Learn » » 8 Best Free Landscape Design Software Tools in 2024
The landscaping of a home is an integral part of both sustainable architecture and design. Think about it, it’s the space that all your neighbors, visitors, and even the homeowners notice first when entering the house. It may be a backyard or the front yard landscape design, a street view, or fenced, regardless, it is the space that adds aesthetic value to a financial real estate investment. Conventional free landscaping design software may not have the capabilities to create the right garden design for you.
For interior designers, this has been a challenge because landscaping doesn’t follow the conventional color palette, themes, and furniture designs, but it is just as aesthetic and important to a home’s overall appeal. So, as an interior designer, what do you do to solve this challenge? How can you design an exquisite, professional landscape to beautify the house and get it right every time? You do that using the right landscape design software.
Whether you want to add a backyard swimming pool, or a vegetable garden, or a pergola, or water features to your backyard landscape design, or simply convert it into an outdoor seating space, you can do so using these landscape design software.
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What is Landscape Design Software?
Landscape design software is a digital tool used by landscapers, architects, and homeowners to plan, visualize, and create outdoor spaces, gardens, and landscapes. It typically includes features for designing layouts, selecting plants, adding hardscape elements like pathways and fences, and providing 3D renderings for realistic previews.
This specialized software for landscaping typically provides specialized tools tailored specifically for landscaping tasks, such as plant libraries, terrain modeling tools, and irrigation system planners. These tools are often more intuitive and efficient for landscaping projects than the general features found in design software.
It often includes extensive plant libraries with detailed information about various plant species, including their growth requirements, mature sizes, and seasonal characteristics. This helps users make informed decisions when selecting plants for their landscape designs.
8 Best Landscape Design Software and Tools For Your Modern Landscape Design
Before we start listing the options for you to choose from, we need to share valuable insight with you. Most of the software programs listed below allow you to use a free trial so you can decide whether or not you want to continue using them. We just want to say that if you find a landscape or home design software that works for you to facilitate all your design needs, then make the decision to pay and use all the features available.
Even the best free online landscape design software will only take you so far. If you don’t have options for different templates, floor plans, high-quality 3D rendering, and various furnishing choices, then it is hard to make an impression on a client. The price that you pay for design software is negligible compared to the easem*nt in your design process. So do consider it.
The choice is yours but at least now we’ll know that we helped you decide why it is worth it. Please read on to know more about the best available design software programs for your landscaping needs.
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Foyr Neo
Foyr Neo is the most affordable and brilliant choice for all your design needs.
We say this, not because we designed it, but because we compared all the existing tools in the market, collected interior designers’ feedback, and carefully incorporated every single feature to help you smoothen your design process. This home design software takes care of the interiors and exterior landscaping design with an articulate selection of design programs. The app is extremely user-friendly so beginners and professional designers find it highly beneficial. There is a free version available for 14 days trial so you can design a project and see for yourself just how effective it is.
You can sign up for the advanced design functionality for only $49 per month and access all manners of 3D modeling and 3D rendering of all your design work. The landscaping options include everything from what trees and shrubs to plant all the way to accessories that will beautify your garden landscape design. The reason Foyr Neo is our personal favorite is that it allows both interior and exterior design options. You can check out the available tutorials to learn how to use every feature to your advantage.
It is a cloud-based platform available on both iOS and Windows. You can easily design and save these files and also share them with clients for feedback. You can design virtual tours so they get an accurate idea of what you have in mind and how the design plan will translate to reality. Add anything from plants to sprinklers, to pavers, to a backyard 3D warehouse. The 3D mode is particularly helpful for augmented reality and rendering. The super-smart AI’s auto-lighting option helps you ace landscape lighting design.
Apart from that you can also access a multitude of floor plans, tons of landscape design ideas and templates, and create photo-realistic renditions of the landscaping project in the paid version. You can design ad redesign as many times as you want by making simple adjustments as per your client’s suggestions.
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SketchUp
Image credits: Sketchup
A design tool for professionals, SketchUp provides an array of landscaping features and meets the demand for high-quality 3D models. Sketchup is a home interior design and landscape design company and the tool makes it a good choice for anyone who wants to create 3D renderings of their design model.
However, the interface of SketchUp is anything but user-friendly. If you want to design appropriate plans then you need some knowledge of coding. The design software is not at all automated like Foyr Neo.
Furthermore, it is hard to create photo-realistic images on this platform due to its complicated and limited resources. Therefore, while you may be able to create a virtual tour, the images won’t accurately decipher your online 3D landscape design.
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SmartDraw
Image credits: Smartdraw
One of the top home design software programs that also allows landscaping. SmartDraw is a user-friendly, downloadable software design that allows you to design the patio, pavers, garden, and outdoor spaces in general. It also allows you to add a grill, swing, and other accessories to the deck for an accurate idea of the garden design.
You can render 3D models of your design and share them easily with clients. The problem is, that the walkthroughs may lack clarity if they don’t have supportable software available. Also, since SmartDraw is not cloud-based like Foyr Neo, you stand a chance of losing all your data if your operating system crashes. Plus, the download option is not ideal because it can slow down your system considerably.
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VizTerra
Image credits: Vizterra
VizTerra is a garden design software that is available for both online and offline use so landscape designers can develop 3D models from 2D rendering. The app has a free trial which you can use before you delve into app purchases.
VizTerra offers a broad library of design options to choose from. Therefore, Windows users can definitely use it for their design needs. However, VizTerra is not available for iOS platforms and mobile devices. You can only use it on computers, which means you cannot design on the go or redesign components impromptu when clients specify something. It makes it a little challenging for professional landscape designers.
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Idea Spectrum
Image credits: Ideaspectrum
A user-friendly garden and landscape design software that offers a multitude of options for your garden design needs. The program is available on Windows platforms on your PC so you can check out feasible creatives for your landscape. Idea Spectrum allows users to explore what kind of trees they want towering over their property, what plants to ground, and which pretty flowers would brighten up their landscape design.
Although the software is quite feasible, it does not offer any free versions for trial or otherwise. You make a purchase, you use; that’s the deal. On top of that, it only works on Windows computers therefore impromptu redesign is out of the question.
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Pro Landscape
Image credits: Prolandscape
If you’re looking for free landscape design software for your one-time need with not too many complicated options, then you can go for Pro Landscape. You can simply use an image to add your plants, pavers, garden or patio furniture, grass, etc. to the layout. There are some stability issues but that is common for free design programs.
Although the app is free to use, it does require in-app purchases for additional design features. If you’re a professional designer then we do not recommend this for two reasons. One, the design options are pretty limited, almost basic. Two, it has a lot of advertisem*nts that redirect clients to landscaping professionals nearby. There’s a good chance you might lose business.
If you are a homeowner, then you can use this app to get a basic idea of what your garden design should look like. You can check where you want to place which item in vague and use your instincts to fill in the gaps.
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iScape
Image credits: iScape
If you have an Apple iPad or an iPhone, then iScape can be of help to you. All you need to do is turn on the app and hover around the garden space.
The iScape app will identify the layout available for the landscaping project and allow you to make alterations and check what works. It is reliant on a sophisticated system of augmented reality that you can manipulate by adding and mirroring the elements available. There are a wide variety of plants, trees, garden accessories, and fences to choose from. Although an excellent choice for homeowners who try to find a perfect balance in their outdoor space on their own, this app is not that great for professional designers. For one, this is not exactly a CAD software system, therefore the levels of designing are pretty low.
Furthermore, it only works on Apple operating systems so if your client is using an Android OS, you will face some problems. It doesn’t really allow you to export your design files, which pretty much limits your options to only working with iOS-using clients.
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Garden Planner
Image credits: Gardenplanner
A user-friendly software program that allows you to choose a variety of planting options from a wide-ranging library. You can customize your plants, and add photo-realistic imagery and a lot of other features to your garden design. It is a good product for beginners, however, professional designers may find it a bit lacking due to its 2D planning mode and limited hardscapes. Homeowners may not get an accurate idea of their outdoor space when they see the walk-through, which is a little problematic despite the 3D viewing option after a 2D planner.
Despite its drawbacks, it does work on both Mac and Windows platforms thus making it simpler for sharing. It uses a drag-and-drop interface so selecting the options is super simple. You can try it out for a base fee and see if it works for you. It doesn’t fare well as compared to Foyr Neo but nothing really does.
With the growing need to accommodate the means for air purification and anti-pollutants in the vicinity of a livable home, landscaping is quickly becoming a need rather than a choice.
A beautiful garden with trimmed hedges or a backyard swimming pool for hot days added to your landscape pool design, or even majestic water features perhaps with a fire element looks amazing. More than that, incorporating eco-friendly options in order to find an ecological balance in this upended climatic depletion is essential.
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How to Design a Landscape With Foyr Neo?
Given that your site’s layout is unique, how do you know which landscape design items will work in your space and which won’t? You figure it out by visualizing your site with your favorite landscaping features and ruling out the ones that don’t fit in.
How can you visualize every space of the site without leaving anything to chance? With an advanced tool like Foyr Neo.
After you visit the site for the first time and get a sneak peek of how it will look, here’s what you can do:
Step 1: Sign up for Foyr Neo’s 14-day trial.
Step 2: Go on to the Neo mood board and curate everything you’d love to have in your landscape.
Step 3: Create your site and its nuances on Neo.
Step 4: Choose from 60,000+ 3D decor materials and simply drag and drop them into the design.
Step 5: Get any material in any color scheme, texture, shape, or pattern and truly customize your landscape.
Step 6: View the makeover in 2D and 3D, from all possible angles and lighting conditions.
Step 7: Render your design in a few minutes and witness your landscape in all its glory.
That’s all it takes! With 24/7 support and live chat, we’re here to help you if you ever get stuck anywhere. You can find tutorials on how to design on Neo all over the internet, so you’re never truly alone when you design using Neo.
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Conclusion
If you can create a rock garden or add plants and succulents to enhance the aesthetic value of a property, it is only secondary to the deeper purpose that you’re actually furnishing homeowners with the means to breathe clean air. The landscape design software programs mentioned above will equip you with the necessary free online landscape design tools.
Among all other design programs, we promise that the Foyr Neo software is worth every penny and in reality, doesn’t cost a lot. With its robust features and accurate visualization, you can also save a ton of money on the landscape design cost.Sign up for Foy Neo for a 14-day free trial now!
