21 Kitchen Design Software Programs: Free & Paid
In the past, if you wanted to redesign and remodel your kitchen, you had to rely on interior designers and architects to create a plan at a considerable cost. Thankfully, nowadays, kitchen design software is available to help you create your ideal dream kitchen remodel on your own.
Pricing and availability last checked August 2026. Software prices move around a lot, so confirm on the developer’s own site before you buy.
is the median spend on a major kitchen remodel, according to Houzz’s 2026 U.S. Kitchen Trends Study of 1,780 homeowners. Minor projects land at $20,000.
That’s the number that makes an afternoon in a free planner feel like a bargain. The same Houzz study found kitchen size swings the budget hard. A major remodel of a larger kitchen ran a median $75,000 against $46,000 for a smaller one. It also found 38% of renovating homeowners were driven by a kitchen that had worn out or simply didn’t work, up three points on the year and closing in on the 41% who just disliked the style. At those numbers, catching a bad appliance placement on screen beats catching it after the cabinets land.
Kitchen Design Software Compared
Twenty-one programs is a lot to search through, so here’s the short version. Pick the row that matches what you’re actually trying to do, then read that program’s write-up below.
| Software | Cost | Best For | Materials List | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planner 5D | Free, or $59.99/yr | All-round kitchen planning | Budget widget on Premium | Web, iOS, Android, Windows |
| RoomSketcher | Free, or $144/yr | Plans you’ll print to scale | No | Web, desktop app |
| SketchUp | Free web, or $399/yr Pro | Cabinet and millwork detail | No | Web, iPad, desktop |
| Home Designer | $495/yr | DIY remodels needing permits | Yes, with cost estimates | Windows, Mac |
| Floorplanner | 5 free projects, then credits | Quick layouts and 3D views | No | Web |
| IKEA Kitchen Planner | Free | IKEA cabinets specifically | Yes, running cost tally | Desktop browser only |
Free Kitchen Design Software
Here are some of the best kitchen software programs currently available:
Designing Idea Room Layout App by Planner 5D
With this in-browser software, you can quickly create a personalized room layout, add colors, choose furniture, drop-in lighting, and select from different materials to create your plan. The paid version offers over 3000 different home interior items to give you a wide range of remodeling options. The program lets you perform a 3D walk-through of your creations to get an up-close look at your design.
Planner5D
Planner 5D will allow even an amateur to create a variety of different projects, especially kitchens. This software includes an idea library for anyone struggling to begin their project as well as many different templates. This software allows the creation of both 2D and 3d designs.
With visualizing and rendering tools it will turn the kitchen of your dreams into an easy project that you can create.
The free tier is more generous than it used to be. You get unlimited projects, web and mobile access, and roughly half the furniture catalog. Premium runs $4.99 a month billed annually, so $59.99 for the year, and that unlocks the full catalog of more than 10,000 items, floor plan upload that turns a scan into a 3D project, standard renders, and a budget widget for tracking what the thing will actually cost.
There’s a Professional tier at $33.33 a month billed annually, but it’s built for working designers. Unlimited 4K renders, 360 degree walkthroughs, CAD export, a price estimator. For a one-off kitchen, Premium is where you should stop. Current pricing sits on the Planner 5D pricing page.
The software can be found at this link.
Pros:
– Free
– Easy to use
– Has templates and ideas to get a project started quickly
Cons:
– Can be touchy to work with at times
Homestyler
Worth clearing up first: this isn’t Autodesk’s product anymore. Homestyler runs independently these days, and it’s changed a lot since the version most articles still describe.
The furniture library now runs into the millions of branded 3D models rather than the ten thousand it launched with. The bigger shift is the AI layer. Upload a 2D floor plan or a rough sketch and it’ll convert it into an editable 3D model in one step, which saves the tedious part of drawing walls. There’s also a set of tools for restyling a photo of your existing kitchen, generating moodboards, and turning a render into a walkthrough video. Still browser based, still has a free tier. Visit – Homestyler
Pros:
– Nothing to download
– Free tier available
– Converts an uploaded floor plan straight to 3D
– Very large branded furniture library
Cons:
– Requires internet access
– The AI tools push you toward a paid plan quickly
Easy Planner 3D
No longer available. Easy Planner 3D has gone offline. It relied on a Java browser plugin, and browser support for those disappeared years ago, so there’s nothing left to run. We’ve kept the entry here because the tool still turns up in old roundups and search results.
If you liked the idea of a simple room planner with a parts list you can shop from, Roomstyler and RoomToDo below both cover similar ground and are still live.
Roomstyler
Roomstyler is a Floorplanner product these days, sharing a library of more than 120,000 branded items. If you already have a Floorplanner account, this is that same furniture catalog in a friendlier wrapper.
Room Styler is a free program that can be found at – https://roomstyler.com
Pros:
– Free
– Easy to use and purchase items
– 3D renderings from all angles
Cons:
– 3D views are not the best available
Floor Planner
Floorplanner gives you up to five free projects and lets you keep them in your account indefinitely, not just the one. The catch is what the free tier exports: standard definition images at 960 x 540 with a watermark, capped at three floors and three designs per project.
Upgrading a project takes credits. You can buy them outright at $8.15 for 5, $16.30 for 10, $48.90 for 30, or $163 for 100, or get a monthly allowance through a subscription. Upgrades strip the watermark and unlock HD, 4K, and even 8K exports. Check the Floorplanner pricing page before you commit.
Floor Planner can be found at – https://floorplanner.com/
Pros:
– Five free projects, kept indefinitely
– Large Library
– Great 3D visualization
Cons:
– Free exports are low resolution and watermarked
– The credit system takes a minute to understand
Prodboard Online Kitchen Planner
Prodboard has moved upmarket since we first covered it. It’s now sold as a business tool, a planner that furniture and kitchen retailers license, load with their own product catalog, and embed on their websites. The pitch is aimed at sales teams and dealer networks, with CRM and ERP integration and confidential pricing controls. More than 300 companies use it, including Leroy Merlin.
You can still open a demo project and play with it, and the cost calculation that made it appealing is still there. But it’s no longer a free planner you sign up for as a homeowner. If you come across it on a cabinet retailer’s site, use it. Otherwise start somewhere else.
Pros:
– Cost Calculation
– Genuinely accurate pricing when a retailer has loaded their catalog
Cons:
– No longer a self-serve free tool for homeowners
– You’ll only find it embedded on a retailer’s website
Online Backsplash Designer
Online backsplash designers will allow you to choose colors and designs for the cabinets, countertops and backsplash to properly pair the items. The items included will be from reputable brands that are available for purchase.
If you are feeling stuck online, the backsplash designer also offers ideas and inspiration based on the material, color, or style. This program is an online program that can be found at – https://backsplash.com/designer
Pros:
– Free
– Uses real products
Cons:
– Only for kitchen backsplash designs
RoomToDo Software
With decorative materials and furniture customization, this program will allow the space to truly look like your home. For ease, the program has easy snap tools and quick sharing buttons to get feedback on your newest ideas and designs.
This is a free program that can be found at – https://roomtodo.com
Pros:
– Free
– Easy to use
– Many custom options
Cons:
– For the best features, you must upgrade to a paid version
Planning Wiz
There’s still a free generic room planner you can try, so it’s worth a look if you just want to sketch a layout and see it in 3D. Don’t expect a kitchen specific catalog though.
The company site is at https://planningwiz.com, and the free planner is at roomplanner3d.planningwiz.com.
Pros:
– Free generic planner, no download
– Doesn’t require hard drive space
Cons:
– Requires internet access
– Built for retailers now, so no kitchen specific catalog
Kitchen Planner
This program also allows access to 3D views as well as a bird’s eye view. Kitchen Planner is a free program that can be found at – https://www.kitchenplanner.net
Pros:
– Free
– Doesn’t take space on your computer.
Cons:
– Requires internet access
– Has a limited amount of items to be placed in the space
Lowe’s Virtual Room Designer
Lowe’s has shifted its design effort toward in-store and headset based visualization rather than a free browser planner. If you specifically wanted a retailer tool that produces a shopping list at the end, the IKEA Kitchen Planner further down does exactly that.
IKEA Home Planner
This kitchen design software by Ikea was created especially for kitchen designs and is completely free to use, making it a great choice. You won’t even need an account to get started, and will only need to register if you decide to save your plans.
One of the program’s standout features is its kitchen cabinet placements, which keep the cabinetry from overlapping, which is constantly a problem on many other software programs. In addition, the Ikea planner has a wide array of furniture and decor selections and even keeps a tally of the cost of each item for you. Once complete, your plans can be viewed in in either 2D or 3D. Another helpful feature is the ability to print your design so you can bring it to your nearest store. Visit – Ikea Home Planner
One thing worth knowing before you sit down with it. IKEA’s kitchen planner is a desktop browser tool and isn’t supported on phones or tablets at all. You’ll want Windows 7 or later, or macOS 10.10 Yosemite or later, a 256MB graphics card, at least a 1024 x 768 screen, and a broadband connection. On Mac it’s Intel processors only, going by IKEA’s own requirements page. If you’ve been trying to open it on an iPad and wondering why nothing loads, that’s why.
Pros:
– Free to use
– Keeps a running cost tally as you place cabinets
Cons:
– May be too basic
– Desktop browser only, no phone or tablet support
Home Hardware Design Software for the Kitchen
No longer available. Home Hardware took its kitchen design tool offline back in 2024 and hasn’t replaced it. We’ve left the entry here so anyone still hunting for it knows to stop looking.
The shopping list feature was the useful part. For that, try the IKEA Kitchen Planner above, or Home Designer in the paid section, which generates a full materials takeoff you can price.
Best Free Software Ideal for Kitchen Design
After discussing multiple free design software and going through their pros and cons, there will always be one that each person likes best. While some users need an easy-to-work-with program and a simple project, others may be experts with many larger projects. Based on the needs of the user, we will decide which program is the ‘best’. That is why there are so many options: Each software will have its pros and cons based on the project and user.
Online Backsplash Designer will be the best software for someone who is just trying to test out backsplashes with their existing cabinets and counters, while someone who is doing an entire kitchen renovation will not benefit from a program like that.
For the best all-round program, the one I’d reach for on most projects, it’s Planner 5D. Cost is the thing that derails kitchen projects more than anything else. Picking colors and finishes is the easy part, and beginners do it well. Working out what the building materials are and what they’ll run you is where people come unstuck, and Planner 5D’s budget widget is the rare consumer-priced tool that takes that seriously.
As mentioned previously, though not every program is for everyone, maybe cost is not important to you, or maybe you are still in the planning stage so cost and materials are not yet on the priority list. For kitchens, any form of remodeling will most likely require the moving of some lumber or built-in pieces, which will drive costs, while living room changes could only involve moving furniture and art around.
Check Your Design Against These Clearances Before You Build
Design software will happily let you draw a kitchen that’s miserable to cook in. It doesn’t know that you can’t open the dishwasher and the oven at the same time. Before you order a single cabinet, hold your plan up against the National Kitchen & Bath Association’s planning guidelines.
Two of these aren’t preferences, they’re code. The International Residential Code requires 30 inches of clearance between a cooking surface and an unprotected combustible surface above it, and a ducted range hood has to move at least 100 cfm to the outside. Your local authority may have amended those, so check before you finalise anything. The full set of guidelines with their matching code references is laid out well in CRD Design Build’s breakdown of NKBA and IRC kitchen dimensions.
Here’s the part people skip. Draw the plan, then walk it in 3D and mime opening things. Dishwasher door down, fridge door open, oven door down. If two of those collide, you found it early and it cost you nothing.
Paid Software Versions for Kitchen Layouts
Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change which programs make the list.
Here is the list of the top kitchen software that has a one-time cost or monthly membership fee:
Chief Architect – Home Designer Suite
Home Designer is subscription only now. Chief Architect stopped selling it as a one-time purchase with the 2026 release, so any article quoting you a $495 box price is out of date. It runs $495 a year, which works out to $41.25 a month, or $79 if you pay month to month. That second option is genuinely useful if you only need the software for the length of your remodel and then plan to walk away.
The subscription covers version upgrades, catalog downloads, and technical support. There’s a trial download too. What keeps most DIY remodelers here rather than on a free browser planner is the automatic framing and the materials takeoff, which spits out a priced list of everything in the model. Current pricing is on the Home Designer site.
For more information, follow this link – Chief Architect
Pros:
– One of the leading programs
Cons:
– Takes up a lot of space on the computer
– Costly
ProKitchen Software
This program will need to be downloaded. Prokitchen also offers an online version that can be found here – http://www.prokitchensoftware.com/prokitchen-online/
Pros:
– Has online chat assistance
Cons:
– Costly
HGTV Design Software
Once all is customized, you will be able to create realistic 3D renderings to decide if that is what you would like your kitchen to look like. This program can be found at HGTV Home; it also has a 90-day money-back guarantee on the purchase price.
Pros:
– 3D renderings
– Custom materials
– Drag and drop interface
Cons:
– Steep learning curve
Punch! Software
This program has some new features, including high-quality rendering for 2D geometry and text, custom drawing styles, the ability to import and export from AUTOCAD 2018, custom rich text options, and a modified toolbar.
This software requires 1GB of RAM and 3GB of hard disk space. Internet service is required to use the program. Punch! Interior Design software will run for about $39.99 and can be found at this link.
Pros:
– Large Media Library
– Great 2D and 3D Visualizations
Cons:
– Costly (but less compared to other paid options)
SmartDraw Design Software
The SmartDraw Interior Design Software is a paid software program that offers a free demo. The program can be used to design a kitchen and offers customization templates with a wide array of objects such as cabinetry, fixtures, countertops, and decor to get the look you want. There is also an import image feature if you want to bring in materials or objects for your design. Visit – SmartDraw
Pros:
– Full features design software
– Free demo to try it out
Cons:
– Expensive
Room Sketcher
When you are finished, you can create high-quality 3D photos of your design to save and share your ideas. Read more about this product here.
RoomSketcher runs three tiers. The free Pay As You Go plan gives you one user, a limited furniture library, and watermarked 3D snapshots. Pro is $12 a month billed annually, so $144 for the year, or $24 if you go month to month, and that brings the full furniture catalog, print to scale floor plans, measurements, and total area calculation. Team is $35 a month annually for five users.
The credits are the part that catches people out. Pro includes 5 a month, Team includes 20, and they refresh on the 1st. Every 3D floor plan, 360 view, and AI render spends one. A heavy render week will empty the tank before month end and you’ll be buying more. Worth knowing going in. Details are on the RoomSketcher pricing page.
Pros:
– Free tier to test it out
– Print to scale plans on Pro
– 2D and 3D floorplans with 360 views
Cons:
– Monthly credits cap how much you can output
– The free tier watermarks everything
SketchUp
SketchUp hasn’t been a Google product for a long time. It’s Trimble’s now, and the pricing structure is nothing like the old $695 upgrade this article used to quote.
There’s a genuinely free web version you can open in a browser and start modeling in, no download. Above that sit three annual plans: Go at $10.75 a month, Pro at $33.25 a month, and Studio at $68.25 a month, all billed yearly. For a kitchen, Go covers web and iPad modeling with the furnishings library. Pro is the one worth the jump if anyone else needs to see your plan, because it adds the desktop modeler, LayOut for 2D construction documents, and DWG compatibility. That last bit matters when a contractor or cabinet shop asks for your drawing in CAD format and you’d otherwise be emailing them a screenshot.
One of the standout features is still the 3D Warehouse, where you can browse and pull in models other users have built. SketchUp has the steepest learning curve on this list. It’s also the only one that’ll let you model a custom cabinet run exactly the way you want it. Compare the tiers on SketchUp’s plans and pricing page.
Pros:
– Free web version with real modeling tools
– Unmatched control over custom detail
– Pro exports CAD files a contractor can use
Cons:
– Takes real time to learn
– No kitchen specific catalog out of the box
Why Use Software To Design Your Kitchen?
Why use kitchen design software? Kitchen design software is essential to creating a functional and aesthetically pleasing kitchen. Whether completing a new build, remodel, or just minor updates, using design software will save money and enhance the project’s outcome. By first visualizing your project independently, you can get a better feel for your likes and dislikes regarding colors, finishes, appliance placement, flooring, cabinetry, and backsplash materials.
Most design software allows you to build a visual 3D mock-up of the space. These programs typically allow for material changes, custom options, and adding or removing different pieces. This will help you visualize the space and different ideas before you spend a cent on the wrong materials or colors.
Some design software even offers features that will create a materials list after completing the mock-up of the project, letting you know each of the materials you will need to complete the project. Kitchen design software will not only give you a good idea of what colors and additions you want to add to a space without bringing home and testing out tons of samples, but it will also make physical plans.
When building or remodeling, permits are needed to begin work. This means that when turning in permits or requests for approval, you will need plans or drawings. These can be fabricated with design software. You will draw out all the things you need and want, dimension them out, and submit them. Plus, that is how you, if it is a do-it-yourself project, or the person hired to do the work, will know where items belong and how big everything is.
Kitchen Design Software FAQs
What’s the best free kitchen design software?
Planner 5D for most people. The free tier gives you unlimited projects and about half the furniture catalog, which is plenty to test a layout. If you want more control over custom cabinetry and don’t mind a learning curve, SketchUp’s free web version is the stronger tool. For a straight layout sketch with no frills, Floorplanner’s five free projects will do it.
Can I use kitchen design software to get a building permit?
Some of it, yes. Home Designer and SketchUp Pro both produce scaled construction documents, elevations, and dimensioned plans, which is what a building department wants to see. Browser based planners generally don’t. Whatever you submit, an inspector will be checking things like the 30 inch clearance above the cooking surface and whether your range hood is ducted outside at 100 cfm or more, so get those right in the model first.
Do I need a powerful computer to run these?
Mostly no. Browser planners run on almost anything with a decent internet connection. The exceptions are the desktop programs like Home Designer and SketchUp Pro, and IKEA’s planner, which won’t run on a phone or tablet at all and needs a desktop browser.
How wide should the walkway be in my kitchen plan?
At least 36 inches for a plain walkway. The work aisle, meaning the space where you actually stand and cook, needs 42 inches for one cook and 48 if two people work in there together. Those are the NKBA’s numbers and they’re worth treating as a floor, not a target.
How much should I budget for the remodel itself?
Houzz’s 2026 study puts the median major kitchen remodel at $55,000 and a minor one at $20,000. Size matters more than you’d think: a major remodel of a larger kitchen ran $75,000 median against $46,000 for a smaller one.
Will these programs give me a materials list I can price?
A few will. Home Designer generates a full materials takeoff you can assign prices to. IKEA’s planner keeps a running tally as you place cabinets, though obviously only for IKEA parts. Planner 5D’s budget widget on Premium tracks project costs. Most of the free browser planners won’t, so you’d be pricing those yourself.
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