2020 Design Live vs Chief Architect / Home Designer: Which Should You Use?
The verdict
2020 Design Live and Chief Architect / Home Designer are both home & construction design tools, compared here side by side. 2020 Design Live is paid ($2495/yr) and is a desktop install with no browser version; Chief Architect / Home Designer is free trial only ($79/mo) and is a desktop install with no browser version. 2020 Design Live is steep to learn, while Chief Architect / Home Designer is moderate — a real factor if you are just starting out.
Free tiers & pricing last verified Jul 3, 2026.
Pick 2020 Design Live if…
PaidKitchen/bath dealers and pros producing high volumes of branded-cabinet designs.
Pick Chief Architect / Home Designer if…
Free trial onlySerious DIY homeowners and remodelers who want professional-grade 3D and construction docs and will commit to a subscription.
Side by side
2020 Design Live
PaidNo free tier; it's a paid professional license, with legacy 2020 Design Live around $166-$235/month and its successor Design Flex running roughly $1,895-$2,995 per year depending on tier and manufacturer-catalog access.
Chief Architect / Home Designer
Free trial onlyThere's no free tier, only a non-expiring trial that disables saving, printing, exporting, and walkthrough recording, so you can explore in 3D but can't get any work out without a paid subscription.
Read the full reviews
2020 Design Live
No free tier; it's a paid professional license, with legacy 2020 Design Live around $166-$235/month and its successor Design Flex running roughly $1,895-$2,995 per year depending on tier and manufacturer-catalog access.
Chief Architect / Home Designer
There's no free tier, only a non-expiring trial that disables saving, printing, exporting, and walkthrough recording, so you can explore in 3D but can't get any work out without a paid subscription.
2020 Design Live vs Chief Architect / Home Designer: questions, answered
What is the main difference between 2020 Design Live and Chief Architect / Home Designer?
2020 Design Live is steep to learn, while Chief Architect / Home Designer is moderate — a real factor if you are just starting out.
Is 2020 Design Live or Chief Architect / Home Designer free?
2020 Design Live is paid and Chief Architect / Home Designer is free trial only. 2020 Design Live: No free tier; it's a paid professional license, with legacy 2020 Design Live around $166-$235/month and its successor Design Flex running roughly $1,895-$2,995 per year depending on tier and manufacturer-catalog access. Chief Architect / Home Designer: There's no free tier, only a non-expiring trial that disables saving, printing, exporting, and walkthrough recording, so you can explore in 3D but can't get any work out without a paid subscription.
Can you export CAD files from 2020 Design Live or Chief Architect / Home Designer?
2020 Design Live exports PDF, PNG, JPG, DWG; Chief Architect / Home Designer exports PNG, JPG, PDF, DWG, DXF. Both can produce CAD (DWG/DXF) files.