Table of Contents
Learn » Design Software & Tools »
Introduction
Interior design software has revolutionized the way professionals and enthusiasts approach space planning and decoration. These digital tools offer everything from simple floor plans to photorealistic 3D visualizations, making the design process more efficient and engaging. This guide explores the top 15 interior design software options, comparing their features, usability, and suitability for different users.
Software Comparison Table
Software | Free Version | 3D Rendering | Floor Plans | Mobile App | User Level |
Foyr Neo |
Trial |
✓ | ✓ |
✗ |
Beginner to Pro |
SketchUp |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
Intermediate |
AutoCAD |
Trial |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
Professional |
HomeByMe |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
Beginner to Pro |
Planner 5D |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
Beginner |
SmartDraw |
Trial |
✗ | ✓ |
✓ |
Beginner to Pro |
RoomSketcher |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
Beginner |
Roomstyler 3D |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✗ |
Beginner |
Revit |
Trial |
✓ | ✓ |
✗ |
Professional |
Floorplanner |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✗ |
Beginner |
Coohom |
Trial |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
Intermediate to Pro |
Maya |
Trial |
✓ | ✗ |
✗ |
Professional |
Blender |
✓ |
✓ | ✗ |
✗ |
Intermediate to Pro |
Houzz Pro |
Trial |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
Professional |
Live Home 3D |
✓ |
✓ | ✓ |
✓ |
Beginner to Pro |
Detailed Software Reviews
Interior design software has transformed how we visualize and plan spaces. Whether you’re a professional designer or a homeowner looking to redesign your living room, there’s a tool out there for you. Let’s explore the top 15 interior design software options, comparing their features, usability, and suitability for different users.
1. Foyr Neo
- Foyr Neo is a leading interior design software that provides an AI-assisted platform for creating stunning 3D floor plans and high-quality visualizations.
- Foyr Neo’s standout features include photorealistic 3D rendering, 2D and 3D floor plans, and the ability to generate 4K video walkthroughs, making it ideal for both homeowners and professional designers. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface, combined with an extensive built-in product library, allows users to customize designs easily.
- Foyr Neo’s AI assistance significantly reduces the learning curve, enabling users to focus more on creativity and less on technicalities. Additionally, Foyr Neo caters to a wide user base, from beginners to experienced professionals, ensuring versatility in design projects.
- While Foyr Neo may not include a comprehensive product library, users can manually upload their own items, enhancing customization. With affordable pricing plans and a free trial available, Foyr Neo stands out as an essential tool for modern interior design.
Foyr Neo is a cloud-based interior design tool known for its user-friendly interface and powerful features:
- High-speed, photorealistic 3D rendering
- Extensive library of furniture and textures
- AI-driven interface for easy design creation
- 3D walkthrough generation
- Suitable for both beginners and professionals
2. SketchUp: Simplified 3D Modeling for All Levels
- SketchUp is a versatile 3D modeling software designed for various users, ranging from hobbyists and students to professional architects and interior designers, offering a user-friendly interface that simplifies the design process.
- The software allows users to create detailed 3D models of homes and buildings, including the addition of furniture and fixtures to produce realistic renderings.
- It offers features such as 2D or 3D modeling, preloaded templates, and the ability to export designs to PDF, images, and CAD files.
- Users appreciate SketchUp for its ease of use, often highlighting the intuitive push/pull feature that makes modeling straightforward and quick.
- SketchUp provides access to a vast library of pre-made 3D models through its 3D Warehouse, enabling designers to save time by incorporating common items into their projects.
Pricing:
Yearly- $2030/yr
3. AutoCAD: The Industry Standard for Drafting
- AutoCAD is a fundamental tool for interior designers, offering capabilities for creating detailed 2D and 3D drawings, as well as producing accurate floor plans, elevations, and sections.
- The software allows wide range and customizable workspaces that enhance efficiency by tailoring the interface to suit individual workflows.
- AutoCADs layer management system helps organize various design elements, simplifying the editing and management of large projects.
- It is essential for interior designers as it enables precision in architectural drawings, utilizing robust 2D drafting and 3D modeling tools that support technical drawing and collaboration.
- Despite its high system requirements and steep learning curve, AutoCADs unmatched accuracy and versatility make it a cornerstone in the design industry, especially for architects and interior designers.
Pricing:
Monthly – $250/month
Yearly- $2030/yr
4. HomeByMe: Intuitive Design for Quick Projects
- HomeByMe is a free, online interior design software that allows users to easily create detailed 3D models of their living spaces without the need for installation.
- The platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools for floor plan creation, furniture arrangement, color scheme selection, and design visualization, catering to both professionals and DIY enthusiasts.
- Users can utilize drag-and-drop functionality for furniture placement and customize floor plans, enhancing the design experience.
- HomeByMe enables users to generate 4K and HD images of their designs, making it easier for interior designers to present their work to clients.
- The community aspect of HomeByMe encourages collaboration, allowing users to share their designs and explore feedback and inspiration from others.
Pricing:
Monthly – $29/month
Yearly – $25/month
5. Planner 5D: User-Friendly Visualization for Beginners
- Planner 5D is designed for both professionals and amateurs, offering a user-friendly and intuitive interface for creating beautiful interior designs effortlessly.
- The software allows users to create detailed floor plans and layouts in both 2D and 3D views, enabling comprehensive visualization of living spaces.
- With a catalog of over 5,000 items, users can customize their designs by selecting different colors, patterns, and materials to reflect their unique style.
- The platform includes a free app version with virtual reality (VR) mode, allowing users to experience their designs in an immersive environment.
- Planner 5D’s drag-and-drop interface simplifies the design process, making it accessible for novices who can effectively create their dream home without extensive tutorials.
Pricing:
Monthly – $4.99/month
Yearly – $19.99/month
6. Revit: Advanced BIM for Modern Architects
- Autodesk Revit serves as a comprehensive modeling collaboration tool that unifies all stakeholders working on a design project, enhancing communication and workflow efficiency.
- The software utilizes Building Information Modeling (BIM) to facilitate the creation, editing, sharing, and assessment of detailed 3D visualizations of buildings and interiors.
- Revits parametric components automatically update related elements when changes are made, ensuring consistency across the model and enhancing design accuracy.
- It provides tools for generating precise construction documents, including schedules, annotations, and dimensions, which are critical for project execution.
- Revit is designed to support real-time collaboration among various contractorsand design firms, making it indispensable for large-scale architectural projects.
Pricing:
Monthly – $365/month
Annual – $2,910
7. RoomSketcher: Versatile Tool for Homeowners and Designers
- RoomSketcher is a robust and user-friendly software designed to create floor plans and home designs, catering to both real estate and home design professionals.
- The application allows users to upload blueprints for tracing floor plans, and includes features like floorplan generators and 360° view generators.
- Users can enhance their designs by adding logos and disclaimers, as well as measurement tools for precise layouts.
- RoomSketcher provides a free plan, making it accessible for varying skill levels, while also offering a subscription option for more advanced features at $49/month.
- It enables the creation of both 2D and 3D visualizations, enhancing the presentation of designs for clients and ensuring versatility in design approaches.
Pricing:
Monthly – $20/month
Yearly – $10/month
8. 3Ds Max: High-End Rendering and Animation
- 3Ds Max is known for its powerful modeling tools that allow the creation of detailed 3D models, making it ideal for intricate designs and presentations.
- The software offers a robust material editor, which enables users to apply realistic textures and materials to models, enhancing the quality of visualizations.
- Advanced lighting and shadow features in 3Ds Max contribute to creating realistic scenes that further elevate visual presentations.
- The software excels at producing photorealistic renders, showcasing a wide range of detailed materials, lighting, and post-production effects for professional-grade visualizations, bringing your ideas to life with stunning realism and clarity.
- 3Ds Max supports dynamic animations and walkthroughs, providing clients with an immersive experience of designs before they are realized.
Pricing:
Monthly – $245/Month
9. Adobe Photoshop: Enhancing Design Presentations
- Adobe Photoshop is essential for editing and enhancing images, ensuring high-quality visuals for interior design presentations.
- The software offers color correction powerful tools, allowing designers to achieve perfect interior design color schemes.
- Photoshop provides tools for retouching images, which helps in removing imperfections and enhancing details for polished final images.
- It allows designers to create detailed mood boards that showcase design ideas effectively for interior home designing and room design, which can be essential for building a successful design business.
- Photoshop is recognized as the industry leader for enhancing and organizing photos, making it a must-have for interior design professionals.
Pricing:
Yearly – $239.88/year
10. Lumion: Real-Time Rendering for Instant Visualization
- Lumion is a preferred choice among designers for its ability to produce realistic 3D renderings of interior spaces rapidly.
- The software offers real-time rendering capabilities, allowing designers to see changes instantly and make quick adjustments to their projects.
- Lumion features a vast library of materials and objects, enabling designers to create realistic and detailed visualizations of their concepts.
- Its user-friendly interface makes Lumion accessible to users who are new to 3D rendering, facilitating an easier learning curve.
- By helping designers bring their concepts to life, Lumion provides clients with a clear view of the final design, enhancing presentation quality.
Pricing:
Monthly – €124.92/ month
11. Coohom
Coohom offers comprehensive design and business tools:
- Photorealistic 3D renderings
- Product customization features
- Business management tools
- Cloud-based platform
Pricing:
Monthly – $29/month
Yearly – $299/month
12. Maya by Autodesk
Maya, while primarily for animation, can be used for interior visualization:
- High-quality 3D rendering and animation
- Powerful modeling tools
- Suitable for creating virtual tours
- Steep learning curve
Pricing:
Monthly – $235/month
Yearly – $1875/month
13. Blender
Blender is a free, open-source 3D creation suite:
- Comprehensive 3D modeling tools
- Rendering and animation capabilities
- Large community for support
- Steeper learning curve
Pricing:
Free
14. Enscape: Integrated Real-Time Rendering Plugin
- Enscape is a real-time rendering and VR tool that integrates with popular interior design software platforms including Revit, Rhino, Vectorworks, and SketchUp.
- The software allows designers to create immersive 3D walkthroughs, enabling clients to experience the design in a virtual space.
- Enscape renders directly in Revit, providing interactive updates to views as designs evolve, which significantly reduces the time required for high-quality visualizations.
- The integration of virtual reality capability within Enscape enhances client engagement by offering a more interactive way to experience designs.
- With exceptional rendering speed and quality, Enscape empowers designers to quickly present visualized concepts, enhancing overall workflow efficiency.
Pricing:
Monthly – $84.90/Month
15. Canva: Graphic Design Tool for Marketing Materials
- Canva is a user-friendly graphic design tool that simplifies the process of creating marketing graphics and editing photos.
- The platform boasts an extensive library of design templates and graphics, making it accessible even for beginners.
- Canva enables users to produce professional-grade visuals with ease through its intuitive interface.
- It can be an effective tool for building concept boards that enhance marketing presentations.
- Businesses leverage Canva for its ability to create stunning visuals that engage their audience and promote their brand effectively.
Pricing:
Monthly – $12.99/month
Key Features to Consider
When choosing interior design software, look for:
- 3D Visualization: High-quality 3D renderings and walk-through capabilities
- Floor Plan Creation: Easy-to-use tools for creating and modifying floor plans
- Furniture Libraries: Extensive catalogs of furniture and decor items
- User-Friendly Interface: Drag-and-drop functionality and intuitive controls
- Collaboration Tools: Ability to share and collaborate on projects
- Mobile Compatibility: Apps that work on iOS and Android devices
- Rendering Quality: Photorealistic renderings for accurate visualization
- Learning Resources: Tutorials and user guides to help overcome the learning curve
Choosing the Right Software for Your Needs
For Beginners
If you’re new to interior design software, prioritize:
- User-friendly interfaces
- Free versions to explore features
- Drag-and-drop functionality
- Basic 3D visualization tools
Recommended options: Planner 5D, Roomstyler 3D, or the free version of SketchUp
For Professional Interior Designers
Professionals should look for:
- Advanced 3D rendering capabilities
- Precise measurement tools
- Project management features
- Collaboration tools
- Integration with other software (e.g., CAD programs)
Recommended options: AutoCAD, Revit, or Foyr Neo
For Home Enthusiasts
Those designing their own home might prefer:
- Easy-to-use interfaces
- Virtual tour features
- Large libraries of furniture and decor
- Mood board creation tools
Recommended options: HomeByMe, Planner 5D, or Live Home 3D
Conclusion
The right interior design software can significantly streamline your design process, whether you’re a professional or a hobbyist. From creating basic floor plans to generating photorealistic 3D visualizations, these tools offer a range of features to bring your design ideas to life.
Consider your specific needs, skill level, and budget when choosing the best interior design software for your projects. Many of these tools offer free versions or trials, allowing you to explore their functionality before committing.
As technology continues to advance, we can expect even more innovative features in interior design software, further enhancing the creative process and client presentations. Whether you’re redesigning your own home or working on professional design projects, there’s a tool out there to help you create stunning interiors with ease.

Nichole Samuel
Interior Designer
Blog Reviewed By
Goddess Interiors LLC
goddessinteriorss@gmail.com
www.goddessinteriors.com
good information for interior designers
good information for interior designers
Hey Sophia,
Glad to know that you enjoy our content! Please let us know if there are any topics that you would like us to cover specifically
As a fellow interior designer, I am sure you would enjoy our product as well!
Happy designing 🙂
Hi Sophia,
Glad to see you enjoy our content!
keep reading 🙂