Home design software can be helpful for those who are looking to design or redesign their home. It enables people to visualize their home design ideas as well as make informed decisions about the layout, color scheme, furniture placement, and other design elements. Whether you’re a home designer or a beginner, here we round up the 12 top picks in the market after hands-on testing. Now, why not take a look and get your best pick in the following?
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Benefits of Using Home Design Software
If you’re not sure whether you need home design software or not, just take a minute to check out the benefits that it can bring to you.
- First, it allows you to create precise 2D and 3D models to visualize the entire design scheme. Thus, it can save you a lot of time and avoid costly mistakes later on.
- Secondly, it helps you coordinate with your architects or clients with a better understanding by showcasing a design plan.
- Thirdly, it enables you to test different design options without having to build or remodel them. You can easily try different materials, colors, and textures to see their effects on the design. Also, you can try different lighting, furniture, and decorative arrangements to find the best design combination.
- Finally, some of the best home design software provides features related to material and cost estimates to help you manage your budget during the design process.
The Top 12 Home Design Software Recommended
Now, dive into the 12 best home design software for PC and Mac here. You may want to pay attention to their features, including 2D or 3D design, ease of use, unique functionalities, etc.
Top 1. ZWCAD
ZWCAD is a fully-fledged CAD software that also works for 2D drawing and 3D modeling. It offers more than 200 third-party applications for a wide range of industries, not to mention home design. It has a familiar environment that comes with a user-friendly interface, commands, and aliases from Classic or Ribbon, Dark or Light to help you easily get down to your home design.
This home design software offers a set of 2D drafting tools, such as lines, arcs, circles, and polylines that can be used to create the walls, doors, windows, and other architectural elements of your home design. Moreover, there are useful features like auto-complete command input, attribute blocks, revision cloud, cycle selection, MLeaders, associative dimension, layer jump, bulk purge, etc.
As for 3D modeling, it also offers all kinds of 3D modeling tools, such as extrude, revolve, and sweep that can be used to create 3D models of your home design. What’s more, it has some smart features including Smart Plot which can plot multiple drawings at once, Smart Select which can choose several objects using filters, and Smart Voice which allows you to annotate with voice messages. With its user-friendly interface and customizable options, ZWCAD is a reliable and cost-effective solution for all your home design needs.
Top 2. Planner 5D
Planner 5D is free home design software online to use anywhere. It allows people to create detailed 2D and 3D floor plans and interior home designs from scratch. This user-friendly platform can be used by both professionals and amateurs to create stunning home designs. It enables you to visualize your designs in a more realistic way and make changes as needed.
It has a large object library that includes furniture, appliances, decor, and other objects that can be easily added to your design, so that you can visualize your dream house quickly and effortlessly. The object library is constantly updated with new items. This ensures that you have access to the latest design trends and styles. Furthermore, users can also upload their own objects to the library which allows them to customize their designs even further.
Planner 5D has a lot of customization options. This free house design software lets you customize your home designs by changing the colors, textures, and materials of objects in the design. Also, you can create unique designs that reflect your personal style and taste. The platform allows you to collaborate or share designs with others. All of the features make Planner 5D a great helper to improve your home designs and create the perfect home.
Top 3. Floorplanner
Floorplanner is an online home design platform with a usage-based payment. It enables you to create detailed 2D &3D floor plans and house designs. This intuitive tool makes it easy and accessible for people of all skill levels to bring their design ideas to reality. It has a user-friendly interface that allows you to easily create and edit home designs.
It includes an online object library of over 260,000 3D models where you can add furniture, appliances, decor, and other objects to your home designs. Better yet, more and more items are coming up to extend the library. Also, you can change the colors, textures, and materials of objects to personalize your design as you wish.
The platform lets you work with others on your designs remotely. Furthermore, you can share your home designs with others, and then receive feedback and suggestions. Whether you are designing your dream home or working on a project for a client, Floorplanner is a tool that can help you bring your vision to life.
Top 4. RoomSketcher
RoomSketcher is an online home design tool that allows people to create detailed 2D and 3D floor plans and home designs. It requires no CAD training or technical drafting knowledge, and can also work as home design software for beginners. Its friendly interface makes it easy for anyone to quickly create high-quality designs and 3D visualizations.
Simply by drawing and dropping elements can you easily draw the layout of your dream house. Its integrated measurement tools will show you the length and width accordingly. Meanwhile, as one of the best interior design software, it offers a large product library for you to pick the suitable furnish options. Also, you can create and compare different colors, materials, and layouts. Then, accessorize and customize furnishings to personalize your home design.
After that, you can generate amazing high-quality 3D floor plans, 3D photos, and 360 views to preview your home design. Then, you can view and share your home designs in Live 3D. Be it professionals or beginners, RoomSketcher is packed with a bunch of useful features to keep your home designs easy and fast to complete.
Top 5. SmartDraw
SmartDraw is a web-based 2D drawing tool that lets you create professional-quality diagrams, flowcharts, floor plans, and other visual representations quickly and easily. It offers a wide range of home design templates to choose from in terms of building outlines, office layouts, site plans, etc. This online home design software makes it simple to begin with its dedicated templates.
One of the great things about SmartDraw is that it is cloud-based, which means you can access it from anywhere with an internet connection. This makes it a great tool for remote teams or individuals who need to work on home designs from different locations. You can also collaborate with others in real time, making it a great tool for team projects.
The drag-and-drop interface of SmartDraw enables you to easily add and arrange elements in your design. You can simply drag and drop shapes, lines, and other elements onto the canvas and then move them around as needed. The interface is intuitive and user-friendly, so you can get started right away without any special training. If you’re looking for CAD software for beginners, then you must give it a shot at SmartDraw.
Top 6. LibreCAD
LibreCAD is an open-source CAD software that enables you to draw floor plans in 2D. As one of the best free home design software for PC, Mac, and Linux, anyone can use it without having to pay for expensive licenses or subscriptions. It is also constantly being updated and improved by a community of developers, so you can expect regular updates and bug fixes.
It includes a variety of drawing tools, such as lines, arcs, circles, and polygons, as well as text and dimensioning tools. Moreover, it has the ability to create and edit complex drawings using layers. Layers allow you to organize your home design into different levels, making it easier to manage and edit different parts of the drawing. You can also assign different colors and line styles to different layers to notice different elements in the design.
LibreCAD also includes a variety of customization options that enable you to tailor the software to your specific needs. You can customize the user interface, keyboard shortcuts, and toolbars to make the software more efficient and user-friendly. It also includes a scripting interface that allows users to automate repetitive tasks and create custom tools. However, this free 2D CAD software doesn’t include a library or template to start, you may therefore begin your home design from sketches.
Top 7. Sweet Home 3D
Sweet Home 3D is free interior home design software that allows you to create and visualize 2D & 3D floor plans and home designs. It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems, and is designed to be easy to use for both beginners and experienced users.
The software includes a variety of tools and features that make it a powerful tool for home design. It also has a 3D preview mode that allows you to see your home designs in a realistic 3D environment. Meanwhile, there is a virtual tour feature that enables you to navigate through the home designs in real time. With a variety of measurement tools, such as rulers and angle indicators, it make it easy to ensure that everything is properly aligned and spaced.
Moreover, it lets you import and export files in various formats. You can import 3D models from other software, such as ZWCAD and AutoCAD. You can also export your designs to a variety of formats, including PDF, SVG, and OBJ. That’s easy for you to share home designs with others or to incorporate them into other projects. From hobbyists to professional interior home designers and architects, Sweet Home 3D is a powerful and versatile tool that is suitable for people from all walks of life.
Top 8. SketchUp
SketchUp provides free 3D modeling software online and allows you to upgrade to various pro versions. The SketchUp Pro version is widely used by architects, home designers, engineers, and other professionals in the design and construction industries. It makes it easy for people to create, edit, and share 3D models of buildings, furniture, landscapes, and more.
The software includes a variety of tools and features, including a push-pull tool that enables you to extrude 2D shapes into 3D objects, a rotate tool that lets you spin objects around any axis, and a tape measure tool that allows you to accurately measure distances and angles.
Moreover, it includes a 3D warehouse for people to look for resources. It offers a wide range of pre-made 3D models, textures, and materials that you can use to quickly create realistic models. These include furniture, appliances, trees, and other objects commonly found in architectural and house design projects. Being one of the best home design software, Joanna Gaines is also using SketchUp Pro to create her remarkable home designs.
Top 9. Homestyler
Homestyler is an all-round online home design tool that is available for free trial as well. It lets you easily design and visualize your dream home or interior space with tons of tools and features. Anyone can create a 3D model of their house and experiment with different design options.
You can add and arrange furniture, decor, and other design elements in the virtual space with ease. Moreover, it offers a wide range of pre-designed templates and layouts, which you can customize to suit your specific needs and preferences. Meanwhile, Homestyler offers over 100,000 free 3D models for decoration and allows subscribers to generate 100 AI design images every month.
It also offers a community feature, which enables you to share your home designs with others and get feedback and inspiration from a community of like-minded design enthusiasts. You can browse through other users’ designs, leave comments and feedback, and even collaborate with others on design projects. For those who are looking for a bunch of templates and elements in home design, Homestyler will be the best home design software.
Top 10. Home Designer Software
Home Designer Software is a top-rated home design software for both professionals and DIY enthusiasts. It lets you create detailed 2D drawings and 3D models of your home or interior space. With its various tools and features, it’s easy for anyone to create accurate and detailed home designs.
It includes a variety of drag-and-drop tools that make it easy to add and arrange furniture, decor, and other design elements in your design. You can also start from a pre-designed template or layout. Moreover, its 3D library offers 1,000+ elements of paints, materials, and furnishings for you to design your dream house.
The software also provides plenty of lighting and shading options, as well as the ability to add textures and materials to surfaces. That’s easy for you to create a realistic and immersive virtual space. Thanks to its powerful rendering engine, it enables you to create highly realistic 3D models of home designs. Whether you’re a professional designer or simply looking to redesign your own space, Home Designer Software has everything you need to bring your vision to life.
Top 11. AutoCAD
AutoCAD is a popular home design software for Mac and PC. As a professional computer-aided design (CAD) software, it’s applicable for all types of applications, let alone home design. Actually, it is widely used in the field of home design. It saves a lot of work for designers to create detailed 2D and 3D models of buildings, interiors, and other architectural structures.
It offers a range of measurement and dimensioning tools to scale and create detailed floor plans, elevations, and sections of buildings with precision and accuracy. Also, you’re able to design your own 3D models with textures, lighting, and other details. There are also advanced features like Smart Blocks which places blocks automatically based on previous placements, and My Insights which completes your home design faster with helpful tips from AutoCAD, etc,
AutoCAD also includes a range of collaboration tools, which make it easy for designers to work with other professionals on a project. The software allows users to share their designs with others, collaborate on design projects in real time, and even export their designs to other software programs for further editing and refinement. If you have prior knowledge of CAD software, AutoCAD would be helpful in your home design.
Read Also: Sketchup vs AutoCAD: In-Depth Comparison in 2024
Top 12. DraftSight
DraftSight is a professional-grade 2D drafting and 3D design software that is used by architects, engineers, and designers to create precise and accurate drawings and models. It is a powerful tool that offers various features and tools for creating, editing, and sharing designs.
It includes a variety of tools that let you create accurate 2D floor plans with measurements and dimensions. This makes it easy to ensure that your home design fits everything together properly. Working as one of the best 3D home design software, DraftSight also allows you to create 3D models as well as visualize how your home design will look and feel in real life.
In addition to its design tools, DraftSight is highly customizable with a range of options for customizing the user interface, toolbars, and keyboard shortcuts to suit individual preferences. Whether you’re a homeowner looking to design your own home or a professional designer working on a project, DraftSight offers a wide range of features and tools that can help you create precise and accurate home designs.
FAQs About Home Design Software
Can I Free Design My Home Online?
Yes, there are several 3D and 2D CAD tools online available in this post that enable you to design your home without software, including Planner 5D, Floorplanner, RoomSketcher, SmartDraw, and Homestyler. These cloud-based services are typically easy to use and require no prior design experience.
Which Is the Best Home Design Software for Beginners?
If you’re a beginner with no CAD or design experience, then you may consider getting down to an online cloud-based service in the first place. Among all the picks here, SmartDraw would be the best home design software for beginners, but it needs a paid upgrade to unlock more features. To begin with free house design software, SketchUp Free is worth taking into consideration.
Conclusion
| Type | Supported OS | Best for | Ease of Use | Paid Upgrade | Rate | |
| ZWCAD | 2D & 3D | Windows, Linux | Anyone | Easy | √ | ★★★★★ |
| Planner 5D | 2D & 3D | Online | Professionals | Easy | √ | ★★★★ |
| Floorplanner | 2D & 3D | Online | Anyone | Easy | √ | ★★★★ |
| RoomSketcher | 2D & 3D | Online | Anyone | Easy | √ | ★★★★ |
| SmartDraw | 2D | Online | Anyone | Easy | √ | ★★★★ |
| LibreCAD | 2D | Windows, macOS, Linux | Anyone | Difficult | Free | ★★ |
| Sweet Home 3D | 2D & 3D | Windows, macOS, Linux | Anyone | Less Easy | Free | ★★★★ |
| SketchUp | 3D | Online/Windows | Anyone | Difficult | √ | ★★★ |
| Homestyler | 3D | Online | Anyone | Easy | √ | ★★★★ |
| Home Designer Software | 2D & 3D | Windows, macOS, Linux | Anyone | Less Easy | √ | ★★★
|
| AutoCAD | 2D & 3D | Windows, macOS | Professionals | Difficult | √ | ★★★ |
| DraftSight | 2D & 3D | Windows, macOS | Professionals | Less Easy | √ | ★★ |
You may take a look at the comparison chart above for a quick idea. Simply put, online web-based services are suitable for beginners, among which SmartDraw and Homestyler are worth a shot. If you have prior design experience, then the best home design software goes to ZWCAD, a fully-fledged but intuitive CAD software for anyone to get started.