15+ best programs for landscape design

This time I will draw a plan for a summer cottage plot of 10 acres in the free online planner “My Garden” from GARDENA.

If this is your first time reading my review of a program for site design, I’ll briefly tell you about the essence of this special project.

Not long ago, I, a novice summer resident, was lucky enough to find the plot of my dreams. An area of 10 acres allows you to divide the territory into several zones, which is what I did when I began drawing up a detailed site plan. You can see what came out of this by following the link.

The first site plan was drawn by hand. In this project, I am testing various free programs and services for landscape design, trying to repeat my original plan, and sharing the results with ogorod.ru readers.

Last time I tested the smallblueprinter online service. And today I’ll tell you about my impressions of the “My Garden” planner from the famous company GARDENA.

An alternative to site planning programs

If you need to design a house that will not occupy the entire area of a small summer cottage, use the Interior Design 3D editor. It is suitable for novice users and is completely Russified.

It will help you draw a typical room and a house with non-standard dimensions, create several floors and arrange them separately. You can:

✓ change the finish to materials from the built-in collection;
✓ take your own textures from your PC;
✓ arrange furniture and equipment from the catalog;
✓ add columns, stairs, doors and windows.

The result can be printed or saved as a photorealistic image, and you can also export the drawing and 3D layout as a PDF, JPG, PNG, BMP file. The scheduler can be downloaded for free and installed on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP. It is not demanding on system resources and works smoothly on weak PCs and laptops.

Interior Design 3D

Advantages of the program

Simple and clear navigation. You can also understand the work of the scheduler in the English version.
Functionality. There are no problems with placing and rotating objects or moving them. Everything is made as convenient as possible for a novice user.
Prepared templates. A very useful function for beginners - you can “practice on cats” and master the functions of the planner on a finished site project.
Ability to save and download the project. All your projects are stored in your account. You can change and download them at any time.
Free. The best part is that it's all completely free. If you wish, you don’t even have to register on the site.

Computer programs

To choose the best computer software, we took into account the following criteria:

✓ availability of a user-friendly interface;
✓ built-in collection of plants, verandas, gazebos;
✓ ability to adjust light, climate, temperature, etc.;
✓ tools for hand drawing.

Here is a ranking of paid and free computer software:

Garden Planner

OS:

Windows

License:

shareware

A simple planner allows you to draw fences and paths, add a pool and pond, and arrange outbuildings. It contains a catalog of plants and garden pavilions, buildings and decking. Each element can be moved to a suitable location, adjusted in size and rotated.

Garden Planner provides an English-language interface. The software can only be downloaded from third-party resources, since the developer has stopped supporting the designer.

Main features:

✓ development of a schematic landscape plan;
✓ changing the surface covering;
✓ catalog of furniture, equipment, etc.;
✓ collecting a personal gallery of items;
✓ saving content in JPEG, PNG;
✓ compiling a list of used objects in CSV and TXT format.

If you're looking for a simple planner for dummies, download Garden Planner. With its help, anyone can schematically draw the surrounding area.

SketchUp

OS:

Windows, MacOS

License:

shareware

Suitable for drawing, modeling interiors, landscapes and architectural structures. In SketchUp, you can draw freehand, adjust lighting, add media from your library, and view your design in 3D that shows shadows.

The designer can be downloaded to your PC and installed for a 30-day trial period. Then you need to pay an annual subscription costing $299.

Main features:

✓ storage of media of other users;
✓ manual drawing of objects and houses;
✓ changing the plane and slope of the earth;
✓ library of building materials.

SketchUp is used by specialists as media content is drawn manually. The software also has a confusing interface and high cost.

VizTerra

OS:

Windows

License:

shareware

Allows you to create two-dimensional landscape drawings and convert them into three-dimensional models. Using this planner, you can manually draw the space, adjust textures and lighting.

VizTerra does not provide tools for creating pools. The application can be downloaded for a trial period on devices with Windows 8 and 10. Then you can use the software by subscription for $97 per month.

Main features:

✓ working with layers;
✓ collection with 1700+ items;
✓ changing the surface covering;
✓ adding a fence and railings;
✓ photorealistic pictures in high resolution;
✓ creation of MP4 videos with exterior presentation.

VizTerra is designed for professional editing. Beginners will find it difficult to navigate the software's confusing tools.

Our garden

OS:

Windows

License:

paid

Planner for modeling a vegetable garden, terrace, etc. In it you can manually draw an area of up to 500 square meters, place vegetation, gazebos, a garage, a pond, a fountain and other elements. You can also customize the terrain, adjust building materials and change the size of objects.

The software can be installed on devices running Windows. The license costs 4,000 rubles.

Main features:

✓ encyclopedia with information about flowers and trees;
✓ designing a layout based on a photo;
✓ editing fence and stairs;
✓ design of simple rooms with windows, doors, roof;
✓ calculation of estimates;
✓ setting lighting, month of year, time of day.

Our Garden is suitable for amateur use. It features a convenient Russian-language menu that you can quickly figure out.

FloorPlan 3D

OS:

Windows, MacOS

License:

shareware

Popular software for developing landscape plans. In it you can build cottages, gazebos and garages, add fences and paths, place a swimming pool and garden furniture, bushes and flowers. The unevenness of the ground is also adjustable.

To use, you need to download a 15-day trial version. To do this, order the product on the official website, providing personal information. You can also immediately buy a license package. Prices start at $99.

Main features:

✓ drawing up estimates;
✓ drawing space from scratch;
✓ modeling of external and internal lighting.

FloorPlan 3D will help in developing projects of any level of complexity, which is why it is popular among professional architects and designers.

Punch Home Design

OS:

Windows, MacOS

License:

paid

Cottage and landscape planning software. Provides more than 4 thousand plants, various tools for 2D and 3D rendering of space, functions for editing the parameters of each element. Punch Design also adjusts trim and creates estimates, and offers ready-made deck and patio templates.

The software can only be installed by subscription for $49.99 per year.

Main features:

✓ adding fences;
✓ sorting vegetation by climate and terrain;
✓ several visualization modes to choose from, for example, top view;
✓ import and export of DWG, DXF files.

Software for people who want a full range of landscaping and interior design options. It’s quite simple to use, so it won’t take much time to master.

X-Designer

OS:

Windows

License:

free

Application for landscaping in Russian. With its help, you can adjust the depth of the area and make hills, place a pond, and plant plants. You can also install gazebos, lanterns, benches, etc.

You cannot design items from scratch in X-Designer. In addition, the software is no longer supported by the developer, but it can be downloaded from third-party resources.

Main features:

✓ viewing in 3D mode;
✓ catalog of flowers, flower beds, etc.;
✓ imitation of the time of year and day;
✓ save files in BMP, JPG and PNG.

This is a program for amateurs who do not care about high quality graphics, but need a rough plan of the future site.

Chief Architect Home Designer Suite

OS:

Windows, MacOS

License:

shareware

A complex planner that creates and customizes the landscape of an area, adding topographical features such as hills or water. Using this application, you can “plant” flowers, add a pool, place fences, stairs and terraces, choose garden furniture or street lamps.

Chief Architect Designer Suite has a trial version that is available by application only. After a month of use, you will have to purchase a license for $99.

Main features:

✓ preparation of detailed technical plans;
✓ street decor library;
✓ visualization of 3D content in high resolution;
✓ output data as a 360 degree panorama.

This software is mostly used by professionals because it is difficult to master.

Lands Design

OS:

Windows

License:

shareware

This is a plugin used to expand the capabilities of Rhino and AutoCad editors. It can be used to design gardens and place green spaces. Lands Design allows you to search for and insert different types of plants. There are also functions for automatically drawing plans and drawing up project documentation.

The extension is available for a trial period. The cost of paid packages ranges from 795 to 1695 euros for a perpetual license.

Main features:

✓ installation of different levels of relief;
✓ more than 1800 types of vegetation in the catalog;
✓ options for planning the irrigation system;
✓ creating a layout with layers;
✓ correction of ground coverings;
✓ visualization using filters, animation and suitable light.

Used in a professional environment - architects, technicians, urban planners, gardeners, etc.

Autodesk AutoCAD

OS:

Windows, MacOS

License:

shareware

Autodesk's 3D computer-aided design software is designed for backyard landscaping and cottage construction. AutoCAD is used to produce 3D models and 2D drawings. In two-dimensional mode, you can customize texts, add dimensional styles, and link data from Microsoft Excel tables. When 3D modeling, the function of drawing content from scratch is available.

AutoCAD can be downloaded for a trial period. Then you need to pay a subscription costing 82,774 rubles per year or 10,236 per month.

Main features:

✓ management of the appearance of materials;
✓ adjusting shadows from models;
✓ creating trees, building frames from scratch;
✓ import PDF and DGN files, Navisworks, Bing Maps.

Designed for professional architects, designers, decorators, etc.

Free programs and services for landscape design for beginners

Beginners in design also want a beautiful garden, but they are afraid to get confused in the sophisticated interfaces of professional software. Here are site design programs for beginners. Easy to operate and at the same time functional:

Garden Planner 3

It works on the “Drag and drop” principle, i.e. by dragging objects with the mouse. The interface is simple and suitable for beginners. The program will help you draw where the main buildings will be located, and where you should plant jasmine, place a pool or put benches. The database contains more than 1,200 objects of flowers, trees, hedges, and different types of soil. There are even animals in the catalog, so you can easily imagine how your favorite dog will walk along the paved path in the garden.

It’s convenient that you can choose plants in the catalog based on the climate where you live. In the application settings you can set the maximum and minimum air temperature and adjust the lighting.

Disadvantages of the program.

It only works in English and does not know how to translate a drawing into a 3D projection. There is a free version, but it displays the result with watermarks, and after 15 days it completely stops working. The license is expensive - 33.99＄one-time use. It will not run on Windows versions lower than 10.

Garden Planner 3

X-Designer

Designer in Russian. Easy to use and inexpensive - 229 rubles for the full version. With its help, you can place utility and residential buildings on the site, arrange a barbecue area, and think about where to plant fruit trees or ornamental bushes. There is a landscape modeling function - right on the drawing you can reflect the unevenness of the soil and “fill” a hill.

To see what the project will look like in mid-spring or late fall, change the season through the settings. There, in the settings, you can set the time of day and view your garden in the morning or at sunset. The finished layout can be viewed in three dimensions and selected frames of this plan can be printed.

Disadvantages of the program.

Low quality graphics, since the software is aimed at a novice user and does not strive for high detail. You won’t be able to create your own coating models and textures either.

Summer mode in the X-designer site planner

Complete Landscape Designer 3

Another site planning program that works not only with empty backgrounds and ready-made garden templates, but also with user photographs. You just need to scan a real photo and transfer it to the editor’s database.

At the same time, it will be easy to adjust the plan, because search by parameters is well thought out. Click, for example, “light-loving plants” or “soil of neutral acidity”, and you will receive results from your query in a list. Thus, the program takes care not only of the appearance of your garden in the project, but will also help to actually implement the project in the conditions of a specific area - mountainous, black soil, etc.

The database stores more than 2,000 plants and 350 architectural objects - paths, ponds, gazebos, etc. The finished project can be viewed in the form of a 360-degree panorama. When purchasing the full version, the user receives the Landscape Library Manager package to add their own examples of plants and architectural models to the catalog.

Disadvantages of the program.

There is only a two-dimensional viewing option in the form of a photo - you cannot view the project from the side or behind. And you can’t adjust the lighting here.

Design visualization in Complete Landscape Designer 3

My Garden Online

Free online service for garden planning and automatic watering system. Offers site templates that the user can edit to suit their needs - change garden coverings, move sprinklers, plants and buildings.

For families with children, the catalog includes inflatable trampolines, swings, sandboxes, and a slide. All objects are easy to resize. Complete the project with a fountain or pond, barbecue, football goal or party tent - the library is well thought out and takes into account a variety of interests.

Disadvantages of the program.

Completely dependent on the Internet. You cannot change textures in the “Furniture and Leisure” and “Ponds and Pools” sections. No 3D visualization.

My Garden Online

Online services

If you do not want to install a site planning program on your PC, use the online service. Platforms will help you quickly design a project in a browser. However, they are dependent on network speed, require registration, and have few options for manual configuration.

SmartDraw

OS:

Windows, MacOS, Linux

License:

shareware

A web platform for planning and landscaping, in which ready-made templates are divided into different categories. You can also start work from scratch and mark the territory with schematic pictures.

To use you must register. Access to all service functions is valid for 7 days. Then you need to buy a subscription for $119.40 per year.

Main features:

✓ collection of templates;
✓ working with layers;
✓ changing the size of elements;
✓ export data to PDF, SVG, PNG, JPEG.

SmartDraw creates a well-structured two-dimensional drawing and is easy to use, making it suitable for amateur use.

Gardena myGarden

OS:

Windows, MacOS, Linux

License:

free

A website that sells gardening products and offers an online editor for exterior landscaping. In his own project, the user uses products from the store’s assortment. In Gardena myGarden you can draw the surrounding area, mark buildings, and place a pond.

Main features:

✓ templates of plots with buildings, trees, paths;
✓ placement of an irrigation system;
✓ changing the size of each part;
✓ the material can be printed or saved as PDF.

Recommended for a basic hobbyist layout, as the catalog is limited to items from a single brand. You cannot add your own objects and textures to the database.

Yardzen

OS:

Windows, MacOS, Linux

License:

paid

Web platform for ordering a project from professionals. To start modeling, you need to specify the address of the house or import photos of the place. Then set a budget, select the proposed style, configure the parameters and send a request to the service specialists.

The Yardzen resource does not allow you to draw a drawing yourself. You send an application, and then the project designers work. Their services start at $649.

Main features:

✓ selection of a wide variety of design styles;
✓ analysis of the local area based on images;
✓ selection of vegetation suitable for the climate.

The portal is suitable for people who do not want to design and arrange the space themselves.

The best solutions for professional landscape design

Functional and powerful designers for those who like to work out in detail every square meter of the territory of a private house.

Realtime Landscaping Architect

The best software for creating professional-level 3D landscape designs. He knows how to not only “assemble” projects from scratch, but also works with photographs and drawings of ready-made sites. It is possible to design cozy patios (inner courtyards), spacious courtyards, swimming pools and terraces. The program's library contains 17,000 objects, of which 7,400 are plants. Perennial and annual flowers, shrubs, cacti and tropical plantings - all options are divided into climate categories.

For those who want to simplify further garden care, there are irrigation system templates. Pool lovers will love that the pond can be designed with rocks, diving boards or a water slide. Surface irregularities - lowlands, slopes, hills - are adjusted manually. The materials used can be displayed in the form of an estimate.

Disadvantages of the program.

A very expensive license - $399. There is a free version, but it has few objects and a watermark is applied to each project. Russian language does not support either paid or free options.

3D visualization in Realtime Landscaping Architect

If there is already a country house on the site, you can change the design inside it. Download the Interior Design 3D program, draw a diagram of the area and begin remodeling the interior decoration. Try on a new wall color, add furniture and accessories from the catalog to the project, hang a chandelier and choose beautiful curtains. All textures and colors are easy to change - you can take options from the built-in library or add your own from your PC.

Punch Home Design

The menu structure is built intuitively, so the lack of Russian language does not interfere. The application helps you develop a detailed design of a yard with all the gardening attributes. In the project, you can “dig” a pit for a pond or pool, “plant” ornamental plants, lay paths, place lanterns and benches. All objects are adjustable in height and width, sidewalks can be easily made curved.

A special module analyzes the aesthetic compatibility of materials and objects. Using it, you will avoid chaos and bad taste in your local area. The finished layout can be viewed under different lighting using the Lighting tool.

Disadvantages of the program.

The Russian language is not supported and there is no way to add your own objects and textures to the catalog. To import a pool into a project, for example, you need to download the additional PoolDesigner module, which only works in the Platinum version. You can use the program for free for 30 days, but first you will have to pay $100 for a license, and towards the end of the month you will have to return the software “under warranty”.

Catalog of ornamental plants at Punch Home Design

Home Designer

Development from the famous Chief Architect, a software manufacturer for interior designers. The software supports working with custom drawings: upload a photo of the site and supplement the project with objects from the built-in library. And there is plenty to choose from: the catalog contains more than 5,500 items, including 3,600 plants.

The special feature of the program is that you can adjust the position of a plot of land using GPS data. The software will analyze the height of the area and set the lighting in accordance with this coordinate. If you set the climate in the settings, the system will be able to give recommendations on which green spaces will take root better on your site. The finished project can be viewed in 3D mode, and the materials used can be displayed in the form of an estimate.

Disadvantages of the program.

Works only in English. Paid package minimum $99. Does not support Windows XP, 7, 8, 2000.

3D View in Home Designer

Mobile applications

Using a smartphone or tablet, you can edit the layout on the go, upload photos of the location, and draw on top of the photo.

iScape

OS:

iOS

License:

shareware

Landscape design platform for iPhone. Connects to the camera and shows on the screen how objects will look in reality. Here you can place plants from the built-in library, and then save the plan to your smartphone.

You can expand the functionality of the editor and get access to all the program's libraries by subscription for $29.99 per month.

Main features:

✓ AR design;
✓ collection of vegetation and textures.

The visualizer is a universal solution and is used by professional designers and ordinary homeowners.

Home Design 3D Outdoor/Garden

OS:

Android, iOS

License:

shareware

Lightweight mobile software for arranging an open space with a large gallery of elements. You will be able to place garden furniture, trees, swimming pools, greenhouses, fences, etc. Each item can have a custom finish. The result will be displayed in 3D and 2D modes.

Main features:

✓ more than 100 three-dimensional objects;
✓ dragging buildings on the touchscreen;
✓ regulation of terrain texture.

Suitable for amateur use as it does not allow precise editing of the layout. And the graphics here seem a little realistic.

Home Outside

OS:

iOS

License:

paid

A visualizer for iOS that offers tools for arranging your flower garden and backyard. It contains more than 700 elements, options for designing sketches, adding buildings, paths and fences.

Home Outside can be downloaded from the App Store for $2.99. The platform also has versions for Android and MacOS, but they are not available at the time of writing.

Main features:

✓ support for layers;
✓ uploading photos from your phone;
✓ linking content to the grid;
✓ resize and rotate each part;
✓ library of animated figures.

It is not used in a professional environment, as it has limited functionality and creates projects with low detail.