SmartDraw vs RoomSketcher

See why SmartDraw is the better business-grade floor plan creator

RoomSketcher is great for residential and interior design if you want to focus on 3D walkthroughs, presentations, and photorealistic renderings. SmartDraw is a broader business-focused floor plan creator designed for everything from commercial floor plans and fire pre-plans to IT diagrams and flowcharts.

Features SmartDraw RoomSketcher Why It Matters
2D Floor Plans Yes Yes Both tools are great for creating basic 2D floor plans.
3D Floor Plans No Yes SmartDraw focuses on accurate 2D floor plans and business applications. RoomSketcher is better for visualizing design.
Editable Templates Yes Yes Both tools offer editable templates you can start with.
Ability to Change Scale Yes Pro subscription required Both tools allow you to change the scale of your floor plan, but SmartDraw offers this feature at a lower cost.
Import Existing Floor Plans Yes Yes Both tolls allow you to import existing floor plans and scale them.
Shape Data Yes No Only SmartDraw lets you attach pricing and spec to objects for usable project data.
Manifest Yes No Only SmartDraw lets you turn drawings into estimates, proposals, adn documentation.
Layers Yes Yes Both tools support layers for separating systems like HVAC and electrical.
Custom Symbols Yes No Only SmartDraw lets you create reusable custom symbols.
Industry-Standard Symbols Yes Yes Both tools offer industry-standard symbols including HVAC, electrical, and more.
Print to Scale Yes Pro subscription required Both tools support printing to scale, which is essential for contractors and architects.
Real-Time Co-Editing Yes No Only SmartDraw lets you collaborate simultaneously.
Specialized Use-Cases Extensive Limited RoomSketcher mainly supports residential and office designs. SmartDraw supports residential floor plans, office plans, facility plans, retail layouts, fire pre-plans, evacuation plans, accident reconstructions, and more.
Integrations with Teams, Slack, and Confluence Yes No Only SmartDraw easily fits into your existing workflow.
Other Diagram Types Yes No (floor plans only) In addition to floor plans, SmartDraw lets you create flowcharts, org charts, and other diagrams.
Overall Best For Professionals who need a versatile tool that goes beyond basic floor planning. Real estate agents and interior designers who need to visualize layouts.

Why Users Prefer SmartDraw Over RoomSketcher

SmartDraw Supports A Wide Variety of Floor Plan Use-Cases

RoomSketcher works well for basic residential and office layouts, but its capabilities stop there. SmartDraw also supports residential floor plans, but focuses on more professional and technical use cases.

SmartDraw allows users to design many types of floor plans including :

  • Commercial spaces
  • Offices
  • Medical facilities
  • Warehouses
  • Restaurants
  • Retail layouts
  • Site plans
  • Landscape designs

It even supports specialized diagrams like fire pre-plans, accident diagrams, crime scenes, and evacuation routes, making it the clear choice for professionals who need more than the consumer-focused basics.

SmartDraw floor planning templates

SmartDraw Allows Users to Add Data to Floor Plans

Unlike RoomSketcher, SmartDraw users have the ability to attach key data such as model numbers, pricing, and additional product details directly to symbols. Users can then generate manifests, making it easy to create estimates and proposals. This capability makes SmartDraw the stronger tool for construction and engineering professionals.

Shape data on bathroom symbol

SmartDraw Supports Creating Custom Symbols

SmartDraw lets users customize SmartDraw with their own symbols. Users can import images from their product catalog, draw custom shapes from scratch, and can also organize everything into shared libraries their entire team can use. RoomSketcher doesn't offer anything similar.

Create custom symbol library

SmartDraw Helps Teams Collaborate Better

Both RoomSketcher and SmartDraw offer collaboration features, but only SmartDraw offers true real-time co-editing, which allows multiple team members to work on the same floor plan simultaneously. And when it's time to share the finished floor plan, SmartDraw offers more export options, including a direct export to Visio.

Set Wall Thickness Cut Add Hyperlink Change Wall Shape Copy Add Comment Add Wall Segment Paste Bring to Front Separate Wall Send to Back Lock Emily Caleb John

SmartDraw Does More Than Just Floor Plans

SmartDraw is versatile and goes beyond just floor planning. Users can also create flowcharts, org charts, network diagrams, Gantt charts, mind maps, and more. RoomSketcher is limited to floor plans only.

Collection of business diagrams

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About SmartDraw vs RoomSketcher

What is the main difference between SmartDraw and RoomSketcher?

RoomSketcher is primarily used for residential floor plans and home design with an emphasis on presentations. SmartDraw offers a wider range of professional use-cases including commercial layouts, site plans, fire pre-plans, evacuation maps, crime scenes, accident reconstructions, and more.

Can I create detailed engineering or technical plans in RoomSketcher?

While RoomSketcher users can create basic electrical and HVAC layouts, it's not designed for technical or engineering-level plans. SmartDraw is the better choice for users who need accurate technical plans and diagrams.

Which tools is better for generating proposals or estimates?

Only SmartDraw has the ability to attach data to shapes and generate manifests allows users to create estimates, bills of materials, and project documentation directly from their floor plans. RoomSketcher doesn't support this.

Can I create custom symbols in RoomSketcher?

No. While RoomSketcher offers a wide variety of symbols, users are unable to create custom symbols for their own product catalog. SmartDraw, on the other hand, allows users to create reusable custom symbols.

Which tool is better for teams and businesses?

SmartDraw is the smarter choice for teams. It supports real-time co-editing, integrates with Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Confluence, and offers enterprise-grade features that RoomSketcher does not.

Can SmartDraw create diagrams other than just floor plans?

Smartdraw can create many types of diagrams including flowcharts, org charts, network diagrams, and more. RoomSketcher is limited to floor plans only.

SmartDraw is the Smart Choice for Professionals

For homeowners and designers working on visualizing residential or office layouts, RoomSketcher gets the job done. But when it comes to professionals who need to focus on business and technical use cases, SmartDraw is the better, more versatile choice. Choose SmartDraw for a commercial and operational work from technical floor plans to business diagrams.