Side by side
| PoolPlanner | Pool Studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Homeowners planning one pool. | Pool designers, landscape designers and pool builders. |
| Price | Free to design with. Pro is US$395, paid once, no subscription. | $147 per user per month, or $125 a month billed annually, plus a one-time $95 setup fee.(as of October 6, 2026) |
| Free to try | Free to design with, no account needed. | A 30-day free trial with no card. |
| Runs on | In the browser; nothing to install. | Windows 8.1 or 10; on a Mac only through Boot Camp on a 15 to 16 inch MacBook Pro. |
| In 3D | A live 3D model at the pool's real size. | Turns 2D into 3D in one click, with 8K renders and walk-throughs. |
Prices and features of other products as read on October 6, 2026.
Who Pool Studio suits
It turns 2D into 3D in one click, renders at 8K and makes walk-throughs, and ships with 2,924 objects, 1,503 materials and 1,748 plants, and GIS aerial imagery.
Its volume calculation accounts for steps, benches, cove radius, water level, intersecting spas, sunken seating areas and swim-up bars, and its help says the software calculates how many steps are needed to reach the pool floor.
For someone who draws pools for clients every week, that is what the price pays for. A homeowner designing one pool usually needs less: the shape, the size, the depths and a rough idea of the cost.
What Pool Studio costs
It is $147 per user per month, or $125 a month billed annually (15% off), plus a one-time $95 setup fee. There is a 30-day free trial with no card.(as of October 6, 2026)
The same maker sells Vip3D at $197 a month ($167 annual) and VizTerra at $97 a month ($84 annual), and an AR add-on, YARD, at $30 a month (iPad Pro with LiDAR). If a list shows another figure for the same software, check which product it means, and read the maker's own pricing page, which is linked at the end.(as of October 6, 2026)
PoolPlanner is free to design with, and Pro is US$395, paid once, no subscription.
Does Pool Studio run on a Mac?
It runs on Windows 8.1 or 10, on an Intel i5 of the 8th generation or better, with 8 GB of RAM and a graphics card of the GTX 9 or 10 class. On a Mac it runs only through Boot Camp on a 15 to 16 inch MacBook Pro.
PoolPlanner runs in the browser. Nothing is installed, so the operating system does not decide whether you can use it: a Mac opens it as a Windows PC does.
What homeowners use instead
- PoolPlanner: free to design with, in the browser, with a live cost estimate. Pro is US$395, paid once, no subscription.
- Gardmi is free, with no paywall and no trial timer; signing up is only needed to save to the cloud. It is a web app that works on Android, iOS and desktop.
- Planner 5D has a free plan with unlimited projects and 50% of the catalogue; Premium is $19.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Its landscape page makes no claim about pool volume or cost.(as of October 6, 2026)
- SketchUp's Go plan is $10.75 a month billed annually (about $129 a year); its pricing page lists no free plan.(as of October 6, 2026)
- Realtime Landscaping Architect is $599 one-time, with a free trial download, and runs on Windows 10 and 11.(as of October 6, 2026)
When PoolPlanner fits, and when Pool Studio does
PoolPlanner fits when you are one homeowner designing one pool: you want to see it in 3D at its real size, read its water volume and surface, and keep a rough cost in front of you while you change things. It is free to design with and needs no account.
Professional software fits when designing pools is your work: you design for clients, present them renders and walk-throughs, and use it every week.
PoolPlanner is a planning tool, not a builder's drawing. Its blueprint and its estimate are for deciding what you want and talking it through with a builder; the ground, the structure and the permits still need a professional.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Pool Studio free?
- It has a 30-day free trial with no card. After that it is $147 per user per month, or $125 a month billed annually (15% off), plus a one-time $95 setup fee. (as of October 6, 2026)
- Is there a Pool Studio plan for homeowners?
- No: it is made for pool designers, landscape designers and pool builders, and has no homeowner plan.
- Does Pool Studio work on a Mac?
- On a Mac it runs only through Boot Camp on a 15 to 16 inch MacBook Pro; otherwise it needs Windows 8.1 or 10.
- What can a homeowner use instead of Pool Studio?
- A planner made for homeowners that runs in the browser, such as PoolPlanner, which is free to design with. The roundup of pool design software lists the others, with what each costs.
- What does PoolPlanner cost?
- Designing is free and needs no account. Pro is US$395, paid once, no subscription; it adds the construction blueprint, realistic renders, a cost breakdown and more.
- Why does this page exist?
- Because a homeowner who finds software made for pool businesses has to work out what it costs and whether it runs on their computer. This page puts that in one place, from the maker's own pages, and says plainly that we make PoolPlanner.
Where these facts were read
Each fact about another product comes from its maker's own pages, read on October 6, 2026. Prices change: check the page before you decide.
- Pool Studio
- Realtime Landscaping Architect
Product names belong to their makers and are used only to say which product is meant. PoolPlanner is not affiliated with any of them, earns nothing from these links and pays no one to be listed. Something out of date? Tell us.
