Best Interior Design Project Management Software for 2023
This is a comprehensive list of the best interior design project management software. Use this guide to compare and choose the best software for your business.
Choosing interior design project management software is a complex process. Not only do you need top-notch project management functionality, you also need features specific to interior design such as creating idea boards and generating proposals for clients.
On this page, we investigate some of the best interior design project management software and examine their features, pricing, pros and cons.
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Top interior design software comparison
Almost no interior design software does absolutely everything, so it’s important to weigh the most important features for your needs. Here are some features to keep an eye out for while you shop for your next interior design project management software:
| Design visualization tools | Mobile app | Product clipper tool | Free plan or trial | Pricing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houzz Pro | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free trial | $99 per month |
| monday | No | Yes | No | Both | $8 per month |
| Gather | Yes | No | Yes | Free trial | $199 per month |
| Mydoma | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free trial | $49.92 per month |
| Studio Designer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Neither | $54 per month |
| Binary Management | No | No | No | Free trial | $10 per month |
| Indema | Yes | No? | Yes | Neither | $70 per month |
| ClickUp | No | Yes | No | Both | $5 per month |
Houzz Pro: Best for lead generation
The Houzz website attracts more than 40 million users per month — most of which are looking for design project inspirations — making it an excellent place to attract potential clients. This is why it also made our list of the best project management software for architects and the best construction project management software. However, you do need to be willing to pay for the most expensive plan (the Ultimate tier) to get access to Houzz’s lead generation program, which might be out of budget for some businesses. But if you’ve got the cash, Houzz offers a unique way to connect with potential clients that other interior design project management software doesn’t replicate.
Pricing
- Basic: $0 for a free profile on the Houzz website.
- Starter: $99 per month for one person, plus $40 per person per month for each individual seat.
- Essential: $139 per month for one person, plus $40 per person per month for each individual seat.
- Pro: $199 per month for one person, plus $40 per person per month for each individual seat.
- Ultimate: $399 per month for unlimited users.
A 30-day free trial is available for all plans.
Features
- Floor planner generates 2D and 3D models.
- Native CRM systems help you turn contacts into clients.
- Multiple views for project schedules.
- Daily jobsite logs available for Pro and Ultimate plans.
Pros
- Lots of visualization features specific to interior design business.
- Integration with Quickbooks available.
- Email marketing tools and website templates help you connect with clients.
- Training courses and Houzz Pro Certification help with the learning curve.
Cons
- Expensive compared to competitors.
- Must pay for the Ultimate plan to access the lead generation program.
- Many features confined to the two highest tier plans.
- Customized branding not available for certain documents.
monday work management: Best for versatility
If you find niche interior design project management software too limited, then you might want to check out monday work management, which we also named one of the best design project management software of the year. This general purpose project management software is extremely flexible and customizable, featuring robust automations and reporting. However, the downside is that it lacks certain interior design tools, such as the ability to create mood boards and turn them into design proposals.
Pricing
- Individual: $0 for up to two seats.
- Basic: $8 per seat per month billed annually, or $10 per seat per month billed monthly. A free trial is available.
- Standard: $10 per seat per month billed annually, or $12 per seat per month billed monthly. A free trial is available.
- Pro: $16 per seat per month billed annually, or $20 per seat per month billed monthly. A free trial is available.
- Enterprise: Contact for a custom quote.
Features
- Easy-to-use reporting tools.
- Can invite external users like clients and vendors.
- Fully customize project boards, workflows, and automations.
- Native quotes and invoicing tools.
Pros
- Very affordable compared to most interior design project management software.
- Colorful and intuitive user interface.
- More than 200 integrations.
- Extremely flexible and versatile.
Cons
- Not specific to interior design.
- No 2D or 3D visualization tools.
- No idea board or product clipper tools.
For more information, see the full monday work management review.
Gather: Best for data and document management
If you’re struggling to keep track of item specifications and vendor contact information for highly-complex projects, Gather is built to solve these problems. The platform includes features such as advanced search, a contact database and a digital resourceful library to make it easy to store and sort critical project information. It also includes a built-in chat tool that centralizes communication and sets it apart from other dedicated interior software.
Pricing
- Studio: $199 per month billed monthly or $165 per month billed annually. Supports up to 5 users, 50 client accounts and 50 projects.
- Firm: $349 per month billed monthly or $290 per month billed annually. Supports up to 10 users, 100 client accounts and 100 projects.
- Enterprise: Contact for a custom quote. Intended for teams with more than 10 users, 200 clients accounts and more than 100 projects.
A free 14-day trial is available.
Features
- Export Engine makes generating, editing, and sharing documents easy.
- Specification tool makes it easy to manage nitty gritty project data.
- Advanced search helps you find exactly what you are looking for.
- Contact management database for both vendors and clients.
Pros
- Built-in chat tool keeps communication centralized.
- Notifications ensure that you don’t miss anything.
- Gather Clipper tool makes it easy to add products to the software.
- Digital resource library collects all firm assets in one place.
Cons
- Phone and Zoom support not available for Studio plan.
- No mobile app available.
- Set up can be time consuming and complex.
- No native invoicing tools.
Mydoma: Best for ready-to-purchase design packages
Mydoma has a unique feature called embeddable design packages, which let clients purchase services right from your website. Simply decide what services you want to include (such as a design consultation) and embed it directly on your website to start generating new leads. It also includes plenty of other interior design-specific features, including project templates, design boards, and a product clipper tool.
Pricing
- Solo: $49.92 per user per month billed annually, or $59 per user per month billed monthly.
- Team: $66.58 per user per month billed annually, or $79 per user per month billed monthly.
- Agency: $108.25 per user per month billed annually, or $129 per user per month billed monthly.
- Visualizer Pro: Add-on that costs $30 per person per month.
A free trial is available.
Features
- Granular permissions lets you control what clients and vendors see.
- Generate proposals, invoices and purchase orders using the tool.
- Track both billable and non-billable hours in the tool.
- Use 3D rendering and immersive AR to create mockups for clients.
Pros
- Product clipper tool now works on mobile.
- Embed design packages on your website so clients can purchase directly.
- Built-in chat tool keeps communication centralized
- Integrate with many different apps using Zapier.
Cons
- Software is occasionally buggy.
- Not very intuitive to use.
- Learning curve may overwhelm clients.
- Could use more finance and accounting tools.
Studio Designer: Best for advanced users
Studio Designer is one of the staples of the interior design industry, boasting more than 30 years of history and over 14,000 designers. It is designed to be a one-stop shop for all your designing needs, including native accounting and billing tools (but does not integrate with QuickBooks, which might frustrate your CPA). Its robust design planning and reporting tools are meant for experienced designers who are willing to master the learning curve to use a powerful tool.
Pricing
- Basic: $54 per user billed monthly, or $576 per user billed annually.
- Professional: $72 per user billed monthly, or $768 per user billed annually.
Features
- Clients portal lets them view projects and make payments.
- Studio capture tool helps you source items from vendors.
- Fully-integrated double-entry accounting system.
- Bank import mapping ensures accurate transfer of transaction information.
Pros
- Tracking separates receivership and delivery for more precise statuses.
- Comprehensive reporting tools with 100+ templates available.
- Mobile app supports time tracking feature.
- Pricing plans are more affordable than some competitors.
Cons
- No free trial available.
- Features are too overwhelming for new designers.
- Can be difficult for accountants to understand.
- No integrations with QuickBooks since it is designed as an all-in-one tool.
Binary Management: Best for small design firms
If you are a small firm just starting out and want interior design project management software that won’t break the bank, definitely look into Binary Management. Its plans start at just $10 per person per month and include tools for costing, planning, tracking, and reporting. However, it lacks many of the visualization and design features that alternatives have, so don’t expect mood boards or 3D models from this affordable software.
Pricing
- Professional: $10 per person per month or $93.60 per person per year, for up to 20 users. A 14-day free trial is available for this plan.
- Business: $20 per person per month or $187.20 per person per year, for up to 50 users.
- Enterprise: Contact the sales team for a quote.
Features
- Costing engine calculates a design fee based on project data.
- Heat map tool identifies each designer’s real-time availability.
- All project calendars can be integrated into a single master schedule.
Pros
- Affordable, transparent pricing plans plus a free trial.
- Free licenses available for students and educators.
- Reports reconcile profitability at the end of each business day.
Cons
- No visualization tools included.
- Phone support limited to the Enterprise plan only.
- No mobile app available.
- Not widely used, so there are not that many user reviews available.
Indema: Best for bigger firms
On the other hand, if you belong to a larger design firm that’s looking to upgrade its interior design project management software, you should consider indema (which stands for “interior design management”). The platform is packed with features created with interior design clients in mind, such as a background remover tool for creating mood boards and a browser clipper tool that imports any product on the internet into indema.
Pricing
Indema only offers one single pricing plan, which charges per individual user. It costs $70 per month billed annually, $72 a month billed quarterly and $75 a month billed monthly.
Indema also offers four levels of support for onboarding:
- Self-guided: free, includes access to training resources and 1 Q&A call with an implementation expert.
- Standard: $950, meant for teams of 3-10 people.
- Premium: $2,499, meant for teams of 10-20 people.
- Custom: Contact sales for a quote, meant for teams of 20+ people.
Features
- Customizable employee portal lets you manage permissions.
- Deposit requests let clients pay in installments.
- Gantt chart view available for projects.
- Set different hourly rates for members and projects.
Pros
- Dark and light modes available.
- No storage limit for files.
- Automated time tracking available.
- Convert estimates to invoices automatically.
Cons
- No free trial available.
- Users report occasional bugs since the software is relatively new.
- Some key features are in development but not currently available.
- No mobile app available.
ClickUp: Best for affordability
If all the plans on this list still sound too expensive to you, consider ClickUp — which also made our list of the best creative project management software. This general purpose project management app features a forever-free plan, with paid plans starting at just $5 per person per month, making it the most affordable option on this list. The trade off is that it lacks niche features meant for interior design specifically, such as design mood boards and 3d rendering.
Pricing
- Free Forever: $0; best for personal use.
- Unlimited: $5 per user per month billed annually, or $9 per user per month billed monthly.
- Business: $12 per user per month billed annually, or $19 per user per month billed monthly.
- Business Plus: $19 per user per month billed annually, or $29 per user per month billed monthly.
- Enterprise: Contact for a quote.
Features
- Multiple project views available.
- Extremely customizable workflows.
- Real-time reporting features.
- 100+ automations to speed up workflows.
Pros
- Very affordable compared to most interior design project management software.
- More than 1,000 integrations available.
- Interface is user friendly and easy to navigate.
- Can handle complex projects.
Cons
- Storage limited on the free plan.
- Not specific to interior design.
- No 2D or 3D visualization tools.
- No idea board or product clipper tools.
For more information, see our full ClickUp review.
Key features of interior project management software
Design visualization features
Dedicated interior design software incorporate multiple tools to help you create and present room designs, including product clippers, background removers and both 2D and 3D rendering technology. Many also include the ability to turn an idea or mood board directly into a proposal and then into an invoice once the client approves the project.
Invoicing and accounting
The best interior project management software will let you create invoices and bill clients directly in the system so you can keep track of your costs and payments in one place. It should also integrate with popular accounting software such as QuickBooks or include its own native accounting tools to help you (and your accountant) with bookkeeping.
Task and project management
Interior design projects are complex, which is why interior design software should include features for task and project management. You should be able to set due dates, assign tasks to employees and contractors and view important project due dates on a calendar or Gantt chart to help you visualize deadlines.
Vendor and client management
Interior designers must constantly collaborate with clients, vendors and contractors. Interior design project management software should make it easy to invite these external collaborators and to set permissions so that they only see what they want you to see. Some software cap the number of guests that you can invite, so pay attention to the fine print.
Reporting
Managing costs is essential for any interior design businesses and robust reporting features can help you stay on top of your finances. Interior design software should provide pre-made stock templates as well as the ability to generate custom reports. Data should flow directly from other areas of the tool into the reporting function and update frequently to provide real-time insights.
How do I choose the best interior design project management software for my business?
Choosing an interior design software is a complex (and often expensive) decision. As you can see from the chart at the top, few interior design project management platforms provide absolutely every possible feature. The key is identifying which ones are the most important to your needs early on in the search process and letting those guide your decisions. Make a list of your must-have qualities and your nice-to-have perks, then use that to narrow down your options.
Another thing to note is that the availability of free trials and free accounts vary widely amongst interior design software. Take advantage of all the free trials that you can and consider scheduling demo calls with all of your top choices (whether or not they offer a free trial). Using interior design project management software can often be complicated, so a guided demo is the best way to get your questions answered about whether or not the software can do what you need it to.
If you’re not totally sold on a specific interior design project management software yet, consider signing up for a month-to-month subscription first so that you can test the software for a longer period of time. That way, you won’t be locked into an annual contract should you decide you want to switch to another service.
Methodology
We reviewed these interior design project management software based on a number of criteria, including pricing, ease of use, user interface design and the difficulty of the learning curve. We also weighed additional features such as design renderings, product clipper tools, invoicing and accounting tools, mobile apps and reporting. We evaluated these platforms by consulting demo videos, user reviews and product documentation.
