Professional Landscape Design Software: 8 Tools Compared by Price

Landscape design software sells jobs. A homeowner who sees their own backyard with a new patio, plantings and lighting signs faster than one looking at a sketch. A scaled plan with a plant list and material takeoff also makes the estimate faster and more accurate. Professional landscape design software comes in a few kinds, and the right one depends on whether you're a design-build contractor selling residential projects or a designer producing construction drawings.

This roundup compares eight tools aimed at landscaping professionals, with prices from each vendor's own pages as of October 22, 2026. We compare published plans; we haven't designed live projects in each tool. Homeowner tools aren't included.

Quick comparison

iScape: designs on a phone, in front of the customer

iScape lets you design on a photo of the customer's yard, in 2D or with augmented reality in 3D, using a library of thousands of plants, hardscapes and products. Pro users can generate customizable PDF proposals with pricing and business details, and the app builds a materials list as you design.

• Free: limited features and a reduced library, aimed at homeowners and hobbyists.
• Pro: $29.99 a month or $299.99 a year per user license, with a trial of all features.
• Enterprise: volume pricing for 10 or more licenses.

iScape's pricing page lists 2D and 3D design as iOS only, while its FAQ mentions Android and a Mac desktop app. Check the version for your device before you buy.

Best for: sales calls and small residential jobs, where you design on-site and send the proposal the same day. It isn't a CAD tool.

PRO Landscape+: imaging, CAD and estimates in one

PRO Landscape+ from Drafix combines photo imaging (with a library of more than 19,000 images of plants, grass, mulch and hardscapes), scaled CAD plans with plant symbols, pavers, walls and irrigation, 3D walkthroughs and flyovers, and night and holiday lighting design. It produces a complete material takeoff and proposals based on your prices and tax rate. There are also AI design tools.

It costs $900 a year (saving $180) or $90 a month. Each license is for one user on one PC, plus the companion app on one iPad or Android tablet. Updates, support and training webinars are included. It runs on Windows 10 and 11 only. Drafix says it doesn't offer refunds and offers a demo rather than a free trial.

Best for: design-build contractors who want one tool to go from a customer photo to a plan, estimate and proposal.

DynaScape: browser design or Windows CAD

DynaScape has two design products:

• Creator is a browser-based design tool that runs on PC and Mac. It costs $119 a month, with no setup fee and a free trial.
• Design is Windows CAD for hand-drawn-style plans with plant and material takeoffs and a plant schedule. It costs $1,599 a year or $158 a month.

DynaScape's plant database has more than 10,000 plants. Color (for color renderings) and Sketch3D (for SketchUp) are $600 a year or $59 a month each, and bundles are available. DynaScape also sells Manage360, business management software with sales and estimating that connects to its design tools, from $2,497 a year plus onboarding.

Best for: Mac users (Creator), and design-build firms that want CAD plans linked to estimating and business management.

Realtime Landscaping Architect: one-time purchase

Idea Spectrum's Realtime Landscaping is sold as a one-time license, not a subscription. Architect 2026, the professional version, costs $599. The cheaper Pro 2026 ($279) is aimed at homeowners and aspiring designers. Upgrades from older versions are optional and cost extra.

Architect includes more than 8,000 plants, photo-based designs, 2D plan drawings, 3D walkthroughs, DWG/DXF/PDF import, irrigation design, lighting with real fixtures from manufacturers such as Kichler, and cost estimates and material lists. It requires 64-bit Windows 10 or 11. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee and a free trial (watermarked, with a limited library).

Best for: small landscaping companies that would rather pay once than subscribe.

VizTerra (Structure Studios): 3D presentations that sell

Structure Studios makes 3D design software for outdoor living: VizTerra for hardscapes, landscapes and decks, Pool Studio for pools, and Vip3D for both.

Prices are per seat, and subscriptions start with a one-time $95 setup fee. You can cancel any time. VizTerra includes 1,748 trees and shrubs, plant legends, material calculations, build-ready plans, AutoCAD 2D import, and day, dusk and night views. It's Windows only. There's a 30-day free trial with full access and no credit card.

Best for: outdoor living and hardscape contractors selling larger projects with 3D presentations.

Land F/X: planting and irrigation plans in AutoCAD

Land F/X is a set of CAD plugins used by landscape architects and designers for construction documents. Planting F/X costs $695 and Irrigation F/X $995, each a yearly subscription. They need full AutoCAD or Civil 3D (AutoCAD LT can't run them). Alternatively, Land F/X sells its own Autodesk-based engine, F/X CAD, for $775.

Best for: landscape architects and design firms producing planting and irrigation construction drawings.

Lumion: rendering, not design

Lumion turns 3D models from SketchUp, Revit, Vectorworks and other tools into photoreal images and videos, with thousands of nature models. Lumion Pro for a named user is $1,149 a year (about $96 a month), and a floating license is $1,499 a year. There's a 14-day free trial and a full refund within 14 days. It runs on Windows. Lumion doesn't do plans, estimates or irrigation.

Best for: design firms that already model in another tool and want presentation-quality renderings.

Vectorworks Landmark: CAD and BIM for landscape architects

Vectorworks Landmark covers 2D drafting through 3D site modeling and BIM: cost and material takeoffs, cut and fill, slope and drainage analysis, water budgets and construction documents, with support for DWG, Revit, IFC, SketchUp and other formats. It runs on Mac and Windows.

Vectorworks doesn't list a US price we could confirm, so check the US store or ask sales before you budget for it.

Best for: landscape architects who need full CAD and BIM, especially on Mac.

How to choose landscape design software

1. Decide what the software is for. Selling residential jobs calls for photo imaging and quick 3D (iScape, PRO Landscape+, Realtime, VizTerra). Construction drawings call for CAD (Land F/X, Vectorworks, DynaScape Design).
2. Check your computer. Most pro tools here are Windows-only. On a Mac, look at DynaScape Creator or Vectorworks, or check each vendor's Mac advice: some mention Parallels or Boot Camp (older Intel Macs only), and Realtime Landscaping doesn't support virtual machines.
3. Compare subscription and one-time cost. Over three years, a $90 monthly subscription costs more than $3,000; Realtime Architect is $599 once, plus optional upgrades.
4. Look at estimating. Tools that produce material takeoffs and proposals (PRO Landscape+, Realtime, iScape Pro, DynaScape with Manage360) save time between design and quote.
5. Use the trial on a real job. Design a current customer's yard and see how long it takes and what the customer thinks.

Design sells the job, but you still need to schedule, quote and invoice it. See our contractor estimating software comparison and our field service management app comparison. For winning more landscaping leads, see the landscaping section of our local SEO for contractors guide.