Free Floor Plan Makers (2026): 10 Tools Compared

You need a floor plan more often than you'd think: moving house, choosing a sofa, planning an extension, selling a flat or setting up a new office. Most of the time you don't need an architect to get started.

The ten tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. If you'd rather try AI room ideas once the plan is done, my guide on where to design rooms with AI for free picks up from there.

Floor plan makers side by side

I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site says the tool, or a plan or version of it, is free or open source. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Archiplain	Online 2D house and apartment planner	2D plans and elevations	Yes
Canva	Online design tool	A simple layout for a listing or flyer	Yes
CubiCasa	Floor plan scanning app	Estate agents scanning a property	Not stated
Floor Plan Creator	Floor plan app for Android and web	Measuring up for new furniture	Yes
Floorplanner	Online floor planner and 3D room planner	Planning a move or a makeover	Yes
HomeByMe	3D home design software	Furnishing a plan in 3D	Yes
magicplan	On-site capture app for contractors	Recording every room while on site	Not stated
Planner 5D	Home design software	A 3D home design in minutes	Not stated
RoomSketcher	Floor plan creator	Accurate plans from a rough sketch	Yes
SmartDraw	Diagramming software with a floor plan creator	Office and facility layouts	Yes

Ten floor plan makers to try

Archiplain

Best for: Homeowners and builders who want precise 2D floor plans and elevations for a house or flat in a simple online app.

Canva

Best for: Small businesses and agents who want a tidy, good-looking floor plan graphic for a flyer, listing or event rather than exact drawings.

CubiCasa

Best for: Agents and photographers who want to scan a property with a phone and get a professional floor plan for the listing.

Floor Plan Creator

Best for: People who want precise floor plans they can print to scale and carry on their phone when shopping for furniture.

Floorplanner

Best for: Renters and homeowners who want to draw a floor plan, furnish it in 3D and come back to old projects years later.

HomeByMe

Best for: Home decorators who want to build a floor plan in 3D, then add furniture and finishes to see how a room will look.

magicplan

Best for: Renovation and restoration contractors who want photos, video and 360 captures tied to each room while they're still on site.

Planner 5D

Best for: Beginners who want to draw a floor plan and turn it into a 3D home design on web, phone or desktop.

RoomSketcher

Best for: Homeowners and professionals who want editable, accurate floor plans with polished visuals, starting from a sketch, blueprint or nothing.

SmartDraw

Best for: Office managers who want 2D floor plans next to org charts, flowcharts and other business diagrams in one tool.

Which floor plan maker fits your project

• 2D plans and elevations: Archiplain.
• A tidy layout for a flyer or listing: Canva.
• Scanning a property with your phone: CubiCasa.
• Measuring up for furniture: Floor Plan Creator.
• Planning a move or makeover in 3D: Floorplanner, HomeByMe or Planner 5D.
• Recording every room while on site: magicplan.
• Accurate plans from a rough sketch: RoomSketcher.
• Office and facility layouts: SmartDraw.

If you have a fresh angle on architecture, start with my architecture contributor guidelines.

Draw the original rear wall before you plan an extension

The Planning Portal says that under permitted development, a single-storey rear extension cannot extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by more than four metres for a detached house, or three metres for any other house. With prior approval those limits rise to eight and six metres.

The phrase that trips people up is original house. The Planning Portal defines it as the house as it was first built, or as it stood on 1 July 1948 if it's older, and it points out that a previous owner may already have extended it. So the limit is measured from that first rear wall, not from today's back door. When you draw your plan, mark the original rear wall as its own line first. These are the rules for houses in England, the larger prior approval limits don't apply on designated land, and your local planning authority has the final say.

Before you draw walls, a visual board helps settle the look, and our guide to mood board makers compares ten tools for building one.

Online planner, phone scanner or pro tool?

An online planner lets you draw walls, doors and windows with a mouse, then drop in furniture. It's the right start for a move or a redecoration. Planning a whole home rather than one room? Browse these house design software options.

A phone scanner measures the rooms for you as you walk through them. It's quicker for existing homes and popular with estate agents.

A pro tool adds detail for builders, contractors and facility managers, such as elevations, site captures and office layouts. For that kind of detail, it helps to see how to choose floor plan design software.

Once the room layout is settled for an event, our guide to seating chart makers helps you place the guests.

Six checks before you trust your floor plan

1. Did you measure every wall at floor level?
2. Have you marked doors, windows and which way they open?
3. Are radiators, sockets and pipes shown where they matter?
4. Does the plan show the original walls separately from changes?
5. Is it printed or exported at a known scale?
6. Would a builder understand it without you there?

Signs your floor plan isn't ready to share

• The rooms don't add up. Re-measure the walls.
• Doors swing into furniture. Mark door openings.
• There's no scale. Add one before printing.
• Old and new walls look the same. Separate them.

Do you make a floor plan maker? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on drawing your first floor plan

Measure twice, draw once, and start with the walls only. Get every room's length and width right before you add a single sofa, because furniture on a wrong plan gives you false confidence. Then photograph each room from the doorway and keep the photos with the plan, so you can check details later without going back.

If you're working with a small space, my tips on making a small living room feel bigger pair well with a plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is a floor plan maker?

It's a tool that lets you draw the layout of a home, office or property to scale, then furnish it, view it in 3D or share it.

Are floor plan makers free?

Many have a free version, free account or free plan with limits. Check the free plan column above, then confirm on each vendor's site.

Can I make a floor plan with my phone?

Yes. Some apps scan rooms with your phone camera and turn them into a floor plan.

How far can a rear extension go without planning permission?

The Planning Portal says four metres for a detached house and three metres for other houses under permitted development, rising with prior approval.

What does original house mean for extensions?

The Planning Portal says it's the house as it was first built, or as it stood on 1 July 1948 if it was built before then.

Do estate agents need a floor plan?

Many buyers expect one, and some apps are built for agents to scan a property and add the plan to a listing.