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Chief Architect vs Homestyler: catalog facts
Chief Architect	Homestyler
Best for: Builders, remodelers and designers producing residential home plans	Best for: Homeowners and designers planning and visualizing rooms in 3D
Paid Subscription at $1,995 per year or $229 per month, with a downloadable trial.	Free + paid options Free to design online; enterprise solutions are sold through sales.
Windows, macOS	Web
Automatic generation of roofs, foundations and framing Produces dimensions, schedules and materials lists from the model All 4 strengths for Chief Architect Automatic generation of roofs, foundations and framing Produces dimensions, schedules and materials lists from the model Focused specifically on residential design Trial version available	No install needed Large library of furniture models All 4 strengths for Homestyler No install needed Large library of furniture models Converts uploaded 2D plans into 3D Cloud rendering
Expensive subscription aimed at professionals Specialised for homes rather than general-purpose CAD	Requires an internet connection Details of paid tiers are not listed on the homepage
Downloadable app	Web application
Not open source	Not open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Chief Architect chiefarchitect.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Homestyler homestyler.com Catalog checked September 24, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.