13 Best Landscape Design and Landscape Architecture Software (2026)

Quick answer: for professional landscape architecture, Vectorworks Landmark and AutoCAD with Land F/X are the documentation standards, with Rhino + Lands Design for terrain and planting in 3D. Design-build firms often choose DynaScape, PRO Landscape+, Realtime Landscaping or VizTerra, SketchUp is the fastest way to model concepts, Lumion and Twinmotion render them, and iScape is the simple app for homeowners and quick on-site ideas.

We grouped 13 programs by the job they do, from construction documents to rendering and design-build sales. Versions, platforms, prices and free options were checked on the vendors' own pages in October 2026; where a vendor's page cannot be read by script, we say where the figure comes from. Prices change often and differ by country.

Best Landscape Design Software at a Glance

How to Choose Landscape Design Software

• Start with the documentation backbone: construction documents, planting schedules and irrigation need Vectorworks Landmark, Land F/X or Lands Design; add a 3D or rendering tool on top.

• 2D or 3D: CAD-based tools are strongest for drawings and take-offs; SketchUp, Rhino and the renderers are strongest for 3D.

• Residential or public work: design-build tools such as DynaScape, PRO Landscape+ and Realtime Landscaping are built for selling and pricing residential jobs, while Landmark and Civil 3D handle public and large sites.

• Windows or Mac: most landscape tools are Windows only; Vectorworks, SketchUp, Rhino and Twinmotion also run on a Mac.

• Subscription or one-time: Realtime Landscaping and the Lands Design perpetual license are one-time purchases; most others are yearly subscriptions.

Landscape Documentation and BIM Software

1. Vectorworks Landmark

Vectorworks Landmark is BIM software made for landscape architects: a change in one view updates the others, and it covers grading with cut and fill, slope and drainage, planting with plant data and water budgets, sun and shade studies, GIS mapping and irrigation. It exchanges more than 20 formats, including DWG, RVT, IFC and BCF. The current version is Vectorworks 2027.

• Platforms: Windows and macOS.

• Price (October 2026): a monthly or yearly subscription with a free trial; see Vectorworks' buy page for your region.

• Best for: landscape architects who want design, documentation and BIM in one program.

• Watch out: the depth takes time to learn.

2. AutoCAD + Land F/X

Land F/X adds planting, irrigation, details and site tools to AutoCAD, or to its own F/X CAD, so plans, plant schedules and irrigation layouts come from one drawing. Planting F/X also has plugins for Revit (Windows, full Revit only), SketchUp and Rhino 8 for Windows, which send data through Land F/X's 3D Connection.

• Platforms: Windows.

• Price (October 2026): annual subscriptions only; from January 2026 Land F/X lists Planting at $695, Irrigation at $995 and Detail at $295 a year, and F/X CAD at $775 a year, according to its 2026 price announcement.

• Best for: CAD-based offices that produce full planting and irrigation sets.

• Watch out: you also need AutoCAD or F/X CAD, and Land F/X's site cannot be checked by script, so confirm current prices with Land F/X.

3. Rhino + Lands Design

Lands Design adds terrain, planting and site tools to Rhino: terrain from contours, meshes, point clouds and satellite maps, a library of more than 8,000 plant species with seasons and growth, and Grasshopper for parametric work. RhinoLands is the standalone version with Rhino 8 included; Lands Design also runs as a plugin for AutoCAD and Civil 3D. Its interface is available in English, Spanish, Italian, French, German and Chinese.

• Platforms: Windows.

• Price (October 2026): €130 a month, €1,790 as a perpetual license or €275 for students; 60-day trial.

• Best for: 3D terrain and planting design with exact geometry.

• Watch out: Windows only.

4. Autodesk Civil 3D

Civil 3D 2027 is civil engineering software, not a planting tool: landscape teams use it for surfaces, grading, corridors for roads and paths, and drainage networks, then coordinate with their planting and design tools.

• Platforms: Windows.

• Price (October 2026): an Autodesk subscription, also included in the AEC Collection (about $3,675 a year on the Autodesk Store).

• Best for: large sites where grading and drainage drive the design.

• Watch out: it is a civil engineering program; planting design needs another tool.

5. Autodesk Revit

Revit 2027 is BIM software for buildings that also models sites with toposolids, so building and landscape share one coordinated model. Landscape work such as planting schedules needs add-ins, for example Planting F/X for Revit.

• Platforms: Windows 11 only.

• Price (October 2026): about $3,005 a year or $380 a month on the Autodesk Store; free education access.

• Best for: offices that design buildings and their sites together in BIM.

• Watch out: expensive for landscape-only work, and planting tools come from add-ins.

3D and Concept Design Software

6. SketchUp

SketchUp is the quickest way to model a garden, a terrace or a public space in 3D: Sandbox tools shape terrain, the 3D Warehouse supplies plants and furniture, LayOut (in Pro) turns the model into presentation sheets, and a SketchUp view also works as the input for AI SketchUp rendering.

• Platforms: Windows and macOS, plus iPad and web.

• Price (October 2026): Go $10.75 a month (iPad and web), Pro $33.25 and Studio $71.58 (Windows only) a month, billed yearly; SketchUp Free runs in the browser with 10 GB of storage. The Revit importer is only in Studio.

• Best for: concept models and client presentations.

• Watch out: construction documents and plant schedules need another tool.

Useful plugins for landscape work, with prices checked in October 2026 (see also our SketchUp plugins guide):

• Skatter: scatters plants, gravel and objects over terrain; €99 a year.

• PlaceMaker: imports real terrain, roads and buildings; credits from $25 per 100, or $149 a year.

• Artisan 2 and QuadFace Tools: sculpt landforms; Artisan $99 a year, QuadFace Tools free.

• Profile Builder 4 and Instant Road Nui: paths, curbs and roads; $119 one-time and $38 a year.

• Laubwerk: its plant kits now belong to Maxon, which bought Laubwerk in January 2025.

Landscape Rendering Software

These programs turn your model into realistic stills and videos; for the wider picture, see our landscape rendering guide.

7. Lumion

Lumion Pro 2026.1 renders landscapes in real time with more than 10,000 assets, including plants, people and weather, plus AI tools. The free LiveSync plugin connects it to SketchUp, Revit, Archicad, Rhino, AutoCAD, Allplan, BricsCAD and Vectorworks.

• Platforms: Windows only.

• Price (October 2026): Pro $1,149 a year (Pro Floating $1,499); 14-day free trial.

• Best for: realistic presentation images and videos of gardens and public spaces.

• Watch out: it needs a strong graphics card; see our guide to Lumion system requirements. Lumion Cloud shares and enhances renders but does not render scenes in the cloud.

8. Twinmotion

Epic's Twinmotion 2026.1, built on Unreal Engine, renders in real time with Direct Link from Revit, SketchUp, Rhino and Archicad, and also runs on Apple-silicon Macs. Its path tracer and VR mode run on Windows only.

• Platforms: Windows and macOS.

• Price (October 2026): free for students and educators; check Epic's license page for companies, because Epic's site cannot be read by script.

• Best for: quick real-time renders on a Mac or a PC.

• Watch out: for a direct comparison, see Twinmotion vs Lumion.

Two more renderers are common in landscape work: D5 Render (Windows; see D5 Render pricing) and Enscape, which runs inside SketchUp, Revit and Rhino from $574.80 a year.

Design-Build and Residential Landscape Software

9. DynaScape

DynaScape Design is Windows CAD for design-build firms with a hand-drawn look and plant and material take-offs; Creator is its newer web app for Mac and PC, the Color and Sketch3D add-ons create colored plans and 3D, and Manage360 handles estimating, scheduling and job costing.

• Platforms: Design on Windows; Creator in the browser on Mac and PC.

• Price (October 2026): Design $1,599 a year or $158 a month; Creator $119 a month; Color and Sketch3D $600 a year or $59 a month each; bundles from $2,199 to $4,000 a year.

• Best for: landscape contractors who sell, price and build their own designs.

• Watch out: built for residential and commercial design-build work rather than large public projects.

10. PRO Landscape+

PRO Landscape+ combines photo imaging with more than 19,000 plant and material images, CAD plans with irrigation symbols for take-offs, estimates with your own prices, 3D walkthroughs and night and holiday lighting from a day photo. Its new AI Suite adds enhancement styles, an AI Outdoor Living Designer that works from a photo, an AI eraser and cut-outs. The Companion app runs on iPad and Android.

• Platforms: Windows 10 and 11 (on a Mac only through Parallels).

• Price (October 2026): $900 a year or $90 a month.

• Best for: contractors who sell designs from photos of the client's yard.

• Watch out: Windows only.

11. Realtime Landscaping

Idea Spectrum's Realtime Landscaping 2026 designs homes and yards on photos or in 3D, with plans in a hand-drawn look, irrigation and CAD tools in the top edition, and 3D walkthroughs. It is one of the few landscape programs sold without a subscription.

• Platforms: Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit.

• Price (October 2026): one-time purchases: Architect $599, Pro $279, Plus $149; free trial.

• Best for: residential designers and homeowners who want 3D without a subscription.

• Watch out: Windows only.

12. VizTerra

Structure Studios' VizTerra designs backyards, decks, pergolas and outdoor kitchens in 3D for sales presentations, and also produces permit plans. For a quick visual of a patio idea on a photo, see AI patio design.

• Platforms: Windows 10 and 11.

• Price (October 2026): $97 per user a month or $1,008 a year, plus a one-time $95 setup fee; 30-day free trial without a card.

• Best for: outdoor-living contractors who present in 3D.

• Watch out: focused on residential outdoor living rather than planting design.

Mobile Landscape Design Apps

13. iScape

iScape lets you place plants, paving and features on a photo of a yard with augmented reality, and its maker reports about 4 million downloads.

• Platforms: iOS and Android.

• Price (October 2026): a free tier with a smaller library; Pro $29.99 a month or $299.99 a year.

• Best for: homeowners and quick on-site ideas with a client.

• Watch out: it makes ideas on a photo, not scaled plans.

Free and Low-Cost Landscape Design Software

• SketchUp Free: browser modeling with 10 GB of storage, for non-commercial use.

• QGIS: free, open-source GIS for site analysis on Windows, Mac and Linux.

• iScape's free tier: ideas on a yard photo with a smaller library.

• Twinmotion: free for students and educators.

• Free trials: Vectorworks Landmark, RhinoLands (60 days), Lumion (14 days), Realtime Landscaping and VizTerra (30 days).

Which Landscape Design Software Runs on a Mac?

Vectorworks Landmark, SketchUp, Rhino 8 and Twinmotion run on a Mac, DynaScape Creator runs in the browser, and iScape runs on an iPhone or iPad. Lands Design, Land F/X, Civil 3D, Revit, Lumion, DynaScape Design, PRO Landscape+, Realtime Landscaping and VizTerra are Windows only.

AI Concept Images: Where They Fit

AI tools turn a photo or a model view into a concept image; they do not make scaled plans, grading, planting schedules or irrigation layouts, so they sit next to the programs above, not in place of them. PRO Landscape+ and Lumion now include AI tools of their own. ArchiVinci, our own product, runs in the browser on a computer or a phone: upload a photo of a garden, a yard or a site, or a view of your model, describe the planting and paving you want, and it generates a new concept image each time. An account is needed, and a new account starts with 3 free credits. Try AI landscape design for early ideas and client conversations.

Try it in ArchiVinci

Upload a photo of a house or a plot and describe the garden in a sentence: ArchiVinci generates a new image that follows your photo. A new account starts with 3 free credits.

• For a site plan: Master plan render AI

• Render a sketch, photo or model view: Render AI

Frequently Asked Questions About Landscape Design Software

What is the best landscape design software for professionals?

For landscape architects, Vectorworks Landmark or AutoCAD with Land F/X for documentation, Rhino + Lands Design for 3D terrain and planting, and Lumion or Twinmotion for renders. Design-build firms usually prefer DynaScape, PRO Landscape+, Realtime Landscaping or VizTerra.

What software do landscape architects use?

Most use a CAD or BIM backbone (Vectorworks Landmark, AutoCAD with Land F/X, Lands Design or Civil 3D for grading), SketchUp or Rhino for 3D, a renderer such as Lumion or Twinmotion, and a GIS such as QGIS for site analysis.

What is the best landscape design software for beginners?

SketchUp, including the free web version or the SketchUp Go plan, is the easiest start for 3D. Realtime Landscaping Plus is a simple one-time purchase for homes and yards, and iScape works on a phone.

Is there free landscape design software?

Yes: SketchUp Free in the browser, QGIS, iScape's free tier, and Twinmotion for students and educators. Most professional programs have free trials instead.

What landscape design software works on a Mac?

Vectorworks Landmark, SketchUp, Rhino 8 and Twinmotion, plus DynaScape Creator in the browser and iScape on an iPhone or iPad. Lumion, Revit, PRO Landscape+, Realtime Landscaping and VizTerra are Windows only.

How much does landscape design software cost?

From free (SketchUp Free, QGIS) through one-time purchases of $149 to $599 (Realtime Landscaping) to yearly subscriptions such as PRO Landscape+ at $900, DynaScape Design at $1,599 and Lumion Pro at $1,149, as of October 2026.

Is iScape free?

There is a free tier with a smaller library; iScape Pro costs $29.99 a month or $299.99 a year.

Is there an AI for landscape design?

Yes, for concept images: PRO Landscape+, Lumion and browser tools such as ArchiVinci create images from a photo or a model view. They do not make scaled plans, planting schedules or irrigation layouts, so a landscape program still does the design work.

How is landscape design software different from CAD or BIM tools?

CAD focuses on drafting and BIM on building data; landscape programs add terrain, planting, irrigation and site tools made for outdoor spaces, often on top of a CAD or BIM base.

Can landscape architects use Revit or Civil 3D effectively?

Yes, with limits: Civil 3D is strong for grading, corridors and drainage, and Revit for sites around buildings, but planting design needs add-ins such as Planting F/X or a dedicated tool such as Vectorworks Landmark or Lands Design.

Do I need a powerful computer for 3D landscape design software?

For real-time renderers such as Lumion and Twinmotion, yes: a strong graphics card, plenty of RAM and an SSD (see our guides to the best GPUs for rendering and Lumion system requirements). Browser-based AI rendering runs on a server instead, so it does not depend on your graphics card.