Welcome to the new age of kitchen cabinet design where software programs and websites help contractors and homeowners do the job and save money.
Consider these 15 brands, some of which are meant to be used by commercial contractors while others are perfect for DIY homeowners with more ideas than cash.
Easy Planner 3D is a web-based kitchen design solution for building your dream kitchen with ease. Not only does the software feature cutting-edge features, but it is also available for free. However, Easy Planner 3D does not work on Internet Explorer version 10 or below. Easy Planner 3D is a web-based kitchen design solution for building your dream kitchen with ease. Not only does the software feature cutting-edge features, but it is also available for free. However, Easy Planner 3D does not work on Internet Explorer version 10 or below. Quick3DPlan® for Mac is the quickest and easiest kitchen, bathroom and closet design software in 3D for Apple computers. The Mac version has been developed specifically thinking of the Mac OSX capabilities and it can only be purchased through the Mac App Store. The Quick3DPlan® for Mac catalogs are the same as the Windows ones.
We also explore the word “free” in association with each, so you could be in for a few surprises.
Some of the following software tools are dedicated just for cabinet design layout and drawing, but some others are “all-around” design software which can be used for creating interiors for every room of a house.
Table of Contents
1) Homestyler
Homestyler is a sophisticated website giving users access to Floorplan Version 1.9.59 (launched in January 2019) to render a design.
Log in, encounter a 2D canvas and use site tools to lay in cabinets, drawers and other units. This program converts your 2D design into 3D, so you see what the finished layout looks like thanks to the CAD underlay that allows users to remove walls or add doors and windows.Make adjustments to your plan, output or save it. It costs nothing to use this online resource.
2) Wooddesigner CabinetFile
The Wooddesigner website isn’t complicated to master if you have the time and interest. This software has “huge flexibility and power” but it’s engineered for professionals rather than homeowners seeking an easy-to-use platform.
Wooddesigner has enough bells and whistles to delight users, including “instant 3D visuals” and you can make fixes to the layout before material is cut. Test drive it by downloading a version, but you’ll pay as much as $4500 USD if you want to own a program.
3) SmartDraw
Like Wooddesigner’s CabinetFile software, you can try SmartDraw for free to see how comfortable you are using it. Say yes and you’ll be billed $9.95 USD monthly if you’re a single user.
Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and other platforms, SmartDraw interacts with Dropbox, Google Drive and has Visio import and export capability.
Highly rated by CNET Editors, image icons in the shapes of shelf units, drawers, racks and more can be moved, deleted, added and stacked using “quick-start” templates. Work on your project using any device since you can export PDF or PNG files.
4) SketchUp Free
There is a version of Sketchup that won’t cost a thing, but the real deal is going to require you to take out your wallet to snag a subscription that gives you multiple options.
The design process begins by using the “start modeling” icon. Once you get a hang of the tools, start drawing.
Use the core 3D modeler, save sketches to a 10GB cloud (Trimble Connect) and access your project via the Sketchup app.
Everything winds up in 3D Warehouse set up to export and host JPG, PNG, SKP and other file types. The cost is low. Try it. You might like it for other types of house designs as well.
5) Cabinet Planner
Cabinet Planner folks call this software the easiest program around, promising a fast learning curve that gets you to cabinet design in a “relatively short time” because it’s intuitive.
They say that undertaking a middle income kitchen re-design can be done in about 20 minutes, so if you’re in a hurry, Cabinet Planner may be a good pick.
Wind up with realistic-looking 3D cabinet renderings in the end. The free trial feature gives you 10 uses. At that point, you must buy software for a flat fee of $69.95, which doesn’t sound like much if you study monthly licensing costs some companies charge users.
6) Edraw
Edraw assures you that your lack of skill won’t stop you from doing a super job when you undertake your kitchen cabinet design project.
Billed as a capable, flexible, easy-to-use software, you design from scratch and “have total control over everything” thanks to site features like instant visualization, different views and elevations, calculations and reports.
In addition layout help you get material cutting and costing tips as you import jpegs of features like cabinet doors.
Drop in realistic textures to visualize cabinet finish options. Toolbar icons let you to move, flip, align, rotate and manipulate your design, but your free trial only lasts for 30 days. The lifetime license runs $539 so if you plan to undertake other projects, it may be a good choice.
7) IKEA Kitchen Planner
If you’re a fan of the iconic Swedish store IKEA, you’ll be happy to know that not only can you buy cabinets directly from the Swedes, but you can engineer your design from the comfort of your home, too.
Go to the IKEA website, find the 3D Kitchen Planner software, choose cabinets, doors, and appliances to fit the measurements and when you’re done, save your finished design to the IKEA server.
Whether you use Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Windows XP, Safari or Mac OS 10, the IKEA design process seems relatively simple to use and once you’re done, you know where to go to get those cabinets, right? Far as we can tell, this service is entirely free because its purpose is to sell those cabinets.
8) PolyBoard
PolyBoard tools are straightforward and give you the ability to move from straight line rendering to dimensional cabinetry design.
It’s up to you to provide dimensions used to create line art for cabinets in both 2D and 3D. This software “recalculates the cutting list and toolings,” factoring in slopes, shelves, drawers plus edges and frames.
Don’t spend time looking for pricing on the full software program because you will have to contact a distributor to reveal the cost of this software. Download a free partial user manual PDF to get more details.
9) Opun Planner
Opun Planner is the brainchild of a UK software developer who helps people design bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms.
“Anyone can design their room and experiment with different layouts and change color schemes on the internet with no commitment and no training,” says the website’s home page.
You’re required to download a version of the software to try it out, but keep your credit card nearby once your free trial comes to an end.
If you decide to save the layout you’ve completed, you must register your drawings to keep them safe. If you seek truly free kitchen cabinet software, this isn’t it.
3d Kitchen Planner
10) Blophome
According to the Blophome website, thousands of people have used this software to “reform any space in 3D with professional results.”
Using site tools and social network power, this user-friendly software is free for the basic version, so you can test your creativity, see photorealistic results and access the manufacturer’s catalogs once you have determined your cabinet configuration.
Subscribe and receive five price options that run from basic to sophisticated. Ideal users are interior designers working with clients to design new kitchens so this option could be overkill if you simply want to refresh a kitchen with updated cabinets.
Free Kitchen Design Sites
11) ProKitchen Software
Advertised as “The #1 Cloud-Based Design Software for Kitchens & Baths,” kill two birds with one stone if you’re looking to double down on projects.
The free trial version offers you the benefit of re-imagining your cabinet layout and there’s an administrative tool that delivers metrics and reports on usage if you are a contractor and bill clients.
Access the cloud from every device to view 3D renderings as hi-def, 360° panoramas. Best for use by commercial enterprises rather than individuals, you choose to license this software from a 3-tier pricing menu (silver, gold and platinum) that range in cost from $1095 to $1395 per year.
12) Roomeon
Roomeon calls itself the “real time interior design” portal. Built to deliver speed, the site’s free trial offers users “intelligent rendering” that spares users long loading times.
Features include an integrated light-function that drops sunlight or shadows into a room. Use your mouse to move a dot around that marks room parameters.
Navigate in game-style fashion, say developers, so you can show a client how the finished room looks from the perspective of someone standing inside it.
We were unable to find the cost of post-trial software but we did find this note on the website’s legal page: “Your credit card is charged immediately after the purchasing process.”
13) Prodboard
This portal goes straight to the heart of your mission: online kitchen planning accomplished with “a couple of clicks.” Visit the site and try three demonstrations that orient you to the design process.
Kitchen Design Software
This online program appears to target business owners who want customers to get the experience of selecting cabinet and drawer renderings from a catalog and dropping them into a room setting so they are active participants in the design process.
Prodboard boasts many international clients, and there’s no apparent cost to a retailer or contractor interested in using this site.
14) Autokitchen
Autokitchen is a portal for Microcad Software, “the leading stand-alone kitchen design software built on a standard CAD engine.”
Appealing to everyone from remodelers to architects, this software is feature-specific and comes in a variety of versions: Pro, Studio, Cloud service, estimate pricing, catalog editor and Autokitchen Express 2.
Each version helps the user develop cabinetry systems in 3D. Compare the Pro and Studio versions to see which suits your needs and talents before licensing software rights for one computer.
Pricing isn’t published, but if you visit this page, you can see which version is most likely to meet your needs.
15) Custom Cabinet Software
The free demonstration on the home page gives you an idea of what to expect. In addition to design features, get tools to estimate job costs, so if you generate client reports that break down cut lists and panel optimizations, this software is good bet if you run Windows on either your PC or Mac.
Rent or purchase the package you need. “Membership” pricing starts at $545 annually or pay a one-time Pro100 Design Software fee of $2550. Interest-free financing is available for up to 90 days.