Plan-a-Garden vs Gardenly
Compare these garden design tools head-to-head. See which one fits your needs — or discover why gardeners choose Arden instead.
Feature matrix
Plan-a-Garden
Plan-a-Garden by Better Homes & Gardens is a free browser-based garden planner with pre-set backgrounds and a library of drag-and-drop plants.
- Completely free
- Simple 3D scene builder
- Trusted BHG brand
- No account required
- No AI features
- Cannot use your own photo
- Pre-set backgrounds only
- Limited plant selection
Gardenly
Gardenly is an AI garden planning tool that suggests layouts and plant ideas, with a focus on planning rather than photorealistic visualization.
- AI planting suggestions
- Plant library
- Seasonal planning view
- Mobile-friendly
- No photo-to-design visualization
- No climate-zone matching
- Planning-focused, not photorealistic
- Limited style variety
Gardenly edges ahead at 5/8 features; Plan-a-Garden sits at 3/8. Neither one does Climate Zones, Photo-to-Design — those come standard in Arden. For what it's worth, Arden hits 8/8 with the photo-in, design-out workflow and climate-matched plants — and it's free.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Which is better, Plan-a-Garden or Gardenly?
Both have their thing. Plan-a-Garden is good at completely free; Gardenly is good at ai planting suggestions. If you want to take a photo of your yard and see a garden on it, Arden does that in one step and it's free.
02 Are either of them free?
Plan-a-Garden has a free tier. Gardenly also has a free tier. Arden is free to download — no credit card needed.
03 Which has better previews?
Plan-a-Garden includes 3D. Gardenly is 2D only. Arden skips the 3D step and renders straight onto your yard photo — what you see is what your space looks like.
04 Is there a simpler option than both?
Arden. Photo of your yard, pick a style, see the result. 20+ garden styles, climate-matched plant picks, free on iOS and Android.
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