Home Designer

Name: Home Designer
Price: 79 USD

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What Home Designer is

Home Designer is desktop software for DIY home design, remodeling, kitchen and bath projects, and cost estimation. It runs on Windows and macOS and supports 2D floor plans, 3D visualization, cross-sections, elevations and real-time ray-trace rendering. Users can generate roofs, floors, foundations, ceilings and framing as they design, then create scaled construction documents, site plans, materials lists and estimates. Measurements can be added automatically or manually. The software also offers customizable smart cabinets, automatic door and window framing, virtual tour walkthrough videos and interactive 3D Viewer models for sharing through the Chief Architect cloud. Core, bonus and manufacturer libraries are available; bonus and manufacturer catalogs can be downloaded free. Home Designer is compatible with Chief Architect software for sharing projects with homeowners and professional designers. The free trial does not allow saving, printing, exporting or recording walkthroughs, and restricts Library Browser functions. The paid monthly plan costs $79 a month, billed monthly, and includes upgrades, catalog downloads and technical support. An annual subscription is $495 a year, billed annually.

Who it suits

It suits DIY users planning or remodeling a home who want 2D plans, 3D views and cost-estimation tools on a desktop computer. It can also support project sharing with professional designers using compatible Chief Architect software.

What it does well

Runs on Windows and macOS.
Creates 2D plans and 3D visualizations.
Generates construction documents and materials lists.
Includes technical support with subscriptions.
Offers a free trial.

What to know first

No free plan is offered.
Trial users cannot save, print or export.
License authentication needs internet every 14 days.
Manual measurements are available.

Limits

The free trial does not allow saving, printing, exporting, or recording walkthroughs, and some Library Browser functions are restricted. The paid monthly plan starts at $79 a month; an annual subscription is $495 a year.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Home Designer	Billed monthly · Software upgrades · Free catalog downloads · Technical support	$79 a month
Home Designer	Billed annually · Software upgrades · Free catalog downloads · Technical support	$495 a year
Home Designer Suite (legacy)	one-time payment · legacy 2025 product	$129, paid once
Home Designer Architectural (legacy)	one-time payment · legacy 2025 product	$249, paid once
Home Designer (annual subscription)	Billed annually; $41.25/mo. – save 48% · Includes software upgrades · free catalog downloads · technical support	$495 a year
Home Designer subscription (annual)	annually · software upgrades · free catalog downloads · technical support	$495 a year
Home Designer Pro Rent (legacy)	monthly · legacy 2025 product	$59 a month
Home Designer Pro (legacy)	one-time payment · legacy 2025 product	$595, paid once

The first 8 of 10 plans, as homedesignersoftware.com lists them, read 22 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word. Every plan

Getting started

Visit the Home Designer website.
Choose the free trial or a paid subscription.
Use a Windows or macOS computer that meets the current system requirements.
Connect to the internet for access and license authentication.

Verdict

Home Designer brings planning, visualization and estimation tools together for home projects. Check the trial restrictions and subscription terms before choosing it.

Questions

Is there a free plan?

No. Home Designer offers a free trial, and paid subscriptions are available.

How much does Home Designer cost?

The monthly subscription is $79 a month, billed monthly. An annual subscription costs $495 a year, billed annually.

Which computers does it support?

Home Designer runs on Windows and macOS. Current requirements specify Windows 10 or 11 64-bit, or macOS Sequoia or Tahoe.

Can projects be shared?

Users can export interactive 3D Viewer models to the Chief Architect cloud for sharing on mobile devices. Home Designer is also compatible with Chief Architect software so homeowners and professional designers can share projects.

What can the free trial do?

Trial users cannot save, print, export, or record walkthroughs, and Library Browser functions are restricted.

Who publishes Home Designer?

Chief Architect, Inc. publishes the software. The privately held company is headquartered in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and its software began in 1992.

Facts from Home Designer's own pages

3D design: It provides realistic 3D views, cross-sections, elevations, and real-time ray-trace rendering. · homedesignersoftware.com, 7 Oct 2026
3D model formats: Depending on edition and version, it imports OBJ, 3DS, SKP, DAE, STL, DWG and DXF symbols. · homedesignersoftware.com, 15 Oct 2026
3D rendering: The program provides real-time ray-traced rendering plus artistic rendering modes. · homedesignersoftware.com, 15 Oct 2026
Activation frequency: Internet is required for installation, activation, deactivation, catalogs and videos, with license authentication required at least every 14 days. · homedesignersoftware.com, 15 Oct 2026
API and SDK: The public product pages and documentation describe file import/export and viewer sharing but do not provide a public API or SDK. · homedesignersoftware.com, 15 Oct 2026
Authentication and telemetry: The EULA says licensing technology and automatic error reporting send installation, system and security information to Chief Architect servers. · cloud.chiefarchitect.com, 15 Oct 2026
Automatic building tools: Walls, roofs, floors, foundations, ceilings and framing update automatically as the design changes. · homedesignersoftware.com, 15 Oct 2026
Building tools: Automatic tools generate roofs, floors, foundations, ceilings, and framing as users design. · homedesignersoftware.com, 7 Oct 2026
Cabinet design: Cabinets snap together, conform to walls and support customizable doors, drawers, counters, woods, paints and stains. · homedesignersoftware.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company founding: LinkedIn states that Chief Architect Software was founded in 1992. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company size: LinkedIn lists Chief Architect Software as privately held with 51–200 employees. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
Documentation and support: Documentation includes a reference manual, illustrated user guide, installation guide, update notes, knowledge-base articles, videos, webinars, phone and online support. · homedesignersoftware.com, 15 Oct 2026
Doors and windows: Placed doors and windows automatically frame wall openings and provide customizable styles and shapes. · homedesignersoftware.com, 15 Oct 2026
DWG/DXF integration: The software imports DWG/DXF drawings and exports current views or all floors as line-based DWG/DXF files. · homedesignersoftware.com, 15 Oct 2026
Founded: 1992 · homedesignersoftware.com, 28 Sept 2026
Headquarters: LinkedIn lists the headquarters at 6500 N Mineral Drive, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, United States. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
Integration: Home Designer is compatible with Chief Architect software, allowing homeowners and professional designers to share projects. · chiefarchitect.com, 7 Oct 2026
Interior design: The software supports 2D floor plans, 3D visualization, materials takeoffs, customizable smart cabinets, and automatic door and window framing. · homedesignersoftware.com, 7 Oct 2026
Internet and system requirements: The current system requirements specify Windows 10 or 11 64-bit or macOS Sequoia or Tahoe, 16 GB RAM, 5 GB disk space, and internet access; license authentication requires internet access every 14 days. · homedesignersoftware.com, 7 Oct 2026
Libraries: Core, bonus and manufacturer catalogs are downloadable, with current-version catalogs included at no extra charge. · homedesignersoftware.com, 15 Oct 2026
Licence: The EULA grants an individual, non-transferable proprietary licence and prohibits reverse engineering, redistribution and disabling authentication. · cloud.chiefarchitect.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: learning curve: TechRadar says new users can feel intimidated by the feature-rich interface, although tutorials help them become productive. · techradar.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: mobile viewer performance: App Store reviewers report out-of-memory errors, slow rendering, awkward floor navigation and requests for layer controls and saved walkthroughs. · apps.apple.com, 15 Oct 2026
Limit: price: TechRadar describes the higher legacy tiers as expensive, citing $249 for Architectural and $595 for Pro. · techradar.com, 15 Oct 2026