Software for designing backyard landscaping

Structure Studios offers Vizterra, a unique platform where you can create your landscape designs in 2D and transform them into a 3D format. It provides a streamlined and intuitive interface where you can access all the tools required for refined work. As designers, we understand the need for constant fine-tuning, given that your clients may want to make specific changes in the layout. With Vizterra, such alterations are a breeze, as you can instantly reposition different objects, and the app will automatically recalculate the changes.

Lastly, you can import images, trace them, and pick the ideal scale, so you can have absolute control over your design, thereby eliminating unnecessary guesswork.

After you finish the free trial period, you need to pay monthly subscription charges to continue using the app. Your dream home should also include the perfect exterior, as the entrance and the surroundings largely contribute to the overall decor. So, go ahead and create some outlandish layouts with this one. Straight of the bat, you can create 3D layouts with this design tool and even include cross-sections and accurate dimensions to your project.

The best part is that you can make artistic renditions of your designs with technical illustration, watercolor, or vector techniques. Long story short, you can experiment and bring alive your imagination with this highly advanced software. Apart from that, it lets you customize exterior walls, decks, lighting, among other things, providing a realistic preview of your renovation project. Besides, you may even record it and stylize the walk-through to make it more visually appealing.

Therefore, we recommend using it only if you have mastered a range of designing skills and know your job inside out. Entry-level users and amateurs may feel out of depth with this one. Sometimes, a free app is not enough to digitally recreate your landscape. More often than not, users tend to feel restricted and fail to reach their full potential in terms of creativity.

Simply put, using this is a cakewalk, even if you have had minimal experience with a design tool. And voila, your landscape mock-up is ready. Nevertheless, if you get stuck midway, you can always refer to the video tutorials available on the platform. What floored us is the ultra-realistic 3D viewing and the extensive 3D library, which probably includes every element you can imagine in your outdoors. Lastly, you can also incorporate lighting and irrigation to your project, which is a significant advantage for most users.

We would have liked it more if the developers included some much-needed advancements. Arborgold is another fantastic app that will satisfy your zeal for creativity and innovation. First things first, Arborgold is a renowned one-stop online service that has been around for 25 years, ensuring high customer satisfaction and business growth.

On that note, the app allows you to make freehand drawings, which is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after features among artists. Furthermore, you can import images as well as geo-satellite photos, and work on them to create bonafide landscapes. Unlike most other free apps, it comes with a vast object library, featuring lighting, plants, and hardscapes.

Arborgold is an online business tool, primarily meant for customer services and other requirements. Therefore, this designing app is not their main thing, and as such, you cannot expect it to do anything above and beyond basic functions.

Terragen is a paid app that has recently been making a lot of waves in the design and artist community. At the outset, we had our reservations about the utility of this app, but once we got the hang of it, there was no going back.

First and foremost, this app is the most reliable companion for users looking to create natural outdoor environments on their screens. The animation is top of the line, and we have no complaints about image rendering whatsoever. For instance, you can personalize the terrain and incorporate elevation to give your project a life-like look and feel. Furthermore, you can add illumination and multiple objects to recreate your landscape in a way that best defines your personal taste.

Lastly, it comes with two subscription plans so you can purchase something within your budget. File-related operations can cause some snags in the software as it struggles to load heavier formats. So, if you want to explore some paid options, Terragen might be the perfect fit for you. This practical yet highly intuitive design app will fulfill your boldest artistic endeavors and more, that too, without a costly subscription charge. So, if that sounds like a good deal, get cracking with this one.

Therefore, any prior glitches and errors get fixed, and new features are rolled out to further streamline the user experience.

Basically, this app is a landscape design plugin for Rhino, which is a 3D modeling platform. As far as creative liberty goes, you can design your life-like 3D mock-ups while making use of the massive object library at your disposal.

The app includes irrigation plans, but they lack in practicality. We would rather that the developers research a bit more in this area and include features that can actually be used. To begin with, Designor Buddy is an open-source design software widely used in the architecture community.

While the software is primarily meant for designing home interiors, it can also be used for making neat outdoors, thanks to its diverse range of features. For instance, it includes layer tools so you can reposition different outdoor elements without interfering with the landscape design. Nevertheless, one thing that bothered us is that it does not support 3D modeling, especially when you can find no-cost options with such functions. ConceptDraw is a digital solution that can help you sharpen your skills while gaining in-depth knowledge about the job.

Much like our previous option, this, too, is an open-source design application with a myriad of outdoor elements. Plus, you can create a landscape blueprint within minutes since it comes with preloaded templates, which can be customized as per requirements. To start with a project, simply select a suitable template and adjust the necessary parameters such as scale, page size, measurement, etc.

Our only gripe with ConceptDraw is that it does not allow users to import files or models. While the use of templates is very thoughtful and praiseworthy, we would have liked it more if it was more flexible that way.

That aside, this is hands down one of the best paid options with a bonus of a days free trial. Apart from that, we like that you can customize materials, lighting, and other parameters as per project requirements. The best part is that everything from the render settings, material editor to the real-time viewer is available on the same interface.

Plus, you also have access to panoramas, interactive visuals, and projection tools, which are usually amiss in free designing tools. There are a few bugs in the program which can alarmingly slow down work. As design professionals, we understand the need for fast and intuitive apps; unfortunately, Kerkythea needs to go miles on that front. This way, you get a free hand to experiment and work with ready-made templates. Call or email us. SmartDraw experts are standing by ready to help, for free!

Effortless Collaboration. Smart Integration. Easily Create Plans and Designs for Landscaping. Try SmartDraw Free Find out for yourself how easy it is to design and plan landscapes with SmartDraw's landscape planner. Start Now. The AR mode is an enjoyable extra, although the app overall is much more limited than the other specialized landscape design software in this guide. Before making a decision about the right landscape design software for you, you need to consider exactly what you need it for.

Here are a few useful questions to ask yourself as a starting point. Are you planning a total redesign of your garden, and if so, are you doing it yourself or hiring a professional? Do you need to be able to work out the costs of each aspect of your plan, in order to meet a budget? Does the plan you create with this tool just need to help you quickly visualize how your idea might look before you head to the garden center, or are accurate dimensions important? Do you need to recreate the topography of your garden, for instance, or get the angles of your boundary walls or fences spot-on?

And when it comes to planning a planting scheme, do you need a tool that can help you select what to plant and where — based on your local climate, the available sun, soil type, and other factors?

And how much choice do you need? All of these factors — and more — will help determine which landscape design software is right for you, so pay attention to their feature-sets carefully. As our guide above shows, landscape design software can vary enormously in price depending on the capabilities of the tool, the desired realism of the final result, and also whether certain functions are necessary. SketchUp Free or the basic iScape app are completely free of charge, of course. Both enable you to experiment with your landscape design ideas, and see how certain plans could look in situ.

But when you get to business end of the design process, these free options may not suit your needs for an actual project. Both offer tiered subscription options tailored to your needs. However there are also cheaper versions of these packages, with correspondingly fewer features. The best part is that the programs will set out your design in a photorealistic landscape, meaning that you get to see your design in 3D and catch any potential problems in the design stage. Produced by brands such as Realtime Landscaping, TurboFloorPlan and Total 3D Landscape, most landscape design software is designed to be pretty user-friendly for the average person through interactive tutorials.

However, there are also more advanced programs that have been designed with professionals in mind. Pro software such as SketchUp Studio have extra features such as cost estimators, import tools and photorealistic rendering to deal with every stage in the design process.

As well as an extensive library, you should be able to search for specific props and objects to make your design as realistic as possible. The resulting landscape should also be as photorealistic as possible to help you fully visualize your dream backyard in 3D.

Certain basic features should be available in any landscape design software. More advanced features include topography designers to sculpt the terrain to match your garden; cost estimators, to ensure your design comes within budget; and import tools to customize your design with your own photos. These are less common, and may help you make your choice if they're important to you. Another factor to consider is what methods are available to preview and present your landscape design, over and above the plan view you'll use to create it.

These range from positioning a camera to show a 3D render of a particular perspective, to fully immersive walkthroughs and flyovers, and even AR and VR. Plus, of course, there's the size of the available object library to consider — not just the number of plants, the information about them and how accurately they are rendered in your design, but also other accessories such as lighting, grills, furniture and any other additions.

If you want a perfectly accurate rendition of your dream garden, you need a well-stocked object library. Consider all the available features, and only pay for what you actually need. Many software companies offer a free trial of between 7 and 30 days — take advantage of these, especially if you're still not sure which option best suits your needs.

As we covered as part of our review, we think that SketchUp is the ultimate landscape design software for professionals, thanks to the immense set of features available in the paid-for SketchUp Pro. These features come at a hefty price, but this is sure to be an expected cost of the job for professionals.