iScape is the best-known mobile landscape design app: you place plants and hardscape on a photo of your yard in augmented reality, and pros use it to build client proposals. Plantyd is a web app that starts from a satellite view of your property at true scale, then adds hourly sun/shade analysis and a 15-year growth timeline.
Pick iScape for fast, photorealistic mockups on your phone — or if you're a landscape pro who needs proposal tools. Pick Plantyd when you want a measurable plan you can actually build and shop from, with the sun and mature plant sizes worked out before you dig.
At a glance
| Plantyd | iScape | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Web — any browser, nothing to install | iOS + Android apps (3D design is iOS-only) |
| Design paradigm | Top-down, to-scale canvas from a satellite view | AR overlay on a photo of your yard |
| Sun & shade analysis | Hourly simulation from your exact location | Not offered |
| Growth over time | Plan rendered at years 1, 3, 5, 10, 15 | Not offered |
| Plant data | 10,000+ species with hardiness-zone filtering | Thousands of plants; zone filtering not surfaced |
| Pro proposal tools | Not offered | Yes — proposals with pricing (Pro) |
| Free tier | Free forever: 1 project, 15 plants, watermarked PDF | Free download with limited 2D access |
| Paid price | $9.99/mo or $79/yr (34% off) | $29.99/mo or $299.99/yr (~17% off) |
| Track record | New in 2026 | 4M+ downloads, 4.6★ App Store rating |
iScape details verified June 2026 from iscapeit.com. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@plantyd.com.
Two different ways to design a yard
iScape's augmented-reality approach is genuinely intuitive: point your phone at the yard, drop in plants and pavers, and see a photorealistic result in minutes. For first impressions and quick before/after mockups, it's hard to beat — there's a reason 4 million people have downloaded it.
The trade-off is that a photo isn't a plan. Perspective distorts distances, so a design laid over a snapshot can't tell you square footage, spacing, or whether that row of arborvitae actually fits along the fence. Plantyd starts from a satellite view of your real property instead, so every bed, path, and plant sits at true scale. When you export the plan, the measurements are ones a shovel can follow.
Sun, shade, and the next 15 years
Neither sun analysis nor growth modeling exists in iScape. Plantyd computes where sun and shade fall across your yard hour by hour, any day of the year, using the same astronomical model professional designers rely on — and then animates your planting at years 1, 3, 5, 10, and 15 so you're designing for the garden you'll actually have, not the one in the photo today.
If your main risk is "will this look good?", iScape answers it. If your main risk is "will this survive, fit, and still work in a decade?", that's the question Plantyd was built around.
Pricing: 3× apart, for different reasons
iScape Pro costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year — about three times Plantyd Pro's $9.99/month or $79/year. That premium makes sense for iScape's actual best customer: landscape professionals, who get a proposal tool that pays for itself on one closed job. For a homeowner designing their own yard, you'd be paying for pro tooling you'll never open.
Both products have a free way in. iScape's free tier is a limited 2D version; Plantyd's free tier is free forever — one project, up to 15 plants, full sun analysis and growth timeline included, no credit card.
Which should you choose?
Plantyd is the better fit for…
- Homeowners who want a measurable, buildable plan — not just a mockup
- Anyone choosing plants around real sun, shade, and mature size
- Designing on a laptop or any browser without installing an app
- Budget-conscious DIYers ($9.99/mo vs $29.99/mo)
iScape is the better fit for…
- Landscape pros who need client proposals with pricing
- Quick photorealistic AR mockups on an iPhone
- Visualizing hardscape and furniture against a real photo
Frequently asked questions
Is Plantyd a good iScape alternative for homeowners?
Yes, if you want a to-scale plan rather than a photo mockup. Plantyd starts from a satellite view of your property, adds hourly sun/shade analysis and a 15-year growth timeline, and costs about a third of iScape Pro ($9.99/mo vs $29.99/mo). iScape remains the stronger choice for landscape pros who need its client-proposal tools.
Does iScape show sun, shade, or plant growth over time?
No. As of June 2026, iScape offers AR photo-overlay design but no sun/shade analysis and no growth modeling. Plantyd simulates sun hourly from your exact location and renders your plan at years 1, 3, 5, 10, and 15.
Is Plantyd cheaper than iScape?
Yes. Plantyd Pro is $9.99/month or $79/year; iScape Pro is $29.99/month or $299.99/year. Plantyd also has a free-forever tier with one project and up to 15 plants, no credit card required.
Do I need to install anything to use Plantyd?
No — Plantyd runs in any modern browser on desktop or mobile. iScape requires an iOS or Android app, and its 3D design mode is iOS-only.
See your yard in sun, shade, and year 15
Start a plan free on a satellite view of your actual property — one project, up to 15 plants, no credit card.
Start designing freeWant to see real plans first? Read the design walkthroughs on the blog.