The only indication that Planner 5D will charge for features is the button that says 'Get started for free' it's only when you access the catalogue or try to create a high quality render that the buy-now screen appears. Planner 5D is a superb home design app, but we're not fans of the pricing model its developers have adopted: it's unnecessarily complex and makes it hard to work out the actual price of the app or compare it to rivals. There are no export features for sharing with other apps. Your projects are stored online in the Planner 5D website and you can also share them with others, either as a link or by embedding the app in your own website. The regular screenshot is free but the renders require you to buy a bundle of at least 20 (or subscribe to the catalog and get a couple of renders included in the deal). The app asks you to choose the angle you want to use, and it'll then give you a choice of three kinds of image: a regular screenshot of the view you've just been looking at a low quality render showing the various materials at 640 x 480 resolution or a very pretty, high quality near-photographic render at 900 x 675. Once you've found a look you're happy with, you can create a render – which Planner 5D calls a snapshot. HomeByMe probably has the best visualization here.ģD mode takes a moment to create but exploring and navigating around your 3D design is fast and fluid (Image credit: UAB) You don't have the lighting controls of some rival apps, though, so if you really need to know how a room will look during the Golden Hour or after dark then you may need to try another app. The 3D view is excellent, enabling you to see not just where bits of furniture will fit but to get a real sense of what the room will actually look like: you can hang curtains, see how different kinds of lights will look on the ceiling and even see how many sofa cushions would be too many. Movement is fast and intuitive: click and drag to change the viewing angle and use the on-screen icons, the keyboard shortcuts (W, S, A, D, just like you're playing Doom!) or your mouse wheel to zoom in or out. Once you've got everything just-so, clicking on the 3D button lets you see your design in three dimensions. Whether you add items from the catalog or have them included in a template, you can easily reposition, rotate and adjust their sizes: unlike some apps you're not limited to the pre-defined sizes for furniture, units and other key items. That latter category includes decorative items, kids' toys, plants, kitchenware and anything else you might want to put into your design, but you'll find that whichever type of item you want to use almost all of them are locked: as with the 3D renders, they're behind a paywall. The catalog of items is organized into three sections: furniture, electrical appliances and miscellaneous. We love the cartoonish 2D mode, which makes it easy to see what you're putting where (Image credit: UAB) There are also windows, pot plants and floor tiles. For example, the open plan dining space has kitchen units and overhead lights, a dining table and chairs, a sofa, coffee table and TV. Each template comes pre-populated with appropriate fixtures and furnishings. When you run Planner 5D, you'll be asked whether you want to start from scratch or work from a template the templates are for a bathroom, a bedroom, an open plan living room/kitchen, an office, a loft and two kinds of house. This is way too confusing, and seems designed to trick money out of customers.

Those prices are for personal use commercial use is twice the price and educational users will pay $9.99 per user per year. To gain full access to the catalog you'll need to pay $6.99 for 30 days (which also includes three HD renders), $15.99 for a year or $24.99 for a premium account. It's free to use but you'll have to pay for high-quality 3D renders they're sold in bundles ranging from $9.99 for 20 HD images to $49.99 for 200. Our top pick is Virtual Architect Ultimate, which has a far simpler pricing structure. For other options, see our rundown of the best interior design software 2020. Things do slow down slightly when you switch to 3D, but not dramatically so. Planner 5D runs in your browser (there are also mobile apps for your tablet or phone that have augmented reality features and sync with the online one - so it'll work on any of the best laptops or home computers), and in 2D mode it feels much faster than other browser-based design apps: it remains fast and smooth even when you're handling plans with lots of items and bits of furniture.

Planner 5d price