Chief Architect vs Sweet Home 3D

Chief Architect Premier is 3D design software for residential and light commercial work, including remodeling, kitchens, baths, and interiors. Drawing walls and placing architectural objects builds a 3D model and produces materials lists and construction documents such as site plans, framing plans, sections, and elevations. Materials lists can include quantities, unit and labor costs, markup, and project costs, and update as the design changes. For presentation, the software supports realistic and artistic rendering, 360-degree renderings, virtual tours, and walkthrough videos. Its 3D Library contains objects such as fixtures, appliances, millwork, furnishings, and manufacturer-specific products. It imports and exports AutoCAD DXF and DWG files, and imports OBJ, SKP, STL, and DAE. The As-Built app uses LiDAR on supported iPhones and iPads to create room models for remodeling. The trial does not expire, but saving, printing, exporting, and virtual tours are disabled. Premier costs $229 a month, billed $229/mo.

Sweet Home 3D is an interior design application for drawing home plans and viewing them in 3D. In its 2D plan, users can draw straight, round, or sloping walls with precise dimensions and add room areas, dimension lines, text, arrows, and a compass rose. A live 3D view shows the design from above or from a virtual visitor’s perspective as the plan is built. The software can render images and videos with adjustable lights and sunlight based on time of day and geographic location. It imports blueprints, 3D models, and textures, and can print or export PDFs, images, videos, and 3D files in standard formats. The free desktop and online version costs nothing; downloadable editions have smaller furniture and texture catalogs. Sweet Home 3D Online Manager runs in a compatible browser, but free registration is required to save designs. The Microsoft Store Monthly Premium subscription costs $9.99 a month and includes a 7-day free trial. Desktop editions are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.