Cedreo vs Chief Architect / Home Designer: Which Should You Use?
The verdict
Cedreo and Chief Architect / Home Designer are both home & construction design tools, compared here side by side. Cedreo is free, with limits ($129/mo) and runs in any web browser with nothing to install; Chief Architect / Home Designer is free trial only ($79/mo) and is a desktop install with no browser version. The main difference is where they run: Cedreo works in the browser with nothing to install, while Chief Architect / Home Designer is a desktop app.
Free tiers & pricing last verified Jul 3, 2026.
Pick Cedreo if…
Free, with limitsHome builders and remodeling contractors who need fast photorealistic client presentations and will pay $129/mo or more.
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
Cedreo
Free, with limitsThe free plan gives 1 project and only 5 photorealistic renders that are watermarked and personal-use only, with no blueprint download and no commercial use; everything beyond that requires a paid plan.
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
Cedreo
The free plan gives 1 project and only 5 photorealistic renders that are watermarked and personal-use only, with no blueprint download and no commercial use; everything beyond that requires a paid plan.
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.
Cedreo vs Chief Architect / Home Designer: questions, answered
What is the main difference between Cedreo and Chief Architect / Home Designer?
The main difference is where they run: Cedreo works in the browser with nothing to install, while Chief Architect / Home Designer is a desktop app.
Is Cedreo or Chief Architect / Home Designer free?
Cedreo is free, with limits and Chief Architect / Home Designer is free trial only. Cedreo: The free plan gives 1 project and only 5 photorealistic renders that are watermarked and personal-use only, with no blueprint download and no commercial use; everything beyond that requires a paid plan. 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 Cedreo or Chief Architect / Home Designer?
Cedreo exports PNG, JPG, PDF; Chief Architect / Home Designer exports PNG, JPG, PDF, DWG, DXF. Only Chief Architect / Home Designer exports CAD (DWG/DXF).