Realtime Landscaping alternatives
Realtime Landscaping is Windows desktop software sold as a one-off licence and built for to-scale plans and contractor documentation. The alternatives below include a free 3D modeller, a browser-based planner, and tools that skip the modelling entirely.
What Realtime Landscaping actually is
Realtime Landscaping, from Idea Spectrum, is desktop landscape design software sold in tiers from homeowner to professional. It is one of the few tools in this space built specifically for landscapes rather than adapted from general home design, and the professional tiers are used by contractors to produce client presentations and build documentation.
Pricing: One-off licence, typically low hundreds for homeowner tiers up to several hundred or more for professional editions. Turnaround: Hours to days per project, depending on detail.
The 5 options, by what they are
DIY 3D software
- SketchUp: Free 3D modelling tool widely used by hobbyists and pros for landscape and garden design.
- Planner 5D: Popular DIY home and garden planner with 2D floor plans, 3D views, and a large object catalogue.
AR mobile apps
- iScape: Augmented reality landscape design app that lets you drag plants and elements onto a live camera view of your yard.
AI design tools
- AI Garden Design(ours): photoreal AI redesign of your own garden photo, in under two minutes
Hiring a person
- a Local Landscape Designer: Hiring a local landscape designer for a site visit, custom plan, and ongoing project oversight.
1. SketchUp
DIY 3D software
SketchUp is the de facto free 3D modelling tool for landscape DIY and is also used by many landscape architects for client presentations. It is a true CAD-style tool, you build the model element by element, including terrain, structures, and plants. The learning curve is real, but the output is fully customisable.
- Best for
- You need accurate scale for hardscape, structures, or grading
- Pricing
- SketchUp Free is genuinely free with web access; SketchUp Pro is around $349 per year; photoreal rendering plug-ins add roughly $200–$500 per year
- Speed
- Hours to days per design once you know the tool; weeks if you are learning
2. Planner 5D
DIY 3D software
Planner 5D is a consumer design tool for laying out homes and outdoor spaces in 2D and viewing them in 3D. It is aimed at people who want to plan a layout themselves rather than commission a designer, and it covers gardens as part of a broader home design offering rather than as a specialism.
- Best for
- You need measurements to be right because you are ordering materials
- Pricing
- Free tier with a limited catalogue; paid plans typically in the low tens of dollars per month or a one-off unlock
- Speed
- Hours to build a scene, depending on how detailed you go
3. iScape
AR mobile app
iScape is the most established AR landscape design app on iOS. You point your phone at your yard and place plants, hardscape, and structures on top of the live camera feed. The output is more like a design mock-up than a photorealistic render, but the AR placement is genuinely useful for getting plant sizes right against the real space.
- Best for
- You already have a planting plan and want to verify scale in the real space
- Pricing
- Free tier with a basic plant library; Pro is roughly $30 per month or about $300 per year
- Speed
- Real-time AR placement, but designs are built by hand element-by-element
4. 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
5. 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
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 freeRealtime Landscaping alternatives: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Realtime Landscaping?
It depends on why you are leaving Realtime Landscaping. Pick SketchUp if you need accurate scale for hardscape, structures, or grading. Pick Planner 5D if you need measurements to be right because you are ordering materials. Pick iScape if you already have a planting plan and want to verify scale in the real space.
How do these Realtime Landscaping alternatives compare on price?
SketchUp: SketchUp Free is genuinely free with web access; SketchUp Pro is around $349 per year; photoreal rendering plug-ins add roughly $200–$500 per year. Planner 5D: Free tier with a limited catalogue; paid plans typically in the low tens of dollars per month or a one-off unlock. IScape: Free tier with a basic plant library; Pro is roughly $30 per month or about $300 per year. AI Garden Design: 3 free, then $4.99/week or $44.99/year. 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.
Which Realtime Landscaping alternative is fastest?
SketchUp: hours to days per design once you know the tool; weeks if you are learning. Planner 5D: hours to build a scene, depending on how detailed you go. IScape: real-time AR placement, but designs are built by hand element-by-element. AI Garden Design: under 2 minutes per design. A Local Landscape Designer: usually four to eight weeks from consultation to final plan; longer if construction documents are included.