Buyer’s guide · 6 apps compared

Best AI room design apps for a new home or apartment

Short answer: IKEA Kreativ is the best free pick if you will buy from IKEA, and REimagineHome gives the most free AI designs plus real-product suggestions on Pro. Sedam Staging, which we make, is our third pick for trying furniture, paint and decor on a photo of your own room.

We make Sedam Staging. This is our own list, not an independent review. We placed Sedam where we think it fits and say plainly when another app is the better pick.

By Sedam Intelligence, maker of Sedam Staging. Sources checked 12 November 2026 on each company’s own pricing and feature pages, linked under every app. We have not tested the other apps’ paid plans, so we do not rank image quality. Prices and features change: follow the links before you buy.

How we ranked them

We looked for apps that start from a photo or scan of your own room, can show furniture in an empty space, and let you try something before you pay. Someone who just moved also needs to buy real things next, so tools that point to real products ranked higher. We rank Sedam third, below REimagineHome, because REimagineHome gives more free designs and helps you find real products.

At a glance (official pages, checked 12 November 2026)
AppBest forFree startPaid from
1. IKEA KreativPlacing furniture and decor in a photo of your own room, then planning what to buyFreeFree
2. REimagineHomeTrying AI staging and redesign on your own photos before paying, then finding real products to buy5 free designs, no card$14 a month
3. Sedam StagingSeeing an empty room in your new place furnished in different styles before you buy anything3 images total, no card$14.99 a month, or $108 a year
4. HomeDesigns AIMaking lots of designs, including exteriors and gardens, and finding furniture like the pieces shownNo free plan listed$9 a month, billed yearly
5. Planner 5DDrawing your layout and arranging furniture in 3D before you think about styleFree plan (no AI features listed)US$59.99 a year
6. Interior AIMaking many restyles of the same room once you know you will payNo free plan listed$349 a year

The 6 apps, ranked for a new home

1. IKEA Kreativ

Verdict
The best free choice if most of your furniture will come from IKEA.
Best for
Placing furniture and decor in a photo of your own room, then planning what to buy.
Trade-off
It is built around IKEA’s own range. A whole-room scan needs a LiDAR device such as an iPhone Pro or iPad Pro; without one, you upload a photo. You can erase your existing furniture or start from one of 50+ starter rooms.
Starting price
Free. IKEA calls it “a free virtual room designer”.
Source
IKEA’s “Getting started with IKEA Kreativ” page, checked 12 November 2026

2. REimagineHome

Verdict
The most free AI designs in this list, and a path to real products.
Best for
Trying AI staging and redesign on your own photos before paying, then finding real products to buy.
Trade-off
Real-product discovery and reference photos start on its Pro plan (200 credits a month). The pricing page text shows a $14 to $99 a month range rather than each plan’s price.
Starting price
5 free designs for new users, no card required. Paid plans are listed at $14 to $99 a month.
Source
REimagineHome pricing, checked 12 November 2026

3. Sedam Staging We make this

Verdict
A good pick for trying several kinds of change on a photo of your own room: furnish it, empty it, change the furniture, add decor or change the wall paint. Each result is compared with your photo to look for changed walls, windows and doors. The check can miss details.
Best for
Seeing an empty room in your new place furnished in different styles before you buy anything.
Trade-off
Only 3 free images for the lifetime of the account, and free images carry Sedam branding. The furniture is a design idea, not a product you can buy, and Sedam does not draw floor plans or measure rooms.
Starting price
Free for 3 images, no card. Personal: $14.99 a month or $108 a year for 25 images a month (Canadian dollars in Canada, US dollars in the US).
Source
Sedam Staging plans (our own plans, 12 November 2026)

4. HomeDesigns AI

Verdict
The most design credits for the price if you already know you will make many designs.
Best for
Making lots of designs, including exteriors and gardens, and finding furniture like the pieces shown.
Trade-off
Its pricing page lists no free plan, and the prices were shown with an early-bird discount, so check the current offer. Standard includes 80+ styles and empty-room staging; Pro ($29 a month, or $11 billed yearly) raises the allowance to 1,000 credits.
Starting price
Standard: $22 a month, or $9 a month billed yearly, for 100 design credits a month.
Source
HomeDesigns AI pricing, checked 12 November 2026

5. Planner 5D

Verdict
The pick when the floor plan comes first.
Best for
Drawing your layout and arranging furniture in 3D before you think about style.
Trade-off
The free plan lists no AI features. AI Studio credits come with paid plans: Premium includes 100 a month with monthly billing, or 1,200 a year with yearly billing.
Starting price
Free plan. Premium: US$19.99 a month or US$59.99 a year (C$24.99 a month or C$79.99 a year on its Canadian page).
Source
Planner 5D pricing, checked 12 November 2026

6. Interior AI

Verdict
Fast restyling with a large allowance, but no free plan is listed.
Best for
Making many restyles of the same room once you know you will pay.
Trade-off
Pro is $49 a month for 1,000 designs. Virtual staging of empty rooms and wall painting are listed with Premium, at $99 a month.
Starting price
Pro: $49 a month, or $349 a year, for 1,000 designs.
Source
Interior AI plans and pricing, checked 12 November 2026

Where another app is the better pick

How to compare results fairly

Use the same room photo and ask for the same change in each tool. Keep the original beside the result. Check doors, windows, room edges and fixed fittings. Then look at furniture size, clear walking space and the style you asked for. One good sample does not prove that every result will work.

Sedam Staging plans

Prices are before tax: Canadian dollars in Canada and US dollars in the US. Some other regions see local prices. The pricing section shows what you would pay.

Questions people ask

What is the best free app to design a room in a new home?

IKEA Kreativ is free if you plan to buy from IKEA. For AI designs from your own photo, REimagineHome gives new users 5 free designs with no card, and Sedam Staging gives 3 free images total with no card. Free Sedam images carry Sedam branding.

Can I see furniture in my empty apartment before I buy it?

Yes. Take a photo of the empty room and add furniture with an app. In Sedam Staging, choose “Furnish an empty room” and a style. IKEA Kreativ lets you place IKEA pieces in your photo. Measure the room before you buy, because AI images do not prove that a piece fits.

Will an AI room design app change my walls and windows?

It can. Several apps say they keep the room as it is. Sedam compares each result with your photo to look for changed walls, windows and doors, but the check can miss details, so look at both pictures side by side.

Do I need a floor plan to use an AI room design app?

No. Photo-based apps such as REimagineHome, Sedam Staging and Interior AI start from a picture of the room. Planner 5D and Homestyler work from a plan you draw, which helps when furniture size matters.

Try it on a photo of your own room

Furnish an empty room, change the paint or add decor, then compare the result with your photo. 3 free images, no card.

Try 3 images free