Redesigning a home used to take weeks of planning and endless browsing through catalogs for days. Today, anyone can reimagine a room in minutes. The best AI interior design tools bring speed and clarity to the process. They allow homeowners to try styles before spending money, help realtors stage properties instantly, and give designers a way to share multiple ideas with clients.
In this article, we tested different platforms by running the same challenges: creating an empty room interior mockup, staging furniture virtually, and testing lighting changes. The goal was to see which tools are more than a novelty and can actually support real design decisions.
An AI design app isn’t just a digital sketchbook. It’s an assistant that responds to prompts and adapts to your needs. Here’s where it makes a real difference:
Start from Scratch – Upload an empty photo and let the tool create an empty room interior mockup that evolves into a finished design.
Prompt-Driven Redesigns – Use a simple phrase like “warm bohemian living room” and get a prompt-based interior design in seconds.
Virtual Staging – Realtors and Airbnb hosts use a virtual staging tool to transform empty rooms into welcoming spaces.
Furniture Try-On – With a furniture arrangement AI tool, you can test how different sofas or shelves would look in your space.
Floor Plans and Layouts – Many apps double as interior design layout generators, showing how items fit before you move them in real life.
Background Swaps – Replace walls or change window views with a background swap interior photo option.
Lighting Edits – A few tools specialize in AI lighting adjustment interior features, letting you preview day and night versions of the same space.
Mood Boards – Creative platforms act as mood board AI generators, pulling ideas together in one place.
These are the tasks we used when testing. The difference between average apps and the best AI interior design tools becomes obvious when you see how well they handle all of these jobs.
For your convenience, we tested a range of platforms to determine which ones are genuinely useful for home makeovers and which are merely for show. The eight tools below stand out for their mix of features. Some are very affordable while others are very easy to use. Each one addresses a distinct aspect of the design process. Let’s discuss them one by one:
Best for: Flexible background swaps and fast prompt-driven concepts
X-Design makes experimentation simple. You upload a room photo, type in a design style, and the tool transforms the space. Its standout feature is the ability to do a quick background swap interior photo—from plain walls to exposed brick, or from a dull window to a city skyline.
In testing, we asked it to transform an AI-powered room design in the style of a Scandinavian design. Within seconds, it generated pale floors, light walls, and minimalistic furniture. The results felt usable for both inspiration and presentation.
Key Features:
Editing via a single prompt
Clean background cuts
Adjusts lighting according to mood
Flexible to use
Generates results in a single click
No complex editing needed.
Pricing: Freemium model and the paid plans of this tool start at $4.17/month
What We Gave:
Sample Prompt: “Change this living room into a modern Scandinavian style. Use light wood floors, white walls, and minimalist furniture.”
What We Got:
The room turned into a clean Scandinavian design with light wood floors, open space, and airy textures. The software handled lighting well, making the scene look naturally bright. It also offered the option to build an entirely new room from scratch, which is rare. A strong choice if you want both redesigns and fresh layouts.
Best for: Creative staging and themed transformations
Nano Banana is playful but powerful. It shines when you want bold changes, not just subtle edits. You can type prompts like “1970s retro lounge” or “Japanese minimalist bedroom”, and the tool instantly creates styled versions.
Features:
Prompt-based designing
character consistency
retains the original format
easy to use.
Pricing: Free trial with five renders, and its subscriptions start at $19.99/month
What We Gave:
Sample Prompt: “Redesign this room according to a cozy bohemian style. Add layered rugs, warm lighting, and hanging plants.”
What We Got:
The tool leaned into earthy colors, added patterned textiles, and even included hanging lights. The results were warm and lived-in, though the finer furniture details weren’t as sharp as pricier apps. It’s quick and fun — perfect for experimenting with eclectic looks.
Best for: Layout planning and product integration
Homestyler is a more professional platform. Beyond generating styled interiors, it acts as an interior design layout generator with drag-and-drop furniture and shopping links. If you see a lamp you like in a render, you can buy it directly. The fact that we could trace items back to real stores makes this a strong AI-powered room design tool for serious projects.
Features:
3D layout planning
furniture catalog
AI styling
marketplace integration
Pricing: This tool has a basic free version, and its pro plans start at $4.90/month
What We Gave:
“Generate a 3D interior design layout for a small apartment living room with an open kitchen, neutral palette, and space-saving furniture.”
What We Got:
Homestyler produced a proper 3D model instead of a flat render. We’ve attached the 2D image for better understanding. It showed how the living room flowed into the kitchen and where furniture could fit without overcrowding. You can rotate the model and adjust the layout — useful if you’re planning real-world renovations, not just concepts.
Best for: Mood boards and collaborative projects
DecorMatters feels like a mix of Pinterest and a mood board AI generator. You can create vision boards, generate styled interiors, and share ideas with others. It’s very community-driven and lighter compared to technical platforms. While it’s not perfect, it is strong for brainstorming and social sharing.
Features:
Mood board creation
AI-styled interiors
Social feed
Shopping links
Pricing: Free app with optional in-app purchases
Sample Prompt: “Build a mood board with a coastal theme! Use blue accents, rattan furniture, sandy beige tones, and airy curtains.”
What We Got:
Instead of redesigning a whole room, it created a clean collage of coastal-inspired pieces. Think wicker chairs, light fabrics, and oceanic accents. It's not a staging tool, but it works well for gathering style ideas before you commit to a look.
Best for: Floor plans and functional layouts
Planner 5D is more than a styling app. Its AI-powered interior design layout generator creates floor plans and then suggests furniture placement. For testing, we uploaded a small apartment layout.
Their focus on space management makes it different from tools that only “dress up” photos. It works well if you want to test real-life layouts before moving heavy furniture around.
Features:
2D/3D layouts
AI-generated styling
Furniture catalog
Pricing: Freemium model for basic use and premium starts from $19.99/month
What We Gave:
Sample Prompt: “Convert this empty room into a dining room in mid-century modern style. Also, use walnut wood furniture. Make sure the display has clean lines.” (This prompt is more focused on styling rather than, 2D/3D modeling)
What We Got:
The result was polished, with angular wooden furniture and retro lighting. 5D Planner goes a step further — it can connect you with real designers who refine the AI output into a finished plan. Great if you want a professional touch after testing ideas.
Best for: Quick redesigns with simple prompts
RoomGPT is straightforward. Upload a photo, pick a room type, and enter a style. Within moments, you’ll see a redesigned version. The result came back with shiplap walls, neutral tones, and rustic beams.
While it doesn’t go as deep into layouts or shopping links as Homestyler, it works great as a virtual staging tool for quick inspiration.
Features:
Prompt-based redesigns
Multiple styles
Instant rendering
Pricing: Premium from $9 for 30 credits.
What We Gave:
Sample Prompt: “Redesign this small studio apartment in a minimalist Japanese style. Also, make sure to include tatami mat textures, sliding doors, and low furniture.”
What We Got:
The tool generated a calm, clutter-free design. It added low wooden tables, sliding partitions, and natural tones. The textures weren’t perfect in some corners, but the overall style felt consistent and atmospheric. Excellent for testing cultural or thematic looks.
Best for: Style variety and realistic renders
Interior AI is known for its wide style selection. Imagine picking from a pile of presets, blending them with custom tweaks for a design that pops. It’s perfect for spaces that need a wild, creative vibe but still feel totally real. It also includes AI lighting adjustment interior features that show the same design in daylight and evening modes.
Features:
Dozens of style presets
Custom prompts
Lighting variations
Batch renders
Pricing: Premium starts at $17/month
What We Gave:
Sample Prompt: “Stage this empty room as a luxury master bedroom with a king bed, textured walls, and warm ambient lighting.”
What We Got:
The staging looked professional, very much like a high-end real estate. We really loved the texture on the walls and the bed as well.
Best for: Anyone wanting realistic visuals + furniture sourcing
Decoratly blends interior design expertise with AI rendering. Instead of just stylizing photos, it creates highly realistic 3D backgrounds and gives you options to buy the furniture shown.
Features:
High-quality 3D visualization
Multiple design concepts
Room furnishing with realistic textures
Pricing: Premium options start at $4.99 for 24-hour access.
What We Gave:
Sample Prompt: “Redesign this medium-sized living room into a soft modern style with light-gray walls, curved sofa, brass accents, and large rug.”
What We Got:
Decoratly AI returned multiple design options. We choose this version, as it had clean furniture with soft curves. The renders were polished — textures, shadows, even small decor items looked believable.
Here’s a quick overview of what each platform handles best.
Tool | Empty Room | Background Swap | Lighting | 3D Layout | Mood Boards | Product Sourcing |
X-Design AI Agent | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Nano Banana AI | ✅ | ❌ | Limited | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Homestyler AI | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
DecorMatters | ✅ | ❌ | Limited | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
Planner 5D | ✅ | ❌ | Limited | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
RoomGPT | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Interior AI | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Decoratly AI Interior Design | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Each platform has strengths. Choosing depends on your goal:
For staging photos quickly, RoomGPT and Nano Banana AI are fast and easy. Realtors can upload empty photos and instantly generate styled interiors.
For full redesigns and layouts, Planner 5D and Homestyler are more detailed, with floor plans and furniture catalogs.
For budget-friendly use: Fotor and RoomGPT offer affordable entry points for casual users.
For high realism: Interior AI and X-Design shine with lighting control and realistic renders.
Cost: Some tools, such as X-Design, are almost free, while professional platforms like Interior AI cost more.
Learning curve: Planner 5D requires more setup, while X-Design is just one-click tool
Realism vs creativity: Nano Banana is playful but less realistic, while Interior AI is more polished but less flexible with themes.
AI interior design is evolving quickly. Here are a few directions to watch:
AR and 3D Walkthroughs: Soon, you'll not just see a render, but walk through a space virtually.
Shopping Integration: Homestyler already links designs to real products—expect others to follow.
Sustainability Insights: AI may recommend eco-friendly materials or estimate carbon footprints of design choices.
Better Prompt Understanding: Expect smoother results from natural language prompts without tweaking.
Cross-Device Editing: Beyond phones and desktops, VR headsets will allow immersive design.
Finding the best AI interior design tools means hunting for ones that dish out creative vibes without being a total pain to use. Got a small corner that needs a cozy glow? Or maybe a full-on virtual tour that screams “home sweet home”? There’s an app out there that nails it, no matter the project.
If you’re experimenting casually, start with X- Design or Nano Banana AI. For professional work with clients, Homestyler or Interior AI offer the realism and product integration you’ll need. And if layouts are your concern, Planner 5D is the practical choice.
The takeaway? Why pick one app and call it a day? The best AI interior design tools are ready to bring some serious magic. Got a quirky loft itching for a bold look? Try a few platforms, spot the one that screams “this is the one!” and jump into a redesign that feels like pure gold.