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by kuboa 1289 days ago
Depends on what you're doing with it. I'm an architect who have been using SketchUp professionally for 20 years now, and I use Blender for hobby (Geometry Nodes stuff). For architecture work, Blender absolutely can NOT replace SketchUp, unfortunately (it doesn't even have a universal Section tool, for example), even though it's an incomparably more powerful program in every other area.
2 comments

> universal Section tool

Can't you get the same thing with a boolean modifier?

Illustration: https://i.stack.imgur.com/FlM1E.png

Technically, but you need to copy and maintain that modifier for all objects. Even if you did that, usability is non-existent. Just to turn it off for a moment you'd have to select the objects with the right modifier and disable them using an obscure shortcut (holding Alt) and even then it's notoriously slow and finicky anyways--not even in the same universe as SketchUp's section tool.
DIY home repair. Right now, I need some fences repair, just want sketch that out, plus a couple of small container sheds.
In terms of ability, sure, Blender can replace SketchUp (and more), but I don't think it'd be worth the learning hassle just for that. The free SketchUp web version should suffice for small DIY stuff. You can always bring your model into Blender for further refining/rendering anyways (there's a good import addon).
There is a free version? Link?

I want a low learning curve application for home DIY stuff. I tried Fusion, just a bit more complex that I would like, I supposed Blender is ever more so.

Free web version: https://www.sketchup.com/products/sketchup-for-web There is a list of differences between this and their more professional versions if you scroll down. It doesn't support more advanced stuff (like plugins) but all the fundamentals are there and it is pretty performant.