Interior design business software can help you deliver stunning designs to your clients, communicate with them throughout the design process, collect payments, and more.
The tools you use can have a massive impact on your business. The right software can not only lower your annual costs of doing business, but it can also improve your productivity, allowing you to take on more client projects at a time.
Below, we show you the absolute best business software for interior designers, both eDesign and full service.
Table of Contents
Comparison table: interior design business software
Below, we dig into our top picks for interior design business software and compare them side-by-side. Most interior designers will need all of the features listed in this table, so you’ll likely combine two or three platforms.
The most common combination for small firms and solo designers is to use DesignFiles for designing, managing projects, and communicating with clients. You can then use QuickBooks for accounting and integrate it with DesignFiles. Larger firms might prefer Studio Designer because it offers advanced accounting software alongside project management and client communication. They could then use Coohom for 3D designs and rendering.
Whatever you decide, the table below will make it easy to combine software platforms while making sure you have all of the essentials covered.
3D Design Tools | Proposals, Quotes & Invoices | Client Communication | Design Project Management | Native Accounting Tools | Integration with QuickBooks | Moodboard Software | |
DesignFiles | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
Studio Designer | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||
MyDoma | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
Houzz Pro | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
QuickBooks | ✅ | ||||||
Dubsado | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||
HoneyBook | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |||
Coohom | ✅ | ||||||
Maxwell | ✅ |
1. DesignFiles
DesignFiles is an easy-to-use, fully-featured suite of design and business management tools that you can use to manage your client projects from start to finish. Use it to collect payments, send questionnaires, create moodboards and 3D renderings and communicate with your clients.
Features:
- Moodboard creator
- 3D renderings
- Floor planner
- Product library with 500,000+ products
- Product clipper for online sourcing
- Design questionnaires
- Contracts
- Quotes, Invoices and purchase orders
- Purchasable design packages
- Client project dashboard
- Payment processor
- Project time tracker
- Product tracker
- Client communication portal
- Financial overview and reports
- Quickbooks + Stripe integration
Pricing:
Choose our e-Design plan for just $49 per month to manage everything you need in your e-Design business. Or, choose our Full Service plan for $69 per month and you’ll unlock all of our features.
Sign up for DesignFiles and get the best tools, community, and customer support.
2. Studio Designer
With StudioDesigner, you can manage client projects end-to-end. Get project management, product sourcing, and accounting in one place.
Features:
- Project proposals
- Invoices
- Online product sourcing tool
- Project time tracker
- Client communication portal
- Accounting and project reports
Pricing:
The Basic plan is $48 per month and the Professional plan costs $64 per month.
3. MyDoma
MyDoma is an interior design business software that can be used to onboard clients, source products, and create proposals. The software also offers a product clipper tool, a floor plan creator, and basic mood board functionality.
Features:
- Product clipper
- Purchasable design packages
- Quotes, invoices and purchase orders
- Client communication portal
- Contractor management
- Mood board creator
- Floor Planner
- Project time tracker
- Financial reports
- Quickbooks, Stripe, Calendly, Acuity integration
Pricing:
Solo designers pay $59 per month for the Solo plan. Teams of up to 8 will pay $79 per month for the Team plan. Teams of more than 9 people will pay $129 per month for the Agency plan.
4. Houzz Pro
Houzz Pro can be used by not only interior designers but also architects and contractors. Houzz Pro offers 3D design tools alongside business features including quotes, invoices, expense tracking, and proposals.
Features:
- Lead management and follow-up tools
- Proposals and estimates
- Client project dashboard
- Client project management
- Mood board creator
- 3D floor planner
- Mobile app
Pricing:
On the Starter plan, which is $65 per month, you’ll have access to the design project tools. If you want marketing solutions and expense tracking, you’ll need to move up to the Essential plan, which costs $99 per month.
5. Quickbooks
As one of the world’s most popular accounting software, Quickbooks is commonly used by interior designers to manage their business income and expenses. DesignFiles, MyDoma, and Houzz Pro all sync with Quickbooks, so you can automatically pull in accurate bookkeeping data.
Features:
- Invoices
- Payment processor
- Accounting
- Tax compliance reporting
- Cash flow management
Pricing:
The Simple Start plan is $25 per month and includes most of the accounting and tax preparation features you need. If you need to manage purchase orders, you’ll need the Plus plan, which costs $80 per month.
6. Dubsado
Dubsado is a client management platform that can be used by different types of service-based businesses, not just interior designers. If you use a design platform that doesn’t offer client management features, you can layer this system on top.
Features:
- Intake forms
- Proposals
- Project and appointment scheduling
- Invoices
- Payment processing
- Project and task management
- Client communication portal
- Zapier automations
Pricing:
For $200 per year on the Starter plan, you get access to the project and client management features. For $400 per year on the Premier plan, you unlock all of the features including scheduling and workflow automation.
7. Honeybook
Similar to Dubsado, Honeybook is a payment and client management platform that can be used by multiple types of service-based businesses, such as designers, photographers, ghostwriters, and more.
Features:
- Contract signing
- Proposals
- Appointment scheduling
- Invoices
- Payment processor
- Lead follow-up
- Client questionnaires
- Workflow automation
Pricing:
With the Starter plan, you’ll pay $9 per month for access to all features, but you’ll have a lifetime limit of $10k in transactions. For the Unlimited plan, you’ll pay $39 per month for all features, with no limit to how much you can earn.
8. Coohom
With Coohom, you can create your 3D renderings and floor plans for design projects. The platform offers a model library to make things much faster for you. Coohom is a great option for designers with no CAD experience. If you’re already using project management tools that don’t include a 3D software, Coohom is a great option to layer in. But if you want all your tools under one roof, DesignFiles, MyDoma, and Houzz Pro provide 3D design software along with project management tools.
Features:
- Floor plan creator
- 3D rendering
- 3D model library
Pricing:
On the free plan, you get access to 20,000 3D models but only one project at a time. For $25 per month, on the Pro plan, you can work on up to 200 projects at a time.
9. Maxwell
Maxwell is a rendering tool that interior designers can use to create 3D designs. The tool is slightly more complicated to use than some other options on our list, but there are plenty of tutorials to help you along.
Features:
- Realistic material renderings
- Works in the cloud
- Simulates lighting
- Thousands of materials in the community library
Pricing:
Maxwell can be purchased as a one-time fee. Maxwell Sketchup costs $595 and Maxwell Bundle (which includes Maxwell for all integrated design tools) costs $845.
Want all of your tools in one place? With DesignFiles, you get mood boards, 3D renderings, floor plans, client communication, and project management tools all inside one easy-to-use platform.
Frequently asked questions
Interior design business software is a suite of tools designed to help interior designers manage their projects, client communications, finances, and design processes. These platforms often include features like moodboard creation, 3D renderings, client invoicing, project management, and product sourcing, all within a single interface.
Using interior design platforms designed for business owners—rather than homeowners—is crucial because the software is more likely to offer specialized tools for managing the complexities of running a design firm. These platforms include design project management tools that streamline client communication, invoicing, and product sourcing. Unlike homeowner-focused tools, business-oriented software is tailored to handle multiple projects, track financials, and support team collaboration.
When choosing interior design business software, look for features that will streamline your workflow and enhance client interactions. Essential tools include moodboard and 3D rendering capabilities, floor planning features, and a client communication portal to keep all interactions organized. Invoicing, payment processing, and product sourcing are crucial for managing the financial and logistical aspects of your projects. Customizable questionnaires help gather client preferences efficiently, while integration with accounting software like QuickBooks simplifies financial tracking. Additionally, marketing and lead management tools can support business growth by helping you attract and manage new clients.
Pricing varies depending on the features and the size of your team. Basic plans might start around $50 to $80 per month, while more comprehensive plans for larger teams can range from $80 to $300 per month.
Yes, many interior design software platforms offer free trials or demo versions. This allows you to test the software’s features and interface before committing to a subscription, ensuring it meets your business needs. For example, DesignFiles offers a free trial with access to many of its core features.
Try DesignFiles for free and see if it’s right for your design business.