Pricing & licensing
What is the cheapest way to design a garden?
The short answer
The cheapest reasonable path is to use AI Garden Design (3 free designs, then $4.99 for a week of unlimited designs) to lock in the style, then DIY the build with planting from a local nursery and second-hand furniture. Total design cost: $0 to $4.99 for most single-yard projects.
A full residential garden design from a human professional starts around $2,000 and easily runs $5,000–$10,000. SketchUp Free is genuinely free but takes weeks to learn and hours per design, your time is the hidden cost. AI Garden Design is the cheapest path that does not require you to become a designer yourself.
The full DIY workflow looks like this. Test the tool on your photo with the 3 free designs, then buy one week of Unlimited for $4.99 and cancel when you are done. Generate as many variations as you need across different styles. Pick the direction that fits your house and climate. Use the plant guides on this site to translate the AI's style into a real shopping list at your local nursery. Source furniture second-hand on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, or your local equivalent. Build the hardscape yourself or hire a local handyman by the day rather than commissioning a full landscape contractor.
This approach trades professional polish for cost. The result will be less precisely tuned to your climate than a Yardzen plan and less perfectly executed than a contractor build, but the total cost can land under $5,000 including planting and furniture, compared to $30,000+ for the same scope through professional channels.
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Redesign my yard freeRelated questions
How much does AI garden design cost?
AI Garden Design starts free (3 watermarked designs), then unlimited designs for $4.99 a week or $44.99 a year, cancel anytime. For comparison: Yardzen costs $995–$3,495 per project; a local landscape designer charges $2,000–$10,000 per plan; iScape Pro is roughly $300/year for AR placement.
Can I design my garden online for free?
Partly. AI Garden Design gives every free account 3 photorealistic designs (watermarked), and the design advice tool is free with no signup. More designs need the paid plan, $4.99 a week, cancel anytime. SketchUp Free runs in a browser indefinitely if you are willing to learn 3D modelling. Pinterest is free for collecting inspiration. iScape has a free tier with a basic plant library.
Is there an app to design my garden?
Yes, several. AI Garden Design works in any browser on phone or desktop and has native iOS and Android apps for photo-to-redesign workflows. iScape (iOS only) does AR placement in your real yard. Pro Landscape Home is a DIY drag-and-drop tool. Yardzen runs its brief and revision flow through a web app.
Is AI Garden Design free?
You can start free: every free account includes 3 photorealistic designs (watermarked), no credit card. AI Garden Design Unlimited removes the watermark and the limit: $4.99 a week or $44.99 a year, cancel anytime. And the AI design advice tool is free with no signup at all.
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