Landscape Design Software Programs (Free & Pro Version)
- What are the landscape design software program available?
- List of free landscaping design software which available to download and use.
- What are the top software package among many other?
- What is the most favorite and best one for other people?
Any Good Landscape Design Software? Free? Paid?
Are you looking for a good landscaping design software program to help you create a perfect outdoor space? Several days ago, I wrote about Home Design Software. Now it is time for Landscape Design. This page wills provide solution for landscape designers who are looking for a good landscaping design application. I am not only talking about paid version, but also about free solution. You can find the right solution for yourself whether it is free or paid edition. I encourage you to read the following quick overview to get some ideas for choosing the right solution:
Highlight Features of Good Landscaping Design Software
There are many companies that offering landscape design software; from one to another package there are differences regarding to feature set and price. Here are some highlight features that you can found in good landscaping design program:
- Landscape Design including Backyard, Deck, Patio, Pool, Terrain and other Outdoor Projects.
- Easy to use with drag and drop feature including adding houses, grass, plant, deck, fences, paths, walkways, edging, beauty bark, patios, retaining walls and more.
- Video tutorials to guide you to utilize all program features.
- Thousand of plants to choose from as well as advanced plant searching by sun, shade, watering and more.
- Hardiness zone map which allows program to show the appropriate plants that grow in your areas.
- See how the plants will look in several or even 10 years from now.
- Various pre-designed landscape, deck and pool templates.
- Allows you to see your design in both 2D and 3D views.
- Realistic lighting and shadows, day and night visualization.
- 3D walkthrough and 3D fly around.
- Cost estimation and material list.
- Allows user to import and export common images format like JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TGA and more.
Paid Edition
There are several outstanding landscape design programs available on the market today including Realtime Landscaping, Chief Architect Landscaping and Deck Designer, Punch! Home and Landscape Design and more (see in the table below). The programs provide solution from homeowner to professional landscape designer. The price of the product ranges from less than a hundred to several hundred dollars. All of the programs are designed to make it easy to use and do not required users to have CAD knowledge or experience to use them. Most of popular landscape software provides video tutorials to guide you to utilize all the features within the program.
You can simply create a beautify landscaping by just using mouse clicks; you can drag and drop any elements such as trees, shrubs, flowers, water garden, cactus and other plants into your design project. Some program includes thousands of landscaping object and plants which you can use in designing process. With the hardiness zone map, the software will show the appropriate plants that grow in your areas, so you can quickly select the right plant for your design.
Free Edition
Unlike any other type of software, there are only few free landscaping design software programs available on the internet today. Most of them are free editions and there are limits in features while the company also sell professional version product. It is designed for homeowner, landscaper with basic design needs rather than professional landscape designers. And some are not specific landscape design software which required some 3D design experience to utilize the program. Let me provides you some highlight:
SHOWOFF Virtual Designer is a free photo based landscaping design software program, it is free edition of Imagine Pro Suite (a landscaping, exterior and interior design suite) from Visual Applications, Inc. Google SketchUp is a free 3D modeling software rather than a landscaping design; you can design just anything you can imagine. Google SketchUp is a free edition with some limited features. Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major platforms including Windows, Mac and Linux. It is not a specific landscape design program; but it is possible to create a wonderful landscaping using Blender. But it takes some time to master all the tools.
After reading the quick overview, I hope you get some ideas. Now let find out what are the solution available for you to choose. You can see ratings and voting; read reviews and share your experience in the following section:
Landscaping Design Software Rating (Paid Version)
I also encourage everyone (including you) who ever have experience of using landscape design software before, please share your experience and make it useful, helpful for other by doing the following rating.
Please Note: to make this rating more useful and helpful information, please rate only the software you ever experience, for the landscaping design program which you never use please do not rate it.
| Software Name | User Rating |
| Realtime Landscaping |    (9 votes)
 Loading ...
|
| Chief Architect Landscaping and Deck Designer | (11 votes)
Loading ...
|
| Punch! Home and Landscape Design | (4 votes)
Loading ...
|
| TurboFLOORPLAN Landscape & Deck | (6 votes)
Loading ...
|
| Total 3D Home, Landscape & Deck Premium Suite | (3 votes)
Loading ...
|
| Imagine Pro Suite | (5 votes)
Loading ...
|
| 3D Home Architect Landscape Design Deluxe | (3 votes)
Loading ...
|
| Landscape Vision | (9 votes)
Loading ...
|
Voting for Your Landscaping Design Software
These are the top landscaping software programs available on the market today. And as an experienced user, what is your favorite Landscape Design Software? You can tell the world through the following poll. The reasons I design this voting is to solve the problem which many other users have in choosing landscaping design software by finding out which is the most popular and the best one. To achieve this goal, user involvement and participation (including you) is very important, necessary and need. I encourage the users which have experience with the software to vote the following poll:
Please Note:
- You can only vote for one time.
- After voting, you will see the result of what you have voted and other people voting immediately. (You also can see result without voting by just click on View Result link below Vote button)
- The voting result will continue showing and change based on number voting from time to time. Therefore do not forget to check result sometime.
Free Landscape Design Software Ratings
There are several free landscaping design programs available for you to download and use for free. Let find out in the following table:
| Software Name | User Rating |
| SHOWOFF Virtual Designer | (8 votes)
Loading ...
|
| Google SketchUp | (1 votes)
Loading ...
|
| Blender | (3 votes)
Loading ...
|
Related Useful Resources
Landscape Design Software Reviews
Realtime Landscaping
(Windows)
Realtime Landscaping is one of most popular landscape design software solution, developed by Idea Spectrum. The program designed for both homeowners and professional landscape designers. The users are not required to have CAD experience to use the program. It allows you create 3D landscape designs with realistic lighting and shadows, day and night visualization and more.
Chief Architect Landscaping and Deck Designer
(Windows)
Chief Architect Landscaping and Deck Designer is formerly Better Homes and Gardens Landscaping and Deck Designer, a outdoor living space design solution from Chief Architect. It is one of popular landscaping design software on the market today. The program makes it easy to design the virtual look and feel of your backyard, deck, patio, pool or any outdoor project.
Punch! Home and Landscape Design
(Windows)
Home and Landscape Design is one of popular home and landscaping design software program on the market today. It is a product of Punch! Software. In this review, we focus on landscape design solution. Now let find out more detail about the offers from Punch! Software for landscaping design: the company provides complete solution for both homeowners and professional landscape designers. The software is classified into several packages range from basic to complete package. Each package has different feature set and price. You can choose based on the level of your needs.
TurboFLOORPLAN Landscape & Deck
(Windows)
TurboFLOORPLAN Landscape & Deck is a landscaping design software program developed by IMSI/Design, LLC. It provide solution for user to create the perfect outdoor living experience for you and your family with beautiful landscaping with gardens, decks, pathways and sheds. With plant encyclopedia and selector, you can access detailed plant information including photos, descriptions, best usage, seasonal diagram, overhead views and more. The program provides over 7,500 plants, flowers, shrubs and trees; you can choose from a variety of plants and even visualize plant growth through seasons or by years.
Total 3D Home, Landscape & Deck Premium Suite
(Windows)
Total 3D Home, Landscape & Deck Premium Suite is home and landscaping design software program from Individual Software Inc. It provides you complete home design solution including interior design, kitchen and bath remodel, landscape and deck design. With the program, you can design your dream home. You can quickly drawing your room, selecting flooring and cabinetry, choosing a color palette and furnishings. Here are some highlight features you will found within the package.
Imagine Pro Suite
(Windows)
Imagine Pro Suite is a photo based exterior, interior and landscape design software solution from Visual Applications, Inc. This design program is designed homeowner rather than an architect or contractor. It allows you to design your landscape, exterior and interior from your real house photo. The program is designed for non technical user, there is no prior CAD experience needed to utilize all the features within the software.
3D Home Architect Landscape Design Deluxe
(Windows, Mac)
3D Home Architect Landscape Design Deluxe is a landscape design software solution. The program is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. 3D Home Architect Software is now powered by Punch! Technology. The software provides basic landscaping design solution such as fencing, ground fill, edging, retaining walls, pathways, gates. And you can design your outdoor space including pond, pool, spa, waterfall, outdoor grill, greenhouse, fire pit, patio furniture.
Landscape Vision
(Windows)
Landscape Vision is a basic landscaping design software program, a product of Landscape Vision LLC. The software is designed for homeowner, gardener, and landscaper rather than an architect or contractor. It is simple to design a landscape with the software. First, take a picture of your home with a digital camera. Second, use the software to import your picture. Then, choose your hardiness zone (this will allow the software to show you only the plants appropriate for your area).
Free Editions
SHOWOFF Virtual Designer
(Windows)
SHOWOFF Virtual Designer is a photo based and free landscape design software program. It is a free software version of Imagine Pro Suite from Visual Applications, Inc. This company provides this free edition with fewer features than its professional product. SHOWOFF Virtual Designer is designed for homeowner, landscaper with basic design needs.
Google SketchUp
(Windows, Mac)
Google SketchUp is a free 3D modeling software solution from Google Inc. Google SketchUp is not really software which design specific for landscaping design but using the software for landscape design is possible. With the program, you can design just anything that you can imagine including design landscape for your house; redecorate your living room; design a new piece of furniture; model your city for Google Earth; create a skate park for your hometown and more. The program is available for both Windows and Mac users.
Blender
(Windows, Mac, Linux)
Blender is a free and fully functional 3D design software program rather than a free landscaping design software. But it is possible to design a wonderful and perfect landscape using this software. It requires you to have 3D experience as well as time for master the features within the program in order to utilize the program. With Blender, you can design just anything you can imagine including home, landscape, building, people, automotive, furniture and so on.
Link to This Page
If you find this article useful, please feel free to link to this page from your website or blog. You can simply copy and paste the following code into your page to create a link.