Physically based like Thea. Far simpler to drive.
Thea Render is respected for accurate rendering, with CPU and GPU engines and plenty of settings to match. It costs $280 a year, or $675 for three years. Rayscaper gives SketchUp users physically accurate light with far fewer settings, live in SketchUp while they model, for $99 once.
On a Mac? Get Rayscaper for Mac, for Apple silicon.
At a glance
| Feature | Rayscaper | Thea Render |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99 once, a year of updates included | $280 a year, or $675 for three years |
| Rendering | Path tracing, refined while you model | Physically based CPU and GPU engines |
| Settings | A short list, with finishes and presets | Extensive |
| Hardware | Any Windows PC (NVIDIA GPU optional) or Apple silicon Mac | CPU, or NVIDIA, AMD, Intel and Apple GPUs |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS (Apple silicon) | Windows, macOS |
What it costs you
- Thea Render
- Rayscaper
Thea for SketchUp is $280 a year, or $675 for three years, on the Altair website in October 2026. 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 Thea Render
Pay once, keep it
$99 is about a third of one year of Thea. It buys a perpetual license with a year of updates, and keeps working after that.
Fewer settings, same physics
Rayscaper simulates the light like Thea, but a material is Standard, Glass, Metal or Water with finishes to start from, and there is no engine to choose.
Live while you model
The render updates the moment you change the model, a material or the camera, and the AI denoiser cleans it up in seconds.
1,000+ assets built in
Poly Haven materials and HDRIs and Rayscaper's own material packs are in the asset manager, ready to drop onto the render.
Made by Rayscaper users
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Exterior Scene · Majid Yeganegi -
Loft Cuisine · Julien Fischel -
Guggenheim Museum · Rich O'Brien
When Thea Render is the better choice
Thea Render is good at what it was built for. Stay with it if:
- You render on AMD or Intel GPUs.
- You need a spectral rendering engine.
- You work on a Mac with an Intel processor.
- You know Thea's settings in depth and use them.
If that isn't you, you're paying for more than you use. Try Rayscaper on your next project and compare.
Switching from Thea Render
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Install Rayscaper next to Thea
Both are SketchUp extensions. Open the project you're working on and click Start Render.
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Give the key materials a type
Colors and textures come from your SketchUp materials; Thea's settings on top of them don't. Make the windows Glass and the fixtures Metal, then check the rest.
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Place the lights
The sun and sky come from SketchUp. For lamps and spots, place Rayscaper's lights in SketchUp, with IES profiles where you need them.
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 Rayscaper as accurate as Thea Render?
Yes: both are physically based path tracers that simulate how light bounces through a scene. Thea offers more engines and controls, including a spectral engine, for those who need them. Rayscaper keeps the settings few, and the free version lets you see the result on your own model.
Does Rayscaper render on AMD GPUs?
No. On Windows it renders on NVIDIA GPUs, or on the CPU when there is none; on a Mac it renders on the GPU of Apple silicon.
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 is $99 once.
Does Rayscaper run on a Mac?
Yes: on Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or newer), macOS 14 or later and SketchUp 2025 or 2026.