Control every material. Get the same image twice.
mnml.ai turns a screenshot or sketch into a render with generative AI, for $490 a year on its recommended plan. The result looks finished, but the model only sees a picture: it guesses the materials, invents details and gives a different image each time. Rayscaper renders your SketchUp model itself, with exactly the materials and light you set, for $99 once.
On a Mac? Get Rayscaper for Mac, for Apple silicon.
At a glance
| Feature | Rayscaper | mnml.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99 once, a year of updates included | $490 a year for Plus, a monthly credit allowance |
| Input | Your SketchUp model, live | A screenshot or sketch of it |
| How the image is made | Path tracing: the light is simulated on your model | Generative AI paints an image from the picture |
| Same input, same image | Yes, every time | No, every generation is different |
| Materials | Exactly the ones you set, with real glass, metal and water | Guessed from the picture and a prompt |
| Where it runs | On your own computer | In the browser, on mnml.ai's servers |
What it costs you
- mnml.ai
- Rayscaper
mnml.ai Plus is $490 a year, billed yearly, with 3,000 credits a month, on the mnml.ai website in October 2026. Lite is $290 a year with 1,000 credits. Prices are in US dollars without taxes and may differ in your region. Rayscaper is $99 once with a year of updates included; the totals don't count later upgrades. Not happy with it? Get your money back within 14 days.
Why SketchUp users switch from mnml.ai
Materials you choose, not a guess
A screenshot can't tell AI that a countertop is honed marble or that a lamp is brushed brass. In Rayscaper you set it, and the light shows it, from glass and metal to water.
The same image, every time
Change the camera, the time of day or one material, and only that changes. A series of views of one project matches, because it's one model.
No round trip through the browser
No screenshots to export and upload: Rayscaper renders inside SketchUp and updates the moment you change the model.
A fifth of one year
Five years of mnml.ai Plus cost $2,450. A Rayscaper license costs $99, renders as much as you want, and keeps working after its year of updates.
Made by Rayscaper users
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Exterior Scene · Majid Yeganegi -
Loft Cuisine · Julien Fischel -
Guggenheim Museum · Rich O'Brien
When mnml.ai is the better choice
mnml.ai is good at what it was built for. Stay with it if:
- You turn hand sketches into atmosphere images early in a project.
- You restyle a photo of an existing room, for example for virtual staging.
- You work in many design tools and want one place for quick concept images.
If that isn't you, you're paying for more than you use. Try Rayscaper on your next project and compare.
Switching from mnml.ai
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Install Rayscaper and click Start Render
It renders the SketchUp model you're working on, with its materials, sun, tags and scenes, and updates the moment you change it.
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Give the key materials a type
Make the windows Glass and the fixtures Metal, or drop one of 1,000+ materials from the asset manager on a surface.
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Set the mood with light
Pick a sky or an HDRI, move the sun with SketchUp's shadow settings, and place lights for the evening.
See it on your own model
The free version has no time limit: open the project you're working on and watch it render. If you like what you see, a license is $99, once, and you can get your money back within 14 days.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI rendering cheaper than a renderer?
Not over time. AI services charge every year and count credits per image: mnml.ai Plus is $490 a year. A Rayscaper license is $99 once and renders as often as you like on your own computer.
Can I get the same AI render twice?
Rarely. Generative AI samples a new image every time, so every generation differs, and a small change to the prompt or the view changes the whole image. A Rayscaper render of the same model and camera is the same every time.
Does Rayscaper use AI?
Where it helps without changing your design: an AI denoiser cleans up the render in seconds, and AI agents like Claude and Codex can set up the light and materials of your scene. The image itself is always path-traced from your model.
Is there a free version?
Yes, without a time limit. Its renders are watermarked, at most 1280 pixels on the longest edge and for non-commercial use. A license for full-size, commercial renders is $99 once.