Home Outside alternatives
homeoutside.com is now pitched mainly at garden centers, so homeowners have to enquire with the studio rather than pick a package. If you want something you can simply buy, the options below are other online design services, a local designer, and an AI preview step.
What Home Outside actually is
Home Outside is the online design arm of Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio, a well-regarded practice at the design-led, lower-volume end of the market. One thing to know before you compare it: as of late 2026 homeoutside.com is pitched almost entirely at independent garden centers, offering an in-store design tool that turns a one-plant trip into a designed bed. The homeowner design work continues through the studio, but the front door is no longer set up for you, so expect to enquire rather than to pick a package off a page.
Pricing: Consultation tiers typically start in the low hundreds; full concept and design packages commonly run several hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on scope. Turnaround: Typically one to three weeks depending on tier and designer availability, once you have made contact.
The 5 options, by what they are
Online human-designer services
- Yardzen: Online landscape design service with human designers, full plans, plant lists, and contractor matchmaking.
- Tilly Design: The online landscape design service acquired by Bower & Branch in 2024, now sold as Design Studio with the plants for sale alongside the plan.
- ShrubHub: Heavily advertised online landscape design service selling discounted 3D yard design packages.
Hiring a person
- a Local Landscape Designer: Hiring a local landscape designer for a site visit, custom plan, and ongoing project oversight.
AI design tools
- AI Garden Design(ours): photoreal AI redesign of your own garden photo, in under two minutes
1. Yardzen
Online human-designer service
Yardzen is the best-known online landscape design service in the US. You pay a fixed fee, fill out a brief, and a licensed landscape designer delivers a custom 2D plan, 3D renderings, a plant list, and a list of local contractors who can build it. It is a one-time service, not a tool, you get a finished design, not the ability to iterate on your own.
- Best for
- You already know the look you want and are ready to build now
- Pricing
- $995 to $3,495 per project, paid up front
- Speed
- 5 to 10 business days from brief to first design, plus revision time
2. Tilly Design
Online human-designer service
Tilly was one of the main Yardzen alternatives: human designers, fixed-price packages, a turnaround in weeks. It no longer exists on its own. Bower & Branch, an online marketplace where independent growers sell trees and plants direct to homeowners, acquired Tilly in August 2024 and folded the design team into its own Design Studio. tillydesign.com now redirects there, and the packages are priced under the Bower & Branch name.
- Best for
- You want a finished plan from a human designer, not a picture
- Pricing
- Design Studio packages run $559 for a front yard, $699 for a backyard and $1,049 for a full yard; the Native & Beneficial versions, built around regional natives and pollinator planting, run $699, $839 and $1,259
- Speed
- Two to four weeks from brief to finished design
3. ShrubHub
Online human-designer service
ShrubHub is an online landscape design service that delivers a 3D rendering of your yard, a plant list, and a shopping list, produced by a designer from photos and measurements you submit. It is best known for aggressive discount marketing, the list price is rarely what anyone actually pays, which makes its real cost confusing to compare against alternatives.
- Best for
- You want a shopping list you can order from directly
- Pricing
- List prices are often quoted in the $1,500–$3,000 range but promotional pricing frequently lands the same packages nearer $500–$1,000; verify the current offer before comparing
- Speed
- Roughly one to two weeks from brief to first concept
4. a Local Landscape Designer
Local professional
A local landscape designer is the highest-end option for most homeowners. You get a site visit, a custom plan informed by your soil and microclimate, drawings detailed enough for a contractor to build from, and (often) project oversight through the build. The trade-off is cost and turnaround.
- Best for
- The project involves grading, drainage, or structural changes
- Pricing
- Roughly $50–$150 per hour, with a full residential plan usually landing between $2,000 and $10,000, plus project management fees if they oversee the build
- Speed
- Usually four to eight weeks from consultation to final plan; longer if construction documents are included
5. AI Garden Design
OursAI design tool
Photorealistic AI redesign of your actual garden photo. Pick from fifteen distinct garden styles (modern, japanese, mediterranean, cottage, and more) and get a share-ready render in under two minutes. 3 free designs, then unlimited designs for $4.99 a week or $44.99 a year. Cancel anytime.
- Best for
- You want to see your own yard in several styles before paying for anything
- Pricing
- 3 free, then $4.99/week or $44.99/year
- Speed
- Under 2 minutes per design
See your own yard redesigned first
Upload a photo of your garden and get a photoreal redesign in under two minutes. 3 designs free, no credit card.
Redesign my yard freeHome Outside alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Home Outside?
It depends on why you are leaving Home Outside. Pick Yardzen if you already know the look you want and are ready to build now. Pick Tilly Design if you want a finished plan from a human designer, not a picture. Pick ShrubHub if you want a shopping list you can order from directly.
How do these Home Outside alternatives compare on price?
Yardzen: $995 to $3,495 per project, paid up front. Tilly Design: Design Studio packages run $559 for a front yard, $699 for a backyard and $1,049 for a full yard; the Native & Beneficial versions, built around regional natives and pollinator planting, run $699, $839 and $1,259. ShrubHub: List prices are often quoted in the $1,500–$3,000 range but promotional pricing frequently lands the same packages nearer $500–$1,000; verify the current offer before comparing. A Local Landscape Designer: Roughly $50–$150 per hour, with a full residential plan usually landing between $2,000 and $10,000, plus project management fees if they oversee the build. AI Garden Design: 3 free, then $4.99/week or $44.99/year.
Which Home Outside alternative is fastest?
Yardzen: 5 to 10 business days from brief to first design, plus revision time. Tilly Design: two to four weeks from brief to finished design. ShrubHub: roughly one to two weeks from brief to first concept. A Local Landscape Designer: usually four to eight weeks from consultation to final plan; longer if construction documents are included. AI Garden Design: under 2 minutes per design.
Can I combine AI Garden Design with Home Outside?
Yes. Use AI Garden Design to try styles on a photo of your own yard, then brief Home Outside with the renders you liked. The designer starts from a clear direction, and paid revision rounds are not spent finding it.