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PlaceAnew vs SmartDraw: measure the home with your phone, or draw it on a computer

Short answer

For precise 2D plans and diagrams drawn on a computer, with Visio files and Office, Google and Atlassian add-ins, SmartDraw: from $7.95 a month, billed yearly.[1][2][3] To measure a home that already exists, PlaceAnew: one walk with a LiDAR iPhone draws the plan with every room's area, plus 3D, PDF and DXF, free.

PlaceAnew vs SmartDraw at a glance

PlaceAnewSmartDraw
Built forMeasuring a home and designing what comes nextPrecise, scalable 2D drawings for professionals: floor plans, site, evacuation and safety plans, plus flowcharts and org charts
How the walls get inMeasured in one walk with LiDARYou draw each wall and type its length, or type your measurements as Floor Plan Notation; AI can sketch a starting plan from a prompt
Measuring with a phoneYes, the LiDAR Scanner measures as you walkNo AR room scan, by SmartDraw's own comparison
Room areasEvery room named with its square footage, and the totalShown for an outline whose walls form a closed shape
3D3D model with the furniture the scan recognized2D only, by SmartDraw's own comparison
FilesPDF report, SVG, DXF and USDZVisio VSDX, PDF, SVG, PNG, JPEG and SmartDraw's SDR
DevicesiPhone or iPad Pro with LiDARA web browser on any device; desktop apps for Windows and Mac
PriceFree: scanning, plans, 3D, editing, the kitchen designer and all exportsIndividual $7.95 a month; Team $6.95 per user a month, 3 users minimum; both billed yearly, introductory prices; 7-day free trial
 SmartDraw facts from its website, buy page and knowledge base, checked November 8, 2026.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][1][13] PlaceAnew facts from its features page and Terms of Use.

Does SmartDraw measure the room?

No. SmartDraw draws the plan from numbers you bring. Its Floor Plan Notation turns a few typed lines, each wall's length and where the doors go, into an editable plan; SmartDraw's own words for who can use it are anyone who can walk a room and call out measurements.[7] Its comparison with ArcSite marks AR room scanning as something only ArcSite offers.[8]

PlaceAnew does the measuring. Walk the rooms once with a LiDAR iPhone or iPad and the plan is drawn as you go: walls, doors, windows, every room named with its square footage. In our office test every wall we could compare came within 2.5 inches of our hand-measured plan.[14]

Is SmartDraw free?

It has a 7-day free trial in the browser.[13] After that it is an annual license, paid yearly, with no monthly payment plan and a 30-day money-back guarantee.[15] Individual is $7.95 a month and Team $6.95 per user a month with 3 users minimum, both billed yearly and both introductory prices for new customers, with $10.95 shown as the regular price.[1]

PlaceAnew is free for everything on this page. Scanning, floor plans, 3D, editing, the kitchen designer with prices and exports are free. Files shared from a free account carry a small "Made with PlaceAnew" line.

Where SmartDraw is stronger

  • More than floor plans. Site, evacuation, fire safety and accident plans, flowcharts and org charts in one tool.[4]
  • Thousands of symbols. Furniture, fixtures, cabinets, lighting, wiring, plumbing, HVAC, security and landscape.[3]
  • Office and team tools. Insert plans into Word, PowerPoint, Google Docs and Slides; apps for Confluence, Jira and Teams; Visio files in and out.[3][2]
  • Any computer. It runs in a browser, with desktop apps for Windows and Mac.[8][12] PlaceAnew needs iPhone 12 Pro or a newer Pro model, or an iPad Pro from 2020 or later.
  • Layouts that do not exist yet. Draw a new office or an addition from scratch, or start from an AI layout made from a text prompt.[3]
  • Track record. SmartDraw says more than 85% of the Fortune 500 and over 350,000 organizations use it.[16]

Where PlaceAnew wins

  • No tape, no typing. One walk measures every wall, door and window. SmartDraw starts from the measurements you take and type.[7][6]
  • Every room's area, every time. Each room named with its square footage, the total, and a PDF property summary. SmartDraw shows area for an outline drawn as a closed shape.[9]
  • 3D from the same walk. A 3D model with the furniture the scan recognized, and Walk replay of your visit. SmartDraw focuses on 2D.[10]
  • A DXF for CAD. PDF report, SVG drawing, DXF for CAD and USDZ 3D model. SmartDraw's export list is VSDX, PDF, SVG, PNG, JPEG and SDR.[11]
  • Free. No license, no trial clock.

Which one should you pick?

  • Facility, safety and office layouts, diagrams for a team on Microsoft, Google or Atlassian tools, or a plan for a building not yet built: SmartDraw.
  • A measured plan of a home that already exists, for a remodel, a listing or a design: PlaceAnew. The two work together: SmartDraw can bring in a floor plan as a PDF or SVG and scale it as a background to draw over,[17] and PlaceAnew exports both.

Questions people ask

Is there a free SmartDraw alternative for floor plans?

PlaceAnew is free for scanning, the measured plan, 3D, editing and PDF, SVG, DXF and USDZ exports, with iPhone 12 Pro or a newer Pro model, or an iPad Pro from 2020 or later. More free options are in the best free floor plan app.

Does SmartDraw make 3D floor plans?

No. SmartDraw's own comparison with RoomSketcher says it focuses on accurate 2D floor plans.[10] PlaceAnew gives a 3D model from the same walk as the plan.

Can SmartDraw make a floor plan from my measurements?

Yes. Type each wall's length and where the doors go in Floor Plan Notation, and SmartDraw draws an editable plan.[7] PlaceAnew takes the measurements for you with the LiDAR Scanner.

Is PlaceAnew on the App Store?

Not yet. It is in early access through TestFlight; ask to join on the download page.

Sources

  1. Buy SmartDraw for the Lowest Price. SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Vendor claim.
  2. Best Visio Alternative for Online Diagramming and Scaled Drawing | SmartDraw. SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Vendor claim.
  3. Floor Plan Creator | Free Online 2D Floor Plan Maker. SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Vendor claim.
  4. SmartDraw | Easy Floor Plans and Other Layouts. SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Vendor claim.
  5. Floor Plan (SmartDraw Knowledge Base). SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Official documentation.
  6. Adjusting Wall Position and Length - Changing a Room Outline (SmartDraw Knowledge Base). SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Official documentation.
  7. SmartDraw Floor Plan Notation - Tutorial. SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Official documentation.
  8. SmartDraw vs ArcSite: Why Contractors Choose SmartDraw As Their Floor Plan Creator. SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Vendor claim.
  9. Measure the Interior Area of a Floor Plan (SmartDraw Knowledge Base). SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Official documentation.
  10. SmartDraw vs RoomSketcher - Learn Why SmartDraw is the Smart Choice Over RoomSketcher. SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Vendor claim.
  11. Exporting Your Diagram to Other File Formats (SmartDraw Knowledge Base). SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Official documentation.
  12. Download the SmartDraw Desktop App. SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Vendor claim.
  13. How do I get a trial? (SmartDraw Knowledge Base). SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Official documentation.
  14. PlaceAnew office check, November 2026 (raw data, CSV). PlaceAnew, November 8, 2026. Our own measurement.
  15. SmartDraw Subscription (SmartDraw Knowledge Base). SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Official documentation.
  16. About SmartDraw Software. SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Vendor claim.
  17. Import an Existing Floor Plan or Blueprint and Scale It (SmartDraw Knowledge Base). SmartDraw, LLC, 2026. Official documentation.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026 by the PlaceAnew team at US Construction Remodeling Corp., a licensed California contractor (CSLB License #1117562).

Related

One walk. Plan, 3D and kitchen.

Scan with an iPhone or iPad Pro and get a measured floor plan, a 3D model and CAD files from the same walk.

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