Guide to Home Design Software: Tools, Features & Best Picks
If you’ve ever wanted to start a home project, you might have tried drawing a quick pencil sketch or creating a vague plan in your head, with no real sense of whether what you want will fit. Design software helps streamline the process by letting you drop in your room, drag your furniture around, and see the layout before you commit to any real changes. This guide takes a look at the most popular design tools worth spending your time with. You’ll find the software listed by its project type, including different layout planners and paint color helpers to find the direction you want to go.
The most useful home design tools
These tools cover some of the biggest planning questions you may be facing.
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- Free design software. The best free home design tools, evaluated
- Kitchen design software. Kitchen-specific design tools, ranked
- Best 3D landscape design software. 3D tools for landscape and yard planning
Kitchen design software
Kitchen software handles the important decisions such as cabinet planning, island placement, and your work triangle.
- Kitchen cabinet design software. Cabinet-focused planners
- Outdoor kitchen design software. Tools for planning the outdoor kitchen
Interior and whole-home design software
These broader tools work across rooms or the whole house.
- Interior design software. General interior design tools, evaluated
- Barndominium design software. Software built around barndominium plans
- Basement design software. Basement-specific planning tools
- Closet design software. Closet layout and shelving planners
- Garage design software. Garage layout and organization tools
- Remodeling estimating software. Estimating tools for remodel projects
Outdoor and landscape design software
Outdoor projects benefit from 3D modeling so you can better visualize plants, hardscape, structures, and sun angles.
- Landscape lighting design software. Tools for planning landscape lighting
- Deck design software. Deck-specific planning tools
- Fence design software. Fence planning software
- Pergola design software. Pergola design tools
- Pool design software. Pool layout and modeling
- Best shed design software. Shed planning tools
- Solar design software. Solar system design tools
- Woodworking design software. Tools for furniture and woodworking projects
Layout planners
These room-by-room layout tools are for moving furniture so you don’t buy the wrong size or have to place it twice.
- Bedroom layout planner. Plan the bedroom before the bed shows up
- Home office layout planner. Office layout planner
Cost calculators
Estimating the project before you call the contractor is useful for budgeting and conversation alike.
- Kitchen remodel cost calculator. Kitchen remodel cost estimator
- Bathroom remodel cost calculator. Bathroom remodel cost estimator
- Modular kitchen cost calculator. Modular kitchen pricing
- Outdoor kitchen cost calculator. Outdoor kitchen build cost
- Quartz countertop cost calculator. Quartz counter cost estimator
- Flooring cost calculator. Flooring project cost
- Carpet cost calculator. Carpet job cost estimator
- Furniture cost calculator. Furnishing a room on a budget
- Custom closet cost calculator. Built-in closet pricing
- Deck cost calculator. Deck build cost estimator
- Landscaping cost calculator. Landscaping project costs
- Patio surface cost calculator. Patio surface estimator
- Pool construction cost calculator. Pool build cost
- Window replacement cost calculator. Window replacement estimator
- Wallpaper cost calculator. Wallpaper project cost
Paint color tools
Picking a paint color in a swatch deck can be difficult; these tools cut out a lot of the guesswork.
- Best paint color app. Apps that help pick paint colors
- Paint LRV and undertone picker. Picking by light reflectance value
Style quizzes
If you don’t know what style you’re chasing, start here. These short quizzes help you find a style direction so you can move forward.
- What’s your bedroom style. Bedroom-style quiz
- Find your flooring style. Flooring style quiz
- What’s your landscaping style. Landscape style quiz
- What’s your outdoor living style. Outdoor living style quiz
- What’s your kitchen countertop style. Countertop style quiz
- What’s your ideal entryway look. Entryway style quiz
- What’s your minimalist style. Minimalist style quiz
- Which color palette suits your personality. Color palette quiz
- Which paint color should you use. Paint color quiz
- Home organization style quiz. Organization style quiz
- Front door color personality quiz. Front door color quiz
- How big of a house do you need. House size quiz
- Retro home challenge quiz. Retro home design quiz
We add more design tools here as they get created. Let us know if were missing anything and make sure to bookmark the page for when you next need it.
To showcase highly specific designs, some images on this website use advanced AI-generation software to illustrate ideas and room inspiration. See our editorial policy to learn more.
