Sefaira
SketchUp-integrated energy and daylighting analysis plugin that runs full annual EnergyPlus and Radiance simulations without leaving the modeler.
Vendor Lock-inAI WashingHidden Pricing
3.4 /5 composite score
Solo-friendly if you already use SketchUp -- real EnergyPlus and Radiance engines in minutes, not hours; acquisition by Trimble/SketchUp means it lives and dies with that ecosystem, and pricing requires contacting Trimble.
Solo-friendly
Rubric Scorecard
| Criterion | Score | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Maturity | 4/5 | Founded 2012, acquired by SketchUp/Trimble; long production history with named AEC firm users; multiple independent reviews confirm active product. |
| AEC Specificity | 4/5 | EnergyPlus and Radiance engines under the hood; covers energy, carbon, thermal comfort, and daylighting in a single workflow. |
| Integration | 3/5 | Flagged for vendor lock-in: SketchUp-only, no standalone app or Revit/Rhino path; tight native integration is both its strength and its constraint. |
| Value / Pricing | 2/5 | Subscription tiers exist (Professional and Education) but prices are not publicly listed; requires a SketchUp subscription on top; score capped at 2. |
| Evidence | 4/5 | BuildingGreen independent coverage; G2 reviews; FinancesOnline listing; original 2012 press confirms founding and commercial launch. |
How we verified this: we checked Sefaira against its live site and an independent source — buildinggreen.com. Nothing on this page is listed from memory. See how we review. Verified 2026-06-29.
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