Meanwhile, the Solibri-powered quality assurance lets you focus on the work you enjoy most: creating well-designed spaces. And, thanks to Archicad’s native support, you can export FBX files to augmented reality or virtual reality applications to really make your project shine.

Archicad 27 is available for both Mac and Windows operating systems, plus it’s available for full perpetual, term-based, and educational licenses. (That way, you can find a tier that matches your budget and needs.)

If all you need is a streamlined tool to give shape to the plans circulating in your head, Homestyler may be the best room design software for you. With this program, you can easily build floor plans in 2D and 3D designs with accurate measurements. After you’ve mastered the nuts and bolts, head over to the Homestyler library, where you can spruce up the rendering with furniture, art, and accessories—all of which use a 1:1 scale. Not only does Homestyler’s library feature over 300,000 pieces, but there are also home decor products from real brands’ catalogs. Once you are done with the finishing touches, Homestyler will produce photorealistic images, virtual tours, and videos for you and your clients to “walk” through. Plus, a coordinating app that’s available on both iOS and Android will allow you to design on the go. While the basic platform is free of charge, users can upgrade to a Pro, Master, or Team account for a monthly fee of $3, $6, and $20, respectively. If you’re just starting your interior design business and are on a budget—or simply want an easy-to-learn tool that gets the job done—this could be the application for you.

As an all-in-one, cloud-based design platform, Infurnia allows architects, interior designers, clients, and vendors to collaborate and interact during the design process. Detailed floor plans with advanced tiling and roofing, false ceiling, and customizable cabinet tools are available to help you outline your projects in detail. Plus, plans created in 2D can be instantly converted to accurate 3D designs, while drafting tools can be used to add doors, windows, and beams to match your client’s site. Decorate with furniture from Infurnia’s partners’ catalog, or create your own library of materials, wallpapers, hardware, appliances, furnishings, and more. While Infurnia’s software is less robust than some other options, this software is pretty straightforward, so you can customize and share projects with ease. A monthly fee of $125 will come with 100 render credits and licenses for two users; however, designers with a growing team can purchase additional licenses for a monthly rate of $50 per person.

With Live Home 3D Pro, you can efficiently create precise layouts and furnish rooms—or an entire building. Once 2D plans are drafted (import and trace blueprints or draw from scratch), you can easily shift gears to see your plans come alive in its 3D mode. The desktop version offers advanced drawing tools, elevation views, a materials library with thousands of furnishings and appliances, customized materials, and lighting editors. Geopositioning and daylighting options help determine siting and lighting decisions, and video walk-throughs can be generated and exported as Ultra HD files. At $50 for the Mac or Windows-powered desktop program—and a free home design app with optional, in-app purchases—industry professionals on a budget will enjoy this introduction to interior design software that can handle some additional complexity.

Adobe’s Substance 3D suite allows designers to create and add precise digital textures and materials to their projects. Substance 3D Painter has a host of smart materials and parametric brushes to turn any surface into a canvas, while Substance 3D Designer allows creatives to plan and manipulate materials down to the last detail. Or, if you prefer to use real-life items as inspiration, Substance 3D Sampler makes it possible to turn items into 3D models, materials, or lights. And, once you’re done mastering your materials, Substance 3D Stager is there to create photorealistic scenes to bring your textures to life. For projects that require detailed references, the 3D texturing suite offered in Substance can’t be beat. (Plus, anyone with an Adobe Creative Cloud will find a lot of synergy between this software and their other go-to platforms.) Compatible with both Mac and Windows operating systems, the full Adobe Substance 3D Suite costs $50 a month whereas a pared-back alternative with fewer programs can be purchased for $20 per month.

Launched by a team of architects-turned-software developers, Morpholio’s applications include digital tools for sketching, journaling, and presenting creative work. The company divided its popular room design software—which is available for iOS and iPadOS—into three separate entities. Find ample inspiration with Morpholio Board, which connects to your Pinterest, allows you to create custom boards, and provides plenty of palettes and furniture ideas. (Or, if you’d like to take your brainstorming to a tablet, Morpholio’s Journal allows you to sketch freehand and annotate your best ideas.) Ready to give a project your signature touch? Morpholio Trace offers a streamlined creative experience, complete with a moveable 3D viewer, custom palette maker, instant scaling functionality, and an AR perspective finder. Currently, Morpholio’s Board, Trace, and Journal platforms are all free to download at Apple’s App Store, with in-app upgrades for an additional fee.

Cofounded in 2018 by Hilah Stahl, who struggled to find the proper interior design tools to decorate her first New York City apartment, Spoak is an online destination that is loved by DIY enthusiasts, budding interior designers, and students alike. With its signature Project Editor and rendering tool called Viz, Spoak offers one place to create mood boards and mock-ups. However, Spoak has more to offer than its room design software. Young designers can learn from Spoak’s classes and resources, which teaches the basics about design styles, patterns, and industry jargon. Professionals who are ready to go out on their own can build a design profile, join industry events, and gain access to over 50 trade discounts. (Plus, once you’ve scored a dream design gig, you can use the software to submit invoices, set a budget, and track spending.) Currently, Spoak offers four platform tiers—Play, Plus, Pro, and Premium—which range in a monthly fee of $10, $20, $35, and $100, respectively.

Whether you are a novice who is just dipping their toe into the world of interior design or a homeowner who wants to be very hands-on in their upcoming remodel, Planner 5D is an easy, intuitive way for amateurs to create their dream home. Compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems—not to mention iOS and Android through its corresponding app—the Planner 5D interface is so simple that the company claims you can use it without any tutorials or instructions. The room design software allows you to create floor plans and layouts in 2D, but you can switch to a 3D view to edit your space from every angle. Make the space unique by editing the colors, patterns, and materials as well as furnishing it with the platform’s 5,000-plus item catalog. After you’ve added all the bells and whistles, you can tinker with the 3D rendering’s lighting and shadows to make your project sing. Budding designers can use Planner 5D’s Basic tier for free, while a Pro version that features 360-degree panorama views and 4K renderings is available for a fee.

Photography software

Whether you snap hundreds of photos a day to file away for inspiration or need to edit professional photographs of your design work, most interior design firms will benefit from the use of Adobe Photoshop. One of the oldest and arguably the most prominent photo software on the market is also recognized as the industry leader for enhancing and organizing photos. With Photoshop, you can adjust clarity, color, and tone, manipulate effects, or add graphics to your imagery. If you’ve got great pictures and want to take them to the next level, Photoshop is a must-have. As part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud of services, it is available as a subscription service at varying price points.

For an easy-to-use photography software that doesn’t have Photoshop’s abundance of features, try Adobe Express. Available in both web and app formats, this platform can take on basic tasks like cropping or removing a photo’s background. Social-media savvy designers will also find a lot to love about the software’s templates, which can lay the foundation for an aesthetically-pleasing Instagram story. Or, if you want to make something that doesn’t exist just yet, use Adobe’s AI feature to turn your words into striking images as well as add or remove elements with a simple prompt. Adobe Express does have a free version with limited capabilities, or you can subscribe to a Premium or Teams membership for $10 and $6.49 per person each month.

If you’re obsessed with color (and who isn’t?) and use photography to jog your memory or get inspired, Adobe Capture can unlock a new world from your mobile device. This powerful app transforms images into color themes, patterns, materials, and vector-based shapes. Carry those assets into other Adobe desktop and mobile apps—such as Photoshop and Illustrator—to use them across a multitude of creative endeavors and platforms. Part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite, Capture will allow you to edit color themes in order to make customizable palettes, generate realistic PBR materials and textures, create geometric patterns, and replicate shapes or fonts. The app also offers custom brushes that can be used in other applications, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fresco. Though Capture is created with several industries in mind, it’s one of the best interior design apps because it can help you find inspiration, connect with clients, and work on projects in a whole new way.