketchUp against other tools, my roundups of SketchUp alternatives and free CAD software cover the main options.
Trial or free web version: which should you start with?
If you design for clients, quote jobs from your models or sell anything you draw, the Pro trial is the right test, because commercial work needs a paid plan anyway and you want to know whether Pro's workflow saves you time. If you're planning a kitchen, a garden shed or a hobby build for yourself, start on SketchUp for Web. It's free for personal projects, it runs in the browser and you won't feel a 7-day clock ticking while you learn the basics. You can always try Pro later when you've got a real reason to.
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A 7-day plan that works
- Day 1: install, then model something small you already know the measurements of, such as a desk or a room.
- Days 2 and 3: import a real project file and try the Pro features you'd be paying for.
- Days 4 and 5: produce the output you need for clients, such as drawings or presentation views.
- Day 6: decide, and compare with SketchUp for Web if your work is personal rather than commercial.
- Day 7: save everything you want to keep locally.
Product designers might prefer the SolidWorks trial.
My advice
I like this trial because there's no card and nothing to cancel, so the only risk is wasting it. Don't start it on a busy week. Block out time, bring a real project and you'll know by day 4 whether Pro earns its keep for your business. If you're using SketchUp for a hobby, skip the trial and start on the free web version instead.
For precise drafting work, see the AutoCAD free trial.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the SketchUp free trial?
Trimble's current SketchUp Pro trial is 7 days.
Do I need a credit card for the SketchUp trial?
No. SketchUp says it doesn't collect payment information when you sign up for the trial, so it won't charge you when it's over.
Do I need to cancel the SketchUp trial?
No. SketchUp says you can stop using the trial at any time and there's no need to cancel it.
Is SketchUp free after the trial?
SketchUp for Web is free for personal, non-commercial projects. Commercial use needs a paid plan.
Can I get a refund on a SketchUp subscription?
Only within 14 days of the purchase. SketchUp says no refunds, full or partial, are accepted after that.
