AI Garden Design vs Tilly Design

Online landscape design service similar to Yardzen, with human designers and project-based pricing.

The short answer

Tilly is a Yardzen alternative with a slightly lower entry price and the same human-designer model. AI Garden Design sits below both: low-cost, unlimited iterations, photoreal output in minutes, but no plant list and no contractor sourcing.

Tilly is a direct competitor to Yardzen, the online-landscape-design model with human designers, fixed-price packages, and a turnaround measured in weeks. Tilly tends to come in slightly cheaper on the entry packages and is often picked by homeowners shopping the Yardzen-style market for value.

What AI Garden Design produces

Real before and after examples. Drag the handle to compare the original photo with the redesign.

Before: Zen tan two-story backyard featuring zen meditation style with concentric raked sand circles, carefully placed stone arrangement, moss patches, low wood meditation bench, single bonsai topiary, stone water bowl, and minimal calming composition. — Zen backyard

After: Zen tan two-story backyard featuring zen meditation style with concentric raked sand circles, carefully placed stone arrangement, moss patches, low wood meditation bench, single bonsai topiary, stone water bowl, and minimal calming composition. — Zen backyard

Before: Contemporary compact red tile balcony featuring iron railing, dark grey concrete planters with ornamental grasses and agave, festoon string lights, modern light wood and metal bench with cushions, glowing path lights, and a classic apartment city view. — Contemporary balcony

After: Contemporary compact red tile balcony featuring iron railing, dark grey concrete planters with ornamental grasses and agave, festoon string lights, modern light wood and metal bench with cushions, glowing path lights, and a classic apartment city view. — Contemporary balcony

Side by side

Feature	AI Garden Design	Tilly Design
Format	Photorealistic AI redesign of your actual photo	Custom 2D plan + 3D rendering + plant list from a human designer
Pricing	$19/month yearly ($228/yr) for 250 designs on Personal, $69/month yearly ($828/yr) for 1,000 designs and commercial license on Pro	Roughly $649–$1,899 per package
Turnaround	Under two minutes per redesign, unlimited iterations on every plan	Around two to three weeks per project
Iterations	Unlimited	One revision included; extras are paid
Plant list	Style-based plant guides	Climate-specific custom plant list
Contractor sourcing	Not included	Available in some markets
Entry price	$19/mo yearly, cancel anytime	No

How Tilly Design works

You complete a brief with photos, dimensions, and preferences. A Tilly designer creates a 2D plan and 3D rendering tailored to your space and climate, with a revision round. The final deliverable is a designed package you can hand to a contractor.

Pricing: Roughly $649 for a small-area package, $1,299–$1,899 for full yard packages, with add-ons for additional revisions and full construction documents.

Turnaround: Around two to three weeks per project.

→ Full Tilly Design cost breakdown

Where AI Garden Design wins

✓$19/mo vs paying $649+ before any design work starts
✓Iteration speed, every variation in minutes, no revision-round limits
✓Always-on tool you can come back to for years on a single subscription
✓Photoreal output you can show neighbours, partners, or contractors immediately

Where Tilly Design wins

✓Designer accountability and a single named point of contact
✓Plant list specified to your climate zone and microclimate
✓Construction-quality drawings on the higher-tier packages
✓Better fit for someone who wants a complete service rather than a tool

Which should you pick?

Pick AI Garden Design if…

→You want to test ideas before paying anyone
→Subscription pricing fits your budget better than a lump sum
→You want to see your space in many styles, not commit to one

Pick Tilly Design if…

→You want a finished design package handed to a builder
→You need a climate-specific plant list as part of the deliverable
→You prefer working with a single human designer through the process

See your own garden redesigned

Upload a photo and get a photorealistic redesign in under two minutes. Try as many styles as you like before deciding whether Tilly Design is worth it.

Redesign my garden

AI Garden Design vs Tilly Design — common questions

Is Tilly cheaper than Yardzen?

Generally yes on the entry-level packages. Tilly's smallest package sits around $649 vs Yardzen's entry around $1,500. Mid- and high-tier packages narrow the gap. Both are still significantly more expensive than an AI Garden Design Pro subscription.

Can AI Garden Design replace Tilly?

For visualisation and style exploration, comfortably. For a build-ready plan with a climate-tuned plant list, no, that part of the value still requires either a Tilly-style service or a local landscape designer.

Should I use AI Garden Design before commissioning Tilly?

Many homeowners do exactly this, explore styles for $30 with AI Garden Design, lock in the direction, then commission Tilly with a strong reference image instead of starting from a blank brief. Both designer and client end up happier.

Other comparisons

AI Garden Design vs Yardzen

Online landscape design service with human designers, full plans, plant lists, and contractor matchmaking.

AI Garden Design vs iScape

Augmented reality landscape design app that lets you drag plants and elements onto a live camera view of your yard.

AI Garden Design vs a Local Landscape Designer

Hiring a local landscape designer for a site visit, custom plan, and ongoing project oversight.

AI Garden Design vs HomeDesignsAI

AI design tool covering both interior and exterior, with a broader product surface and similar AI redesign workflow.

AI Garden Design vs SketchUp

Free 3D modelling tool widely used by hobbyists and pros for landscape and garden design.

Looking for alternatives to Tilly Design?

If you are shopping the whole alternatives landscape rather than a single comparison, see the full list.

→ All alternatives to Tilly Design