Planner 5D is for homeowners.
Alcovia is for contractors.
Planner 5D lets anyone drag and drop furniture in a 3D room. It's a fun consumer tool — but it wasn't built for contractors who need to scan real rooms, generate photorealistic renders, and close deals on-site. Alcovia was.
A consumer design toy vs a professional remodeling platform
Planner 5D is a 3D room planner built for homeowners and hobbyists. You manually draw walls, drag in furniture, and get a basic 3D view. It's useful for brainstorming, but it can't scan a real room, it can't generate photorealistic renders, and it has no contractor-specific tools — no material takeoffs, no estimates, no client presentations. If you're a contractor trying to win a remodeling bid, Planner 5D won't get you there. Alcovia handles the full workflow from room scan to signed contract.
Why contractors switch
- Scan the actual room with LiDAR instead of manually drawing walls
- AI-powered design engine — prompt changes instead of dragging furniture
- Photorealistic renders that look like professional photography, not 3D cartoons
- Built for contractors: PDF presentations, material takeoffs, instant estimates
- Per-project pricing with no monthly subscription — first project free
- Close the deal on-site instead of going back to the office
Feature comparison
Alcovia vs Planner 5D
| Capability | Alcovia | Planner 5D |
|---|---|---|
| Scanning & Visualization | ||
| Phone room scan | ||
| LiDAR scanning | ||
| Auto floor plan generation | ||
| 3D room modeling | ||
| AI redesign / reskinning | ||
| AR / VR walkthrough | ||
| Design & Estimation | ||
| Upload architectural plans | ||
| Auto render from plans | ||
| Material library / catalog | ||
| Vendor marketplace integration | ||
| Material takeoff automation | ||
| Instant project quote | ||
| Business Tools | ||
| Contractor CRM | ||
| Project management | ||
| Scheduling tools | ||
| Customer portal | ||
| Client design collaboration | ||
| Payments / invoicing | ||
| Homeowner marketplace | ||
Key advantages
What Alcovia does that Planner 5D doesn't
Scan real rooms, don't draw them
Planner 5D requires you to manually draw walls and place objects. Alcovia scans the actual room with LiDAR and creates a precise 3D model automatically.
AI design, not drag-and-drop
Instead of dragging furniture around a virtual room, prompt Alcovia's AI to redesign any surface — cabinets, countertops, flooring, paint, fixtures — in natural language.
Photorealistic, not cartoonish
Planner 5D produces basic 3D renders. Alcovia generates photorealistic images with real material textures, natural lighting, and professional-quality output.
Built for the sales process
Alcovia exports polished PDF presentations with wide-angle views, close-ups, and material breakdowns. Planner 5D has no presentation or client-facing export tools.
Material takeoffs & estimates
The Growth plan generates full measurements, material takeoffs, and instant estimates. Planner 5D has no estimation or takeoff capability whatsoever.
Professional contractor tools
LiDAR scanning, AI design, material takeoffs, instant estimates — Alcovia includes the tools contractors need. Planner 5D is a consumer product with none of these.
From a contractor who switched
"I tried using Planner 5D to show clients what their kitchen would look like, but the renders looked like a video game. With Alcovia, I scan the actual room, the AI redesigns it, and the renders look like real photographs. Clients take me seriously now."
Sarah W.|Interior designer & remodeler, switched from Planner 5D
The bottom line
Planner 5D is a consumer design toy. Alcovia is a professional remodeling platform — with LiDAR scanning, AI design, and instant estimates.
Scan any room with your phone, redesign it with AI, generate photorealistic renders, and present to your client — all in one app. Try your first project free.
More comparisons
See how Alcovia compares to other tools