From time to time, we field inquiries from designers who have a limited budget want access to free landscape design software applications. Here we provide some information and feedback about those we have been able to find and briefly evaluate. Those marked with a * have been more comprehensively tested and are recommended.
GardenCAD
GardenCAD (aka Garden CAD) is a powerful, easy-to-use, entry-level landscape design software tool for landscapers.
The figure below shows a garden design plan created using GardenCAD. Many professionally drawn symbols are included.
Download GardenCAD from this page, install, and test it out. Read more about GardenCAD here.
Free book on landscape design
Click here to download a free booklet about using CAD for landscape design.
The developers of GardenCAD -about us
Design Cad is a group of software developers who have created a range of tools for professional landscape designers.
If you are a landscape design student at a recognized college, write to us and request an activation code for a free copy of GardenCAD.
* SketchUp
SketchUp is a 3d CAD modeling software published by a company called Trimble. There are commercial and free versions of SketchUp. The desktop standalone free version was called SketchUp Make and was used by many designers to build 3D landscape models. Unfortunately, it is no longer available however SketchUp is now available as a free, web-based 3D modeling tool to help visualize your landscape design ideas.
SketchUp Pro is the desktop version of the tool; it’s more powerful, customizable, and shareable. The non-expiring license costs $695, but there is a free version you can try. It begins with a 30-day trial of SketchUp Pro. The figure below created with the free version of SketchUp shows one of our designs
We suggest that you get the free version, or use a free trial and play around with it. It just takes time and practice to master the program but the models created can give a client a very good idea of what the design will look like when implemented. There are tons of videos and online resources that you can use to learn and help yourself!
Here is a link to a series of tutorial movies that illustrate the use of SketchUp to produce landscape models.
* Kerkythea
Kerkythea is a free, open-source rendering software that provides a full staging application for users to render architectural models and illustrations. It was developed as a powerful plug-in for SketchUp. Kerkythea can be used by both architectural professionals and educational institutes, as users do not need to spend any money on software licensing. Here is one of our SketchUp models created in SketchUp and rendered using Kerkythea.
Lands Design
Lands Design is a landscape design plugin for CAD software called Rhino. So you need a copy of Rhino in order to run it. Like SketchUp, the software can create realistic 3D images and virtual tours but is complex CAD software with a steep learning curve. A free version is available, but it is time-limited. As can be seen from the features list below, Lands Design has many modules that add to its functionality for landscape designers.
Features
Garden Planner
Garden planner is a garden and landscape design tool. You can arrange trees, plants, flowers, and other objects. It has a library of over 1200 plant and object symbols. It is simple and straightforward to use.
Features
An extensive collection of plant and object symbols.
A drag and drop interface that makes it very easy to use.
You can create plans, designs, and images that produce high-quality print output.
You can create your own library of custom plants.
You can generate a report of all the objects in your garden.
Garden Planner website.
Difference Between Free and Paid Versions
Run all the features in the trial version for 15 days. After the trial version, printouts and exported images will have a watermark on them.
The download does not require your contact details. A warning, the Garden Planner is a large setup file > 150Mb.
DreamPlan Home Design
DreamPlan is a design software where you can create a plan with a realistic 3D model. NCH Software published the software. The software is for home and floor plans, landscape, and garden design, interior and room design. DreamPlan is also great for remodeling, additions, and redesigning.
Features
- You can place trees and shrubs into garden beds and lawn areas.
- You can reshape the terrain of outdoor landscaping areas.
- You can create an outdoor swimming pool.
- You can switch between 2D, 3D, and blueprint view modules for home and floor planning.
- You can use Trace Mode to import a scanned image file of your floor plans and turn it into an interactive 3D model.
Available Versions
A free version is available for non-commercial use. The cost of DreamPlan Home Designer for commercial use is $40. The software has a version for Windows and Mac OS X.
Download Dream Home software Here.
Showoff.com – The Visualizer
Showoff.com is a combination of a real estate MLS marketplace and blog that’s equipped with design tips and layouts. The site offers an online service called the Visualizer that helps you design your dream house and garden, and then offers that design up to the Showoff.com community for tips and consultation. The Visualizer is a free software application that can be installed on Windows operating systems.
Free option via this download link.
The Showoff.com Visualizer is a free software application with a variety of elements and objects to help you form your ideas into a plan.
- It allows you to use a camera to search for your photo automatically.
- It has a catalog of images with seven categories, including decks, outdoor furniture, landscape plants, and patio garden.
- It has a landscape plants gallery with over 2000 choices of annuals, perennials, trees, hedges, edibles, and other plant types.
- You can add patio furniture and other non-plant elements.
iScape
The iScape app is excellent for users who are looking to collaborate with designers. iScape App features a community of designers and industry partners. It makes it easy for you to create a plan and build your landscape project from start to finish.
Features
- Easy-to-use design tools
- You can easily share your project with a friend or a landscape designer.
- It also allows you to buy and order products based on your iScape designs.
- There is an active community of iScape users who are designers and industry partners.
Difference Between Free and Paid Versions
The iScape Pro allows you to create a business profile and become a Certified iScape Designer. You can connect with new prospects and clients to provide landscape design services. Signing up for the pro version will provide with you several tools and features. Unlimited access to thousands of plants, trees, and hardscape images. If you don’t see the object you need, you may upload custom images.
Gardena MyGarden
Gardena MyGarden is a free online garden planner. Gardena is a company based in Germany, and they are known for their complete range of products offering high-quality garden tools in Europe and more than 80 countries all over the world.
With the online planner, users can draw and create their garden plan and integrate an irrigation system. They have a set of examples from small, medium, and extensive gardens. You can select your preferred garden example and start editing.
Features
- You can start creating or editing a project without signing up for an account.
- You can plan the irrigation with their built-in sprinkler system online planner.
- You can input the exact dimension of your property.
- Add specific features like houses, flowerbeds, paths, and garages.
Available Versions
MyGarden tool is only available as a web application. Check out their garden tool application by visiting this link.
Realtime Landscaping
Idea Spectrum publishes RealTime Landscaping software. It’s an award-winning landscape design software for homeowners and professional designers. With RealTime Pro, you can design a landscape in full 3D model.
Features
- Realtime Landscaping lets you create movie presentations for a powerful effect.
- It has 5,300 specific plant elements such as trees, shrubs, flowers, cacti, palms, and many more. It has the common and botanical name, planting and climate zone, and plant sizes.
- It has a “House Wizard“ option to create a new house or use a template. It can be a single or multi-story house to enhance your landscape design.
- It has a vast selection of landscape lights. Use Realtime walkthrough feature for a night simulation with realistic lighting and shadows.
- You can use the Plant Growth tool to predict the size of the plants from 3 months to more than 20 years. This tool will guide you on the spacing and size considerations.
- You can design patios, landscape pathways, fences, and driveways by drawing their outline or shape.
- If you have a custom paver and could not find the material in the library, you can import a photo.
- It provides a quick cost estimate using the integrated project material list. Enter the prices for the landscaping objects and print the result or export as an excel file. It will automatically update when you edit or make changes to your landscape design.
Available Versions
There are three versions for RealTime Landscaping. Download a free trial of RealTime Landscaping Architect here.
Plan a garden
Better Homes & Gardens produced Plan-a-garden online web app. It is a design and planning tool, that is free to use by homeowners and DIY home designers. Before designing your landscape, the app will let you choose the scenery. Are you going to create an entryway? A front porch? A back patio? A backyard pond?
Select a type of house and hardscaping elements, like fences, ceramic pots, gazebos. You can even add a basketball hoop to spruce up the landscape design project.
Features
- A database of 150 plant elements, including shrubs, flowers, and trees.
- You can add hardscapes such as buildings, sheds, fences, and decks.
- Drag and drop feature.
Sign up for an account here and use the tool for free. The full version of the tool, it will direct you to sign up for a subscription plan at GardenPuzzle.
PRO Landscape Home
PRO Landscape design software provides architects with photo imaging, CAD, 3D rendering, and customer proposal drafting tools that fulfill the requirements for landscape design projects. PRO Landscape Home is the “lite,” non-commercial version of PRO Landscape, designed for homeowners. PRO Landscape Home is a mobile application that can be used on all Apple, Android, and Amazon devices. While PRO Landscape Companion App is a free app, it’s only free for those who already purchased professional landscape design software. PRO Landscape Home, on the other hand, offers almost the same features as the professional version, except the ability to edit hardscapes, create customer proposals and create 3D files.
- PRO Landscape Home is the free, “lite” version of PRO Landscape.
- The Companion App is free to download for both iOS and Android. However, it’s only free for those who have already downloaded PRO Landscape.
Designor Buddy
Designor Buddy is free, open-source landscape designing software. It is built on top of the OpenOffice Draw program and provides the ability to integrate landscape images into 2D drawings. OpenOffice Draw is one of Apache’s OpenOffice modules, which enables the production of simple diagrams and dynamic 3D illustrations.
Features
- The ability to scale
- Layers (similar to PhotoShop)
- Library of plants, hardscapes, and materials