Layroom vs
Sweet Home 3D.
Sweet Home 3D has been free and open-source since 2005. The interface looks it. Layroom is the modern reading of the same idea: in the browser, traced from a photo, no Java required.
Why you're here
- 01“Installing Java is a nonstarter on my work laptop.”
- 02“The interface looks like 2005 and clicks like it.”
- 03“My team works in the browser; passing .sh3d files around is awkward.”
- 04“Sharing a design means sending files; I want to send a link.”
What it is
Sweet Home 3D is a free Java desktop application by Emmanuel Puybaret, distributed since 2005. It has a loyal community, an active SourceForge presence, and a model library that grew over twenty years. The 3D view is functional; the UI is dated.
Where Layroom is different
- 01Runs in the browser. No Java, no install, no "install JRE 8 to continue".
- 02Trace walls from a phone photo. Sweet Home 3D's import-image-as-background still asks you to draw walls on top of it.
- 03Share links: one URL opens the room in 3D in any browser. Sweet Home 3D shares files.
- 04Modern design language. Glass overlays, real-time 3D, restrained aesthetic.
- 05Cloud-synced scenes. Sweet Home 3D files live on your filesystem.
Where Sweet Home 3D still wins
- 01Free and open-source under GPL. Layroom is closed-source.
- 02Twenty-year community catalog of user-contributed models.
- 03Works completely offline once installed. Layroom needs a browser tab open.
Side by side
| Feature | Layroom | Sweet Home 3D |
|---|---|---|
| Install required | No | Yes, Java desktop app |
| Trace from a photo | Smart fill + Magic fill | Image as background, manual draw |
| Custom piece generation | Coming soon | No |
| Open source | No | Yes, GPL |
| Storage | Cloud-synced | Local filesystem |
| Real-time 3D | Yes, browser | Yes, desktop OpenGL |
Pricing side by side
Layroom
- Free
- Free: full editor, stock catalog, 1 cloud-synced scene. No sign-up needed.
- Paid
- Pro: $12/mo, coming soon. Adds furniture generation and saved scenes. Studio: contact, coming soon. Higher generation throughput, unlimited scenes.
- Notes
- The editor is free, forever. Paid tiers don't gate basic functionality.
Sweet Home 3D
- Free
- Free desktop app, all features, under GPL. Donation-supported on SourceForge.
- Paid
- Sweet Home 3D Online (a paid SaaS variant by the same author) at around €15/yr for cloud storage. Optional.
- Notes
- The core desktop app is donation-supported; no paid tier gates features.
Switching over
- What transfers
- Nothing automatic. Layroom does not import .sh3d files.
- What you bring
- A screenshot of your Sweet Home 3D plan, or the original floor plan photo. Drop it into Layroom and trace.
- Time cost
- Re-tracing a single-room plan: 1 to 3 minutes. The Smart fill tool catches most walls in one click each.
Common questions
- Is Layroom a Sweet Home 3D alternative without the install?
- Yes. Layroom runs entirely in the browser, no Java, no install. Same job as Sweet Home 3D, modern interface.
- Can I open my .sh3d files in Layroom?
- Not today. Layroom does not import .sh3d. The fastest path: drop a screenshot of your Sweet Home 3D plan into Layroom and trace it; it is 1 to 3 minutes.
- Is Layroom open source?
- No, Layroom is closed source. Sweet Home 3D is GPL.
- Does Layroom work offline?
- No. Layroom needs a browser tab open. Sweet Home 3D works completely offline once installed.
Which one to pick
Pick Sweet Home 3D if you want open-source, offline, and a 20-year community catalog. Pick Layroom if you want the browser, share links, and a UI that does not look like 2005.