The Software I Use and Why

Computer required for 3D modeling in Home Designer Pro or Chief Architect

Home Designer Pro will run on both Mac and Windows. I recommend downloading the the free trial of Home Designer Pro by clicking here to make sure it will run on your computer.

Software I use for rendering (D5 Render)

I use D5 Render for all of my rendering. My full workflow with D5 Render will be taught in my Advanced Course. D5 Render has the best combination of cost, speed, and quality of any rendering software I've used.

If you decide to pay for and subscribe to D5 Render you can use my affiliate link below and save 5% on your subscription.

Computer required for rendering in D5 Render

D5 Render requires a windows computer (will not work on mac). For best performance, the windows computer needs to be relatively new and have a good graphics card (ideally an NVIDIA RTX 4070 or newer). I personally like MSI and Lenovo Legion laptops.

You can read my article about what computers I recommend here.

Software Cost

• Home Designer Pro can be rented for $59 a month or purchased outright for $600.

• Chief Architect costs $200 a month or $2,000 a year. Chief is best for those who are running an actual business with paying clients. I recommend starting with Home Designer Pro to learn, then upgrade to Chief Architect when you have the business need for the extra features.

• Home Designer Pro is where you should start to learn the skills are transferrable to Chief Architect.

• D5 Render can be used for free with limited features, and they have a paid version that costs $38 a month or $360 a year which includes full features and a large library.