3D House Planner vs Shapr3D
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
3D House Planner is a free, browser-based 3D home design and architectural floor planning application. It allows users to build apartments and houses using intuitive sketching tools, import 3D models, apply realistic materials and textures, generate floor plans from images with AI assistance, and create snapshots or videos of their designs. It emphasizes privacy: no login is required, no cloud storage is used, and design data stays on the user's device.
Shapr3D is a professional 3D CAD modeling app built on the Siemens Parasolid engine, the same solid-modeling foundation used in professional CAD systems. It combines push-pull direct modeling with sketch-based parametric constraints, and it is unusual in supporting native Apple Pencil and Windows pen input so users can sketch 3D geometry the way they would sketch on paper, in addition to running as a conventional desktop app. The app includes built-in AR for placing full-scale models in the real world, generates 2D technical drawings for manufacturing handoff, and imports/exports common formats including STEP, IGES, SLDPRT, SLDASM, STL, and 3MF. Cloud team spaces add shared projects and browser-based review links, and Apple Vision Pro support lets users review models immersively. It targets industrial and product designers, manufacturing teams, and makers who want manufacture-ready models without a purely desktop-bound workflow.
The page explicitly states the product is free to use for all. No paid tiers or other pricing are mentioned.
- Completely free to use for personal and commercial purposes
- No installation required — works directly in the browser
- No login or account needed, preserving user privacy
- Design data stays on the user's device with no cloud storage
- Runs natively on iPad with pen input, which is unusual for professional-grade parametric CAD.
- Free Basic plan supports real, exportable modeling work on up to 2 projects, not just a crippled demo.
- AR and Vision Pro viewing make it easy to check real-world scale and fit before manufacturing.
- Cross-platform license covers Mac, Windows, and iPad from one subscription.
- No cloud storage or auto-save: users must manually export/import to preserve work
- Not a full BIM (Building Information Modeling) tool; focused on visual 3D modeling and floor plans
- Some 3D assets are under CC BY-NC-SA license, which may limit certain commercial uses
- Advanced features like AI floor plan generation may require internet access and may not be as robust as dedicated AI tools
- Pro plan is priced per editor seat annually, which adds up for small teams needing several licenses.
- Free tier caps renders and projects, so serious ongoing work quickly requires the paid plan.
- Less mature simulation and assembly tooling than desktop-only incumbents like SolidWorks or Fusion 360.
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing data3D House Planner is a completely free, browser‑based visual home‑design tool, while Shapr3D is a paid‑tier parametric CAD app with professional‑grade solid modeling and cloud collaboration.
Key differences
- •Pricing model: 3D House Planner is free with no paid tiers; Shapr3D uses a freemium model that requires paid seats for full use.
- •Core capability: 3D House Planner focuses on quick visual 3D home sketches; Shapr3D provides solid‑body parametric CAD for product/industrial design.
- •Collaboration & storage: Shapr3D offers cloud team spaces; 3D House Planner has no cloud storage, requiring manual export/import.
- •Platform support: 3D House Planner runs in any browser, no install; Shapr3D is a native desktop/iPad app with pen support.
- •Export/import formats: Shapr3D supports many engineering formats (STEP, IGES, SLDPRT, etc.); 3D House Planner supports only GLB/GLTF/OBJ/Babylon.
Pricing & value
3D House Planner is entirely free for personal and commercial use; Shapr3D requires paid seats for full functionality.
Ease of use / learning curve
Browser‑based UI with no login makes 3D House Planner instantly accessible; Shapr3D’s parametric tools have a steeper learning curve.
Features & depth
Shapr3D provides solid‑body parametric modeling, AR/VR, and technical drawing generation; 3D House Planner is limited to visual home modeling.
Integrations & ecosystem
Shapr3D supports STEP, IGES, SLDPRT, STL, 3MF and cloud team spaces; 3D House Planner only imports GLB/GLTF/OBJ/Babylon.
Collaboration
Shapr3D includes team spaces with centralized cloud storage; 3D House Planner has no built‑in collaboration features.
Scalability
Shapr3D scales to multiple editors and large engineering projects; 3D House Planner is limited to manual file handling.
Security & privacy
3D House Planner stores data locally with no cloud, preserving privacy; Shapr3D stores data in the cloud.
Choose 3D House Planner if…
Homeowners or hobbyists needing quick, free 3D home visualizations.
Choose Shapr3D if…
Product or industrial designers needing professional parametric CAD and team collaboration.
Common questions
Can I use either tool for commercial product design?
Shapr3D is built for commercial product design; 3D House Planner is aimed at home design and lacks CAD depth.
Do I need to install software to start designing?
3D House Planner runs entirely in a web browser; Shapr3D requires a native app install on iPad, Mac, or Windows.
What are the costs if my team grows?
3D House Planner remains free regardless of team size; Shapr3D charges per editor seat annually for its Pro plan.