SketchUp AI Render Credits: Real Cost per Image
· 5 min read
How many credits does SketchUp AI Render use? SketchUp includes a monthly allowance of AI credits with each plan: 100 on Go, 150 on Pro and 200 on Studio. Trimble's help center says one AI Render generation costs 5 credits (a batch of images), while the pricing page lists 10 credits per render. Either way, the allowance resets every month and unused credits do not roll over. This page works out what that means per image and what to do when you run out.
Checked 30 October 2026 against SketchUp's pricing page and help center. Trimble changes these numbers; check the credit counter inside AI Render before budgeting a project.
Monthly credits by plan
| SketchUp plan | AI credits per month | AI Render generations (at 5 credits) | At 10 credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go | 100 | 20 | 10 |
| Pro | 150 | 30 | 15 |
| Studio | 200 | 40 | 20 |
| AI add-on ($11.99/month, with Go, Pro or Studio) | +1,500 | +300 | +150 |
Other AI features draw from the same pool; Generate Object, for example, costs 30 credits. According to SketchUp, failed generations are not charged.
What happens when you run out
When the monthly credits are gone, AI Render stops until the renewal date, unless you add the $11.99 monthly add-on. Because credits do not roll over, a quiet month does not bank anything for a busy one. That is the real cost problem for project-based work: renders cluster around presentations, not evenly across the month.
Cost per render: SketchUp AI vs Archome
| SketchUp AI add-on | Archome AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $11.99/month, recurring | $15 one-time for 500 credits |
| Renders | 150–300 per month (10 or 5 credits each) | 50 standard renders (10 credits each) |
| Unused credits | Lost at renewal | One-time packs are not reset each month |
| Works from | Inside SketchUp | Inside SketchUp (free plugin), browser, ChatGPT |
| Other tools | AI Render, Generate Object | Interior/exterior restyle, staging, enhancer to 4K, video, plan rendering |
If you render heavily every month, SketchUp's add-on is cheaper per image. If your renders come in bursts around client meetings, a one-time pack that is not reset each month is usually the better buy. Many users run both: SketchUp AI for quick viewport tests, Archome when an image goes in front of a client. The plugin page explains how Archome renders the SketchUp viewport.
Install the Archome SketchUp extension
The Archome AI Render extension is free on the SketchUp Extension Warehouse. Install it, click "Connect" once to link your account, and render the current view with a style and a prompt. New accounts start with 100 free credits. See downloads or the Warehouse listing.
FAQ
Do SketchUp AI credits roll over? No. The balance resets to the plan amount on the renewal date.
How much is extra SketchUp AI credit? The AI add-on is $11.99 per month for 1,500 credits, and it is only available alongside Go, Pro or Studio.
Is SketchUp AI Render 5 or 10 credits? Trimble's own pages disagree (5 on the help center, 10 on the pricing page). The counter inside AI Render shows the current figure for your account.
Is there a SketchUp AI render plugin without a subscription? Yes. Archome's extension is free to install and uses one-time credit packs from $15.
Related: what a studio rendering costs · Archome pricing.