Veras Alternative — AI Rendering, No Host App
Veras puts AI rendering inside the modelling app you already own. Archome AI does the same job from a screenshot, in the browser, with nothing to install.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
What Veras is
Veras is an AI rendering add-in from EvolveLab that installs into the BIM and CAD applications architects already work in — Revit, SketchUp, Rhino, Archicad, Vectorworks and Forma among them. You stay in your model, frame a view, and generate without exporting anything.
That in-app position is its real advantage and it is a genuine one. The plugin reads the geometry from the live model rather than from a picture of it, so the building it renders is the building you drew. For a practice that lives inside one authoring tool all day, not leaving that tool is worth a lot.
It is also priced and licensed like professional software: a seat, tied to a host application, on a machine capable of running that application. That model fits a studio with fixed workstations better than it fits someone reviewing a scheme on a laptop in a cafe.
Where Archome AI differs
Archome AI never touches your model. You capture the viewport — a screenshot is enough — upload it, describe the material world you want, and get a photorealistic image in about thirty seconds. The geometry in that capture is treated as fixed: wall positions, window openings, roof pitch and camera angle survive.
The practical difference is where the work can happen. There is no plugin to install, no host application to own, no version to keep compatible. A borrowed laptop, a tablet in a client meeting or a phone on site all work the same, because the rendering happens on our servers rather than yours.
The honest trade is fidelity of input. A plugin reads real geometry; we read a picture of it. If a mature tree or a parked van hides half of the elevation in your capture, we have to invent what sits behind it. Frame the view cleanly and that difference mostly disappears — but it is a difference, and we would rather say so.
What Archome AI produces
A sketch, rendered with Archome. Demonstration image \u2014 drag the handle to compare.
Side by side
| Veras | Archome AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Inside Revit / SketchUp / Rhino / Archicad | Browser — any device, no install |
| Input | Live model geometry | Viewport capture, photo, sketch or floor plan |
| Host software needed | Yes — you must own and run it | No |
| Geometry preserved | Yes, from the model | Yes, from the image |
| Beyond stills | Focused on rendering | Video, 2D-to-3D GLB export, 4K upscale, inpainting, floor plans |
| Free trial | Check their site — trial terms change | 100 free credits to start, no card |
| Plugins offered | Its whole model | SketchUp and 3ds Max, optional |
Pricing and features change — check Veras's own site for their current plans. This page compares how the two approaches work, not this week's price list.
Price, render time & licence
| Veras | Archome AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | See their pricing page — billing has changed since the EvolveLab-era credit model | $29/mo (Lite), or free to start |
| Render time | Generated inside your host app — see their site for a current speed figure | About 30 seconds per image, rendered in the cloud |
| Free trial | Time-limited trial — confirm current length and terms on their site | 100 credits once at signup (3 renders), no card, does not renew |
| Commercial license | Requires a paid plan — confirm current terms on their site | Included on every paid plan |
Veras's prices change — confirm current numbers on their own pricing page before you buy.
Where Veras holds its own
Veras earns its seat fairly: because it renders from the live model rather than a captured image, it never has to guess at anything hidden behind a tree or a parked van, and a practice that lives inside Revit, Rhino or Archicad all day never has to leave that tool to see a material direction.
Choose Veras if
- —You spend the whole day inside Revit, Rhino or Archicad and leaving the model — even for a screenshot — breaks your flow.
- —You need the render driven by real geometry rather than a picture of it, for example when fine control over how far the AI departs from the model matters.
- —Your studio has fixed workstations, licences are already managed centrally, and one more seat is administratively easy.
- —You are rendering a view that cannot be captured cleanly — heavy occlusion, interiors with tight camera positions, or scenes where you need to isolate layers before rendering.
Choose Archome AI if
- —You work across several tools, or your CAD file came from someone else and you only need an image out of it.
- —You want the first convincing image in about thirty seconds without installing anything or negotiating a licence.
- —You need more than stills — a short cinematic clip for a client deck, a downloadable 3D model, a 4K upscale for a board.
- —You want to try it on your own project before anyone pays: 100 free credits to start, no card, no sales call.
See the Revit AI rendering workflow in Archome
The dedicated page walks through turning a Revit, Rhino, SketchUp or Archicad viewport screenshot into a photoreal image in about 30 seconds — no plugin, no seat, same free-to-start signup.
Compare them on your own project
Upload one photo, sketch or viewport capture and see what comes back. 100 free credits once at signup, no credit card.
Frequently asked
Is Archome AI a Veras plugin replacement?+
Not a plugin replacement — a different route to the same output. Veras renders from inside the model; we render from a capture of it. Many people run both: the plugin for in-model iteration, the browser for fast concept images, video and 3D export.
Does Archome AI work with Rhino, Revit or Archicad?+
It works with an image from any of them. Frame the view, capture the viewport, upload. There is no import step and no file leaves your machine except the picture you chose — which is often easier to clear with a client.
Will my building change shape?+
No. The captured view defines the building; the model supplies materials, lighting, weather and context. Massing, floor count, window positions and camera angle are held. The caveat is honest: what is hidden in the capture has to be inferred.
Do I need a powerful computer?+
No. Rendering happens on our servers. Your machine uploads an image and displays the result, which is why a laptop on site works the same as a workstation.
Keep reading
Looking for a profession-specific breakdown? See Archome for architects, interior designers, architecture firms and visualization studios — or the plain-english guide to choosing AI rendering software.