The Best Interior Design Tools: Category Winners for 2025🏆

Looking for the best interior design tools to take your projects to the next level? 

We’ve put together a side-by-side comparison of top platforms to help you find the right fit, from feature-packed options for pros to simple tools for DIYers. 

Check out which tools come with each platform—like moodboards, 3D floor planners, and client portals—and see our picks for the best tools by category. 

If you own a design firm, are starting a side hustle as a designer, or are redecorating your home, we’ve got the best tools to choose from. 

The best interior design tools 

The best interior design tools are housed within large platforms that offer many features in one place.

That’s why we put together a comparison table with four popular design platforms. 

You can easily see which interior design tools are included inside of each platform.

Target User	Small to medium design firms	Large design firms	Side hustle designers	Homeowners & DIYers
Best Platform	DesignFiles	Design Manager	Spoak	Room Planner
Interior Design Tools:
Moodboards	✅		✅
Floor Plans	✅		✅	✅
3D Renderings	✅			✅
Product Library	✅		✅	✅
Materials Library	✅		✅	✅
Product Orders and Tracking	✅	✅	✅
Product Lists	✅	✅	✅	✅
Time Tracker	✅	✅
Invoicing	✅	✅	✅
Client Portal	✅	✅
Packages	✅		✅
Payment Processing	✅	✅	✅
Client Feedback	✅
QuickBooks Integration	✅
Native Accounting		✅
Project Management	✅	✅	✅
Task Management	✅
Design Questionnaires	✅
Customizable Templates	✅	✅
Background Removal Tool	✅		✅
Branded PDF Presentations	✅	✅
Tear Sheets	✅	✅
Purchase Orders	✅	✅	✅
Vendor Management	✅	✅
Browser Clipper for Online Sourcing	✅	✅	✅

Below, we offer a short description for all of the tools listed in our comparison table, so you know which features are the most important for you when vetting different software.

Must-have tools for interior designers:

1. Moodboards: Craft beautiful visual concepts quickly.
2. 3D Floor Planner: Design and preview spaces in realistic 3D.
3. Product Library: Access thousands of decor and furniture items.
4. Materials Library: Store your go-to textures and finishes.
5. Product Orders and Tracking: Track every product from order to delivery.
6. Product Lists: Organized lists for easy shopping and planning.
7. Time Tracker: Stay on top of hours spent on each project.
8. Invoicing: Generate and send invoices with ease.
9. Client Portal: A dedicated hub for client communication.
10. Packages: Offer pre-defined design service packages.
11. Payment Processing: Get paid faster with secure payment options.
12. Client Feedback: Gather comments, questions, and approvals in one place.
13. QuickBooks Integration: Sync finances seamlessly with QuickBooks.
14. Native Accounting: Handle all accounting tasks within the platform.
15. Project Management: Keep every project on track and on time.
16. Task Management: Organize and assign tasks across your team.
17. Design Questionnaires: Collect client preferences and details upfront.
18. Customizable Templates: Branded templates for faster work.
19. Background Removal Tool: Clean product images in seconds.
20. Branded PDF Presentations: Stunning, personalized presentations.
21. Tear Sheets: Professionally branded tear sheets, ready to share.
22. Purchase Orders: Create and manage purchase orders effortlessly.
23. Vendor Management: Keep vendor details and orders organized.
24. Browser Clipper for Online Sourcing: Clip and save products from any site.

The best interior design platforms for every audience

These all-in-one platforms offer multiple tools, like moodboard software, product lists, and more.

🏆Best for small to medium design firms: DesignFiles

DesignFiles is a leading interior design platform that empowers you to grow a successful 6-figure design business. This comprehensive software offers moodboard creation, floor planning, and robust project management tools, allowing you to streamline both your design work and business operations in one convenient place.

Pros: 

DesignFiles is an excellent choice for your project management needs. Highly rated on Capterra, it stands out for its user-friendly design and seamless functionality. Solo designers and small firms love how intuitive the features are, making it easy to manage every project detail in one place. Plus, you can offer clients a stunning, branded portal to enhance their experience. Another perk of using DesignFiles is it’s industry-low payment processing fees—just 0.8% for ACH transfers, capped at $10 per transaction—helping you save significant amounts each month.

Cons: 

Since DesignFiles doesn’t include 3D virtual walkthroughs, you might consider using Coohom alongside it to offer this feature to your clients. It’s a cost-effective and efficient solution that works well in combination with DesignFiles.

Pricing:

e-Design	$49 per month, plus $25 per month for each additional team member
Full Service	$69 per month, plus $25 per month for each additional team member
Enterprise	Custom pricing

🏆Best for large design firms: Design Manager

Design Manager is a software built for large design firms that need to simplify complex project and financial management. It combines project tracking and budgeting tools with full accounting features, making it a good fit for firms that want all their management and financial tasks handled in one place. For firms using Design Manager, pairing it with a dedicated design tool like Coohom or SketchUp is recommended for the creative side of projects.

Pros: Design Manager combines advanced accounting software with project management, making it an ideal fit for larger firms. Its accounting suite covers accounts receivable, accounts payable, and key financial reporting tools that help finance teams track cash flow, profit and loss, and other essential metrics. With built-in general ledger and account reconciliation, it reduces the need for separate accounting software.

Cons: While Design Manager’s accounting tools are beneficial for large firms with dedicated finance and operations teams, they may be unnecessarily complex and costly for smaller studios or solo designers. It also lacks integrated design tools, which adds to the need for supplementary design software. Additionally, its per-user licensing costs can make it a more expensive option for small teams.

Pricing:

Design Manager

$74 per user per month

🏆Best for side hustlers: Spoak

If you’re venturing into interior design and don’t yet have clients, Spoak can be a practical starting point. With affordable pricing and basic tools that meet the needs of budding designers, it’s an accessible option for side hustlers building a portfolio and beginning to offer virtual design services. However, as your business scales, you might find yourself limited by the platform’s features.

Pros: Spoak’s affordability is a plus for new designers who need to keep costs low. It also offers inspiration from other designers, which can help you shape your style and refine your projects. The platform lets you easily create a portfolio and supports virtual design services, giving new designers a chance to develop their skills and display their work.

Cons: Spoak lacks some essential features that growing design businesses often need, including time tracking, QuickBooks integration, PDF presentations, client portals, and task management tools. These limitations may prompt side hustlers to explore more comprehensive platforms as their client base expands and their business needs become more complex.

Pricing:

Play	$9.99 per month
Plus	$19.99 per month
Power	$29.99 per month
Pro	$34.99 per month
Premium	$99.99 per month

🏆Best for homeowners: Room Planner

Room Planner is a mobile app available on iOS and Android that helps homeowners design and visualize their spaces in 3D. With access to a vast library of over 200,000 branded furniture and decor items, users can easily experiment with different layouts, styles, and room configurations. Room Planner offers tools for creating 2D and 3D floor plans, adding a layer of realism that lets homeowners see how their ideas will look in their actual space.

Pros: Room Planner makes planning easy for homeowners, with features like shopping lists that help users organize items for purchase and budget planning. Its large catalog of furniture and decor items allows users to add realistic pieces to their designs, and the community sharing function lets users gather inspiration and feedback.

Cons: One downside is the lack of a browser clipper, which means users can’t source additional products themselves while shopping online. This limitation may require users to stick to items already available in Room Planner’s catalog, which can restrict personalization options for some design projects. Also, while it’s great for homeowners, it isn’t a fit for design pros.

Pricing:

Interior Design	$5.99 per month
Floor Plan Creator	$6.99 per month
Architecture	$14.99 per month

Frequently asked questions

Get the best interior design tools in one place with DesignFiles.