Top 8 free programs for interior design and apartment planning in 2025

Our experts

1. Natalya Khalzova – Director of Communications at the online school “League of Design”
2. Alina Borsuk is a marketer at Smarta

Content

1. Top 8 programs for apartment planning and design
2. SketchUp Free
3. Roomstyler
4. Sweet Home 3D
5. Homestyler
6. Planner 5D
7. HomeByMe
8. Floorplanner
9. SmartDraw
10. How to choose the ideal program for apartment interior design

Natalia Khalzova, Director of Communications at the online school “League of Design,” recommends trying such programs.

SketchUp Free

(Rating 9/10)

Pros: Minimal functionality: the web version allows you to create 3D models, but with limitations on tools and object libraries.

Cons: Advanced features of the program are only available by subscription.

Paid versions (SketchUp Pro) offer more features, including advanced modeling tools and the ability to work offline. If you need more features, it’s worth considering a subscription.

Expert advice! “Does it make sense to buy a subscription? If you plan to actively engage in interior design, regularly create new projects, or need access to a wider selection of objects and tools, a subscription may be worth it. Plus, if you want to feel comfortable experimenting with your style, as well as If you have the opportunity to work on your project at any time and constantly improve your skills, then it’s worth paying attention to the paid versions. For a one-time project or rare use, the free versions may be quite sufficient. Ultimately, the choice depends on your needs and frequency of use of the program.” – Natalya Khalzova, director of communications at the League of Design online school, comments.

Roomstyler

(Rating 6/10)

Pros: ease of use and a large library of furniture and items. Allows you to create 3D floor plans, arrange furniture and view finished projects of other users.

Cons: Some elements may only be available in the paid version.

Sweet Home 3D

(Rating 8/10)

Pros: Allows you to design interiors in 2D and 3D, add furniture from the built-in library. The program is free, but it is possible to download additional models and plugins for a fee.

Homestyler

(Rating 7/10)

Pros: Allows you to create 2D and 3D projects with a large number of objects and textures.

Cons: Access to additional elements and features is only available with paid features.

According to Smarta marketer Alina Borsuk, you can pay attention to the following applications for creating apartment design online.

Planner 5D

(Rating 7/10)

One of the most popular and sought after services. Simple and intuitive interface, easy to understand even without experience. The 3D model looks realistic. It is possible to see a project in a virtual environment before it is implemented using AI. But in the free version, the choice of furniture and materials is limited, and the pictures have watermarks. Overall, a great option to start with if you don’t need super detailed design.

Particular attention should be paid to the paid version of the service. Before subscribing, please read the terms of use carefully, especially the section on renewing your subscription. The service is facing serious criticism over its automatic subscription renewals. Users complain that after the trial period, the subscription was renewed automatically, without explicit confirmation from them. Therefore, before you click the “subscribe” button, make sure you understand all the terms and conditions.

Pros: Easy to use, realistic graphics, extensive library, available in Russian.

Cons: Limitations of the free version.

HomeByMe

(Rating 8/10)

Powerful service with good graphics. More advanced than Planner 5D, but the interface is a little more complex. Pay attention to the ability to create video tours of your future apartment – very visual! Unfortunately, HomeByMe does not exist in Russian. The free version of the program has some restrictions on the number of projects and export of high-quality images. But if you use the tool “for yourself”, this will be enough.

Pros: Ease of use, realistic visualization, extensive furniture catalog, online design community.

Cons: Limitations of the free version on export and number of projects.

Floorplanner

(Rating 5/10)

This service is more suitable for creating a layout than for design. Quickly and conveniently place walls, doors and windows. But it is rather weak for detailing the interior – there is not enough furniture, and it is not very realistic. Suitable for those who focus on quickly and easily creating layouts.

Pros: Simplicity and speed of creating layouts, user-friendly interface, does not require downloading the program.

Cons: Limited functionality for interior detailing and visualization.

SmartDraw

(Rating 6.5/10)

You can create an apartment plan, but the design and visualization options are much less than in Planner 5D or HomeByMe. This service is more suitable for general diagrams and diagrams than interior design.

Pros: Versatility, large selection of templates, synchronization with Google.

Cons: Complex interface, limitations of the free version.

How to choose the perfect design program

When choosing a service, it is important to consider: functionality – from interface convenience to such critical points as rendering quality (in other words, picture clarity), the ability to import and export data and integration with other services. It is also important to consider the variety of styles and requirements available in the program and the limitations of the free and paid versions. And, of course, your requirements for the various design stages: from initial planning to final visualization.

1. The scope of your goal:

• Simple Layout: Just need a plan for furniture and wall placement? Then simple services like Floorplanner are suitable – fast, convenient, but without frills.
• Detailed design: Do you want realistic 3D visualization, selection of furniture and materials? You need more powerful services, such as Planner 5D or HomeByMe.
• Project of a part of a room: If you need to rearrange the furniture in one room, you don’t have to use complex programs. A simple scheduler is enough.

2. Functionality:

• 3D visualization: How realistic does the final result look? It is important that the picture is of high enough quality so that you can imagine what your apartment will look like.
• Library of furniture and materials: The service should offer a fairly large selection of furniture, decoration and decor. Is it easy to find components? Is it possible to import your own images?
• Editing tools: Can you easily change the sizes, colors and textures of objects? How flexible is the design?
• Exporting a project: In what format can I save a project? Can I print the plans or get a 3D model?

3. Ease of use:

• Interface: How intuitive the interface is, given your skills.
• Training materials: You need to pay attention to whether there are any lessons or documents available that will help you understand the functionality, advises Alina Borsuk.

4. Free or paid version:

• Free version limitations: Please note the limitations of the free version: number of projects, features, image export resolution and other free access restrictions. Is the paid version worth the money, given your needs?

To summarize, for most users Planner 5D and HomeByMe are the best options. They meet the maximum needs of the average user, are intuitive and have other advantages. But the choice, of course, is up to you.