What can Landscape Design Software do?

Leading landscaping design software can import photos of your home so you can design landscape features around your house then view completed projects by day, night or season. Landscape design software offers the designer flexibility and advantages such as:

  • Landscape design software can help you choose the right plants for your area.
  • You can change your mind as often as you like while planning your landscape—without spending a dime or picking up a shovel.
  • Landscape design software isn't hard to use—it's for homeowners like you.
  • With landscape design software, you can watch your landscape mature—see how the trees look five years from now, even twenty years from now.
  • Many programs can help you with your irrigation planning.
  • Some offer design ideas for decks, fencing, pools, gazebos and even tennis courts.

Landscape design software is more than a garden tool; it's a flora and fauna adventure!

On this site, you'll find landscaping articles, and comprehensive landscape design software reviews to help you chose the landscape package that best fits your needs. At TopTenREVIEWS, we do the research so you don't have to.™

What to Look for in Landscape Design Software

Exceptional Landscape Design Software offers numerous easy-to-use tools and gives you all of the support you need to learn how to use the program like a pro.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to rank Landscape Design Software:

  • Feature Set – The feature set is the landscape design toolbox. A larger set of tools isn’t necessarily better; look for landscape design software that has features you need to create the type of landscape plan you want. For example, some landscape design software focuses on landscaping around an actual photo of your home. Other landscape design software lets you zoom through a computer rendition of your finished landscape. Choose the landscape design software type that suits your needs best.
  • Ease of Use – Landscape design software controls should be easy to find, use, and understand. Powerful, intuitive controls often make all the difference between successful landscape design software and a product you'll abandon on the shelf out of frustration.
  • Ease of Installation and Setup – We look for landscape design software that is simple to install, set up, and allows for easy image imports and exports. We also look for landscape design programs that feature a large catalog of plants and materials, so you can pinpoint what you want.
  • Help Documentation – You’ll want landscape design software that comes with good help online: a help index, help tutorials, FAQs and support forums and help menus or other help options included with the software. So before you grab your trowel or spend thousands at your local nursery, design your landscape virtually, without breaking a sweat.

To read our review of the #1 product click here.

 
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Landscaping Software Review 

Landscape Design Software—From Dream to Green

Don't guess what your finished landscape will look like—see it in full bloom right on your desktop with landscape design software.

What can Landscape Design Software do?

2009 Landscaping Software Review Product Comparisons

TopTenREVIEWS  |  Software  |  Home / Hobbies  |  Landscaping Software Review
Rank #1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10
Excellent score   Excellent
Very good score   Very Good
Good score   Good
Fair score   Fair
Poor score   Poor
Realtime Landscaping Plus Home & Landscape Design Better Homes and Gardens Landscaping and Deck Desi Turbo FLOOR PLAN Landscape & Deck Total 3D Home & Landscape Design Suite Imagine Pro Landscape Vision 3D Home Architect Home & Landscape Deluxe Suite 3D Landscape Design for Everyone Custom 3D Land
Realtime Landscaping Plus Home & Landscape Design Better Homes and Gardens Landscaping and Deck Desi Turbo FLOOR PLAN Landscape & Deck Total 3D Home & Landscape Design Suite Imagine Pro Landscape Vision 3D Home Architect Home & Landscape Deluxe Suite 3D Landscape Design for Everyone Custom 3D Land
Reviewer Comments Read Review
Watch Video Review 		Read Review
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Lowest Price Buy Realtime Landscaping Plus 5
$79.95 		Buy Home & Landscape Design
$49.99 		Buy Better Homes and Gardens Landscaping and Deck Desi 8.0
$79.99 		Buy Turbo FLOOR PLAN Landscape & Deck 12
$34.95 		Buy Total 3D Home & Landscape Design Suite 9
$34.99 		Buy Imagine Pro 7
$54.94 		Buy Landscape Vision 5.4.2
$39.95 		Buy 3D Home Architect Home & Landscape Deluxe Suite 9
$12.97 		Buy 3D Landscape Design for Everyone
$29.95 		Buy Custom 3D Land 7
$9.99
 
Overall Rating Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good Good Good Good Good Good
Ratings
Aesthetic Appeal Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Good Very Good Very Good Good Good Good
Ease of Use Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Very Good Good
Features & Tools Very Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Good Good Good Good Fair
Support & Documentation Excellent Excellent Excellent Good Very Good Very Good Good Good Very Good Good
View Specifications Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!
View Screenshots View Realtime Landscaping Plus screenshots View Home & Landscape Design screenshots View Better Homes and Gardens Landscaping and Deck Desi screenshots View Turbo FLOOR PLAN Landscape & Deck screenshots View Total 3D Home & Landscape Design Suite screenshots View Imagine Pro screenshots        
Upgrades
Architectural Grade Architect Architect 5000                
Features & Tools
Video Tutorials Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark    
2D Design Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
2D Photo Import Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark  
2D Plants Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Print 2D Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
3D Design Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark          
3D Object Editing Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark            
3D Object Import Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark            
3D Walkthrough Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark     Check Mark Check Mark  
3D Flyaround (aerial views) Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark     Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
3D Plants Check Mark   Check Mark              
Print 3D Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark     Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Set Camera View Angles Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Create Custom Animations Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark              
Lighting Simulation Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark  
Shadow Simulation Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark  
Plant Encyclopedia       Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Hardiness Zone Maps Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark  
Plant, Object Library Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Plant Editor Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark    
Plant Search Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Plant Growth Simulation Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark    
Plant Scaling Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark  
Topography Designer Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark     Check Mark    
Deck Designer Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark       Check Mark Check Mark  
Fence Designer Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark     Check Mark Check Mark  
Free Form Tool           Check Mark Check Mark      
Pool, Pond Designer   Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark       Check Mark  
Landscape Templates Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark          
Garden Templates Check Mark   Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark        
Deck Templates Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark              
Patio Templates Check Mark       Check Mark          
Pools   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Ponds     Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark  
Hot Tub / Jacuzzi Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark  
Sheds Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Gazebos Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
Trellises Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
Driveways, Sidewalks Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Ramps Check Mark Check Mark                
Stairs Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark    
Railing Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark        
Retaining Walls Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark        
Outdoor Furniture Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark  
Print Shopping Lists Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark        
Cost Estimation Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark     Check Mark    
Designer Garden Samples Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark      
Designer Landscape Samples Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark          
Import Files
3D Files   Check Mark                
DXF (AutoCAD)   Check Mark   Check Mark            
DWG (AutoCAD)                    
SKP (Sketchup) Check Mark     Check Mark            
3DS (Autodesk) Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark            
XYZ, YXZ - Comma, space delimited   Check Mark Check Mark              
2D Files   Check Mark                
JPEG Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
BMP Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark     Check Mark    
PSD   Check Mark                
PNG Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark          
GIF   Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark          
TIFF     Check Mark              
TGA Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark            
WMF   Check Mark Check Mark              
EMF   Check Mark Check Mark              
PCX     Check Mark              
EPS                    
Export Files
.3D Files                    
.DXF (AutoCAD)   Check Mark   Check Mark            
.DWG (AutoCAD)   Check Mark                
.SKP (Sketchup)       Check Mark            
.3DS (Autodesk)       Check Mark            
.XYZ, YXZ - Comma, space delimited                    
.WRL (VRML)   Check Mark   Check Mark            
.2D Files   Check Mark