Yardzen vs Tilly
Short answer
First, the thing most comparisons miss: Tilly no longer exists on its own. Bower & Branch acquired it in August 2024 and relaunched it as Design Studio, and it is now cheaper than Tilly was. A front yard is $559, a full yard $1,049, against Yardzen's $995 entry and $1,395 for its cheapest tier with photorealistic renders. Both deliver a plan, renderings and region-appropriate planting. Yardzen is faster, at 5 to 10 business days against 2 to 4 weeks, and adds contractor matchmaking. Design Studio is the better buy if you already have a builder, and the only one of the two that will also sell you the plants.
Start with the change, because it decides half the comparison: Tilly was acquired by Bower & Branch in August 2024 and now trades as Bower & Branch Design Studio. tillydesign.com redirects there and tilly.design no longer resolves. The design service continued, the brand did not, and the pricing moved.
Otherwise the two are the same kind of business: you send photos, dimensions and a brief, a human designer produces a plan for your yard, and you hand that plan to a contractor. Neither one builds anything. The comparison comes down to what you pay, what lands in your inbox, and whether you need help finding someone to do the work.
The price gap is the headline and it widened. Like-for-like with renders included, Yardzen's $1,395 Classic sits well above Design Studio's $1,049 full yard, and Yardzen's $3,495 Premium is more than triple it. There is also a structural difference no price table shows: Bower & Branch is a plant marketplace, so the company that designs your beds also grows and ships what goes in them.
Yardzen vs Tilly Design, side by side
| Yardzen | Tilly Design | |
|---|---|---|
| Trading as | Yardzen | Bower & Branch Design Studio (acquired Tilly, Aug 2024) |
| Entry package | $995 ($1,395 with renders) | $559 front yard |
| Full yard | $1,395 to $3,495 | $1,049 |
| Native planting option | Not a separate package | Native & Beneficial line, $699 to $1,259 |
| Turnaround | 5 to 10 business days plus revisions | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Deliverable | 2D plan, 3D renderings, plant list; 3D walkthrough on higher tiers | Custom 2D and 3D plans, regional plant selection, hardscape and lighting suggestions |
| Plant list | Region-matched by a licensed designer | Regional selection, and the same company sells the plants |
| Buying the plants | You source them yourself | Growers ship the specified trees and plants direct |
| Contractor matchmaking | Yes, vetted referrals in most US markets | Not part of the package |
| Payment | Up front, before design work starts | Up front, per package |
Pick Yardzen if
- ✓You do not have a contractor and want vetted referrals handed to you.
- ✓The build is large enough that construction-ready documentation matters more than the design fee.
- ✓You would rather have one accountable deliverable than make decisions yourself.
- ✓Your design budget is $1,000+ and your build budget is $20,000+.
Pick Tilly if
- ✓You already have a builder, or you are doing the work yourself.
- ✓You are redesigning one area rather than the whole property, since it is priced by area from $559.
- ✓You want to buy the plants from the people who specified them instead of hunting a list at the nursery.
- ✓You want native and pollinator planting treated as a proper option rather than a request.
- ✓The $559 to $1,259 band fits your budget and $3,495 does not.
Before you pay either of them
Both services charge before you see anything, and both make you wait, days to weeks. That is a real problem when you are not yet sure what you want your yard to look like: you are committing $559 or $995 just to find out.
AI Garden Design is not a replacement for either. It will not give you construction documents, it will not find you a contractor, and it will not sell you a single plant. What it does is let you see your own yard in a dozen styles in under two minutes each, so that by the time you brief either service you already know the direction and are not spending a revision round discovering it.
See your own yard redesigned first
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Try it freeFrequently asked questions
Is Tilly cheaper than Yardzen?
Yes, and by more than it used to be. Under Bower & Branch the packages are $559 for a front yard, $699 for a backyard and $1,049 for a full yard, against Yardzen's $995 entry and $1,395 for its cheapest tier with photorealistic renders. Yardzen's Premium at $3,495 is more than triple the full-yard price.
What is the actual difference between Yardzen and Tilly?
The core deliverable is close: both give you 2D plans, 3D renderings and planting matched to your region. Yardzen adds contractor matchmaking with vetted referrals in most US markets and leans harder on construction-ready documentation. Design Studio, the service Tilly became, sits inside a plant marketplace, so it will also sell you the trees and plants it specified. One helps you find who builds it, the other helps you buy what goes in it.
Do Yardzen or Tilly build the garden?
Neither. Both are design-only services. You take the finished plan to a landscaping contractor for the build, which is a separate and much larger cost. Yardzen will help you find that contractor; Design Studio will not, though it will supply the plants.
How long does each one take?
Yardzen quotes 5 to 10 business days from brief to first design, plus revision time. Design Studio states two to four weeks. Both bill up front, so the wait starts after you have paid, and Yardzen is the faster of the two.
Can I see what my yard would look like before paying either of them?
Yes. AI Garden Design redesigns a photo of your own yard in under two minutes per style, so you can settle on a direction first and brief a human designer with something concrete instead of using a paid revision round to explore.