“SketchUp Make” ( download from the SketchUp home website) is a desktop application that runs natively in your computer. One key feature not yet implemented is ability to run extensions/plugins. It is currently in ongoing incremental development, with frequent updates that you automatically get each time you connect. It is the new direction the SketchUp development team has been heading.
“SketchUp Free” is a cloud-based implementation that runs in your web browser. This sloppiness makes it harder for others to correctly answer questions here! The confusion arises because users think “I got SketchUp for free” so I must be using “SketchUp Free”. People are being sloppy about their profile information, about correctly tagging their topics, and about the words they use in their posts. Yes, and this is causing a lot of confusion in the forum recently.
