Top 10 Best Backyard Design Apps and Tools: Free and Paid

Backyard design apps and tools are digital resources that allow homeowners, landscapers, and outdoor enthusiasts to plan, visualize, and create their ideal outdoor spaces. The main benefit of using backyard design apps is saving time and money. Instead of relying on trial-and-error methods or hiring expensive professionals, these tools enable you to explore various design options at your own pace. 

10 Best Backyard Design Apps and Tools

Home Outside 

Home Outside is a fantastic backyard design app specifically designed for iOS devices. Home Outside is the best option if you’re searching for the best backyard design app for your PC. This user-friendly app allows you to create stunning outdoor spaces with ease. The app allows you to create stunning 3D backyard designs with various elements such as plants, trees, structures, etc. Furthermore, the app provides a wide selection of plants and materials, ensuring you have all the resources to bring your vision to life.

iScape   

iScape is a free backyard designer with a premium version packed with features to help you create your dream outdoor space. With its user-friendly interface of plants, hardscapes, and other design elements, iScape allows you to visualize your ideas before bringing them to life. The standout feature of iScape is its Augmented Reality (AR) technology. This unique feature lets you use your device’s camera to see how different landscaping elements will look in your backyard. 

Garden Planner 

Garden Planner is a versatile landscape design app for PCs that cater to Windows and macOS platforms. With Garden Planner, you can create detailed plans for your outdoor space. The standout feature of Garden Planner is its extensive library of over 1,200 plant species. The user-friendly interface makes it easy to get started while offering advanced tools for more experienced landscapers.

SketchUp

SketchUp is the best backyard design app tool that offers a paid version, SketchUp Pro, for $299 per year. This premium version provides users advanced features and functionalities to create stunning outdoor spaces. With SketchUp Pro, you can easily design and visualize your backyard projects in 3D. The software allows you to draw accurate measurements and dimensions, ensuring precision in your designs. It offers various objects, such as trees, plants, furniture, and outdoor structures, that you can drag and drop into design.

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PRO Landscape Home 

PRO Landscape Home is an excellent backyard design app for iOS and Android devices. It provides users different features and functionality to help create stunning outdoor spaces. The standout feature of PRO Landscape Home is its extensive library of plants, trees, and shrubs. Users can easily select from over 12,000 high-quality images to populate their virtual garden designs. PRO Landscape Home is a comprehensive tool that helps homeowners bring their dream outdoor spaces to life.

Plan-a-Garden

Plan-a-Garden lets you create backyard designer software for anything from a patio-side container garden to your backyard. Add dozens of structures for a unique garden design plan. The drag-and-drop feature makes adding over 150 trees, shrubs, and flowers to your virtual garden easy. It is an invaluable tool for planning and visualizing beautiful outdoor spaces.

Home Design 3D Outdoor & Garden

This design offers a wide range of features and functionality that will take your outdoor space to the next level. It allows you to create and visualize your dream backyard design easily. The standout feature of this app is its user-friendly interface. The advantage of using Home Design 3D Outdoor & Garden is its extensive library of objects and materials. From different types of flooring to various plant species, there’s something for everyone’s taste and style. You can experiment with combinations until you achieve the perfect look for your backyard oasis.

Houzz

Houzz is a fantastic backyard design app that is a completely free backyard design app. Its user-friendly interface allows you endless inspiration for your outdoor space. The best feature of Houzz is the ability to browse through thousands of real-life projects completed by professionals. 

Marshalls Garden Visualiser

This free backyard design app allows you to create stunning outdoor spaces with just a few clicks. It makes it easy to drag and drop various elements like plants, furniture, and accessories onto your virtual canvas. The feature of Marshalls Garden Visualiser is its extensive library of high-quality 3D models. You can choose from various flowers, shrubs, trees, hardscaping materials, and more to bring your vision to life. This app is free landscape design software. You can access detailed information about each plant species in the app’s database, ensuring your garden thrives year-round.

Deck Designer

This app provides many features and tools to help you bring your vision to life. You can choose from various deck shapes, sizes, materials, and colors to customize your design according to your preferences. You can drag and drop elements like furniture, plants, lighting fixtures, or outdoor accessories onto the virtual deck layout. Additionally, Deck Designer offers 3D visualization capabilities that enable you to take a virtual tour of your completed deck design.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Backyard Design Apps and Tools

What Is the Best Free App to Design a Backyard?

Plan-a-Garden is an excellent option if you’re looking for a free app to design your backyard. It allows you to create virtual gardens and experiment with different layouts, plants, and features.

What App Do Landscape Designers Use?

Landscape designers often rely on professional-grade software like SketchUp Pro or PRO Landscape Home. These tools offer advanced features such as 3D modeling, accurate measurements, and customizable designs.

Is There an App That Helps Design My Backyard?

iScape is one of the top-rated apps for designing backyards. Its user-friendly interface and vast selection of plants, hardscapes, and accessories make it perfect for homeowners who want to transform their outdoor areas into beautiful backyards.

What are the Best Backyard Design Apps and Tools Available?

Some popular backyard design apps include iScape, Home Outside, and Houzz. These apps allow you to visualize different landscaping ideas and make informed decisions.

Is it Necessary to Have Design Experience to Use These Apps/Tools?

No design experience is required. These user-friendly backyard apps and tools are designed with simplicity in mind, so even if you don’t have any prior knowledge or skills in landscaping, you can still create stunning designs for your backyard.

Are These Apps/Tools Compatible with Different Devices?

Most backyard design apps and tools are compatible with iOS and Android, making them easily accessible for users regardless of their preferred operating system.

How Do I Effectively Use Backyard Design Apps and Tools?

Gather inspiration from magazines or online sources to make the most of these apps and tools. Then, sketch your ideas on paper before diving into the digital realm. Experiment with different layouts, materials, and plants using the app or tool of your choice.

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Price Comparison of Best Backyard Design Apps and Tools and Price List

Conclusion

Using backyard design apps and tools can greatly enhance your outdoor living space and help you create the backyard of your dreams. These apps and tools offer benefits that make designing and planning your backyard easier, more efficient, and ultimately more satisfying. Additionally, these apps provide access to an extensive library of plants, trees, shrubs, hardscapes, furniture options, and other elements that can be used in landscape design. 

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