A Planner 5D alternative that starts from a sentence
Planner 5D is a widely used home design tool with a large furniture library and apps for most devices. Loftshape is a younger web app that begins with a description: say what the home is, and edit the furnished plan it draws.
Choose Planner 5D if
You want to design on a phone, a tablet or a desktop app as well as on the web, and to furnish from a large library — their site advertises more than 8,000 items, apps for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows, and a community of over 100 million users. Their site also lists importing your own 3D models and a shopping list with cost estimates.
Choose Loftshape if
You would rather describe than draw. Write the brief — rooms, size, plot — and Loftshape returns a furnished plan to scale; a chat assistant then changes it when you ask. You can also start from a picture of an existing plan or a hand sketch, and the photo tools for restyling and staging are in the same account.
Side by side
| Capability | Loftshape | Planner 5D |
|---|---|---|
| Floor plan from a written description | Yes | From dimensions, style and features you enter |
| Rebuild a plan from an image or a hand drawing | Yes | Yes — plan recognition, listed on paid plans |
| Edit in 2D and view in 3D | Yes | Yes |
| Change the plan by asking a chat assistant | Yes | Not advertised |
| Furniture library | Built-in furniture; no branded catalogue | More than 8,000 items advertised |
| Where it runs | Web only | Web, iOS, Android, macOS and Windows |
| Walk through the design | First-person walkthrough | 360° walkthrough, listed on a paid plan |
| Export for CAD | PDF and DXF, on a paid plan | Export to CAD, listed on a paid plan |
| Pricing | Free; paid plans from $15 a month | Free plan; see their pricing page |
Comparison reflects each product’s public site as of October 2026. Check Planner 5D’s own site for their current capabilities and pricing.
Planner 5D is a broad tool, and its site shows it: a 2D/3D design tool, a large furniture and decor library, mood boards, a shopping list, rendered pictures, and apps on every major platform. It has AI features of its own, including recognition of an uploaded floor plan.
Loftshape takes a different first step. Instead of opening on an empty canvas, you describe the home in a sentence or a brief and get a furnished floor plan to scale. From there it is a 2D editor — walls, doors, windows, furniture, snapping, typed lengths, several floors joined by stairs — with the 3D view open beside it.
Neither approach is better in general. If you enjoy placing each piece yourself from a deep catalogue, Planner 5D is built for that. If you would rather react to a first draft and correct it by asking, that is what Loftshape is for.
Which one fits your work
People who design on a tablet or phone
Planner 5D has native apps for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows. Loftshape runs in a browser only, so if a native app matters to you, Planner 5D is the one to choose.
Designers who start from a brief
Paste the client’s brief — rooms, sizes, the plot — and work from the plan Loftshape draws. Ask the assistant for changes, then adjust walls and furniture by hand in the 2D editor.
Homeowners with a plan on paper
Both products can rebuild a plan from an image. In Loftshape you can start from a picture of an existing plan or a hand sketch and get an editable plan you can then furnish and view in 3D.
Estate agents and stagers
Loftshape keeps photo tools beside the plan: restyle a room photo, stage an empty room, restyle an exterior. Useful when a listing needs both a plan and pictures.
Where Loftshape isn’t the right answer
- Loftshape is a young product. Its library of templates and community designs is much smaller than that of a long-established tool.
- There is no catalogue of real, purchasable branded furniture.
- It is web only: no native phone, tablet or desktop app, and no offline use.
- Plans are not construction documents, the product does not check building codes or structure, and the interface is in English only.
Questions people ask when comparing
Is Loftshape free?
The studio is free: the editor, the plan generator, the 3D view and Walkthrough cost nothing, and no card is asked for. The AI runs on credits. A new workspace is given 30 once; after that Starter is $15 a month with 200 AI credits a month, Homeowner is $29 a month with 500 AI credits a month, and Pro is $99 a month with 2,000 AI credits a month and 3 seats. Studio, for larger teams, is priced on request.
Can I import a plan I already have?
Yes, from a picture. Upload an image of an existing floor plan or a hand sketch and Loftshape rebuilds it as a plan you can edit.
Does Loftshape have a mobile app like Planner 5D?
No. Loftshape is a web app, with no native phone or tablet app and no offline use. If you want to design in a native app, Planner 5D offers them.
Does Loftshape have a furniture catalogue as large as Planner 5D’s?
No. Loftshape furnishes plans with its own built-in furniture and has no catalogue of real, purchasable branded pieces. If choosing from a large library is the main thing you want, Planner 5D is the better fit.
Can I see my plan in 3D and export it?
Yes. The 3D view is open alongside the 2D editor and includes a first-person walkthrough. You can render pictures from it and, on a paid plan, export the plan as PDF and DXF.
Try it on a project of your own
Loftshape is free to start. The quickest way to know whether it fits your work is to run it on something you are working on now.
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