There is no single best platform. The right choice depends on your team size, how much procurement you do, and how deep your accounting goes. Here is a quick guide, with prices as published in vendor-written guides.
| Platform | Best for | Price per month |
|---|---|---|
| Houzz Pro | Solo designers getting Houzz leads; CRM, proposals, 3D floor planner | $65 Starter, $99 Essential |
| Studio Designer | Larger firms: procurement, purchase orders, accounting | $69 to $129 (sources differ) |
| DesignFiles | Small firms and e-designers: moodboards, renders, product library, invoicing | $49 e-Design, $69 Full Service |
| Mydoma Studio | Onboarding, sourcing, proposals, client portal | $58 per user |
| Programa | 2 to 10 person studios: FF&E schedules, milestone invoicing | From $59 per user |
| Design Manager | Accounting-heavy firms, deep QuickBooks | On request |
| HoneyBook / Dubsado | General client management on top of a design tool | $29 to $109 / $35 to $55 |
Prices come from vendor-written guides and change often. Always check the vendor's own pricing page before you buy.
How to choose
- Mostly e-design or small rooms? DesignFiles is built around moodboards, renders and simple invoicing.
- A growing 2 to 10 person studio? Programa and Mydoma focus on FF&E schedules, proposals and client portals.
- Heavy procurement and accounting? Studio Designer and Design Manager go deepest on purchase orders and QuickBooks.
- Most of your leads come from Houzz? Houzz Pro keeps lead handling, proposals and floor plans in one place.
- Need a CRM and quoting first? Riser, our own platform, covers pipeline, room-by-room quotes, client portal, installs, suppliers and showroom POS.
The real problem is usually set-up, not the tool
Many studios already pay for at least one of these but use only a fraction of it. The common gaps:
- Product and vendor libraries never imported
- Proposal and FF&E templates left at the defaults
- No connection to QuickBooks, Stripe or the CRM, so data is typed twice
- Client portal unbranded or unused
- No written procedures, so each team member uses it differently
Fixing these is usually a fixed-fee project of a few weeks. See our design software service, or get a free audit of your current set-up.
Sources: Programa, “Comparing interior design project software”. DesignFiles, “Interior design business software”.
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