Design Flex vs Programa

AutoCAD

Revit

Bonsai

Chief Architect

Inertia

Fohlio

Compare Design Flex and Programa based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

Chief Architect is a complete architectural design solution that helps remodeling professionals and interior designers create and share home design plans, 3D models, and renderings via a unified portal. The platform enables users to create floor plans, building elevations and perspectives, dormers, window details, and more.

AutoCAD is a design and drafting platform which supports automated design tasks and offers features such as 2D drafting, drawing and annotation, 3D modeling and visualization, and more.

Revit is a BIM (building information modeling) solution for architects, structural engineers, construction companies, & MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) services. The platform facilitates coordinated 3D design & offers tools such as floor plan design, 3D visualizations, & a WYSIWYG editor.

Design Flex is architecture software that helps businesses design kitchen and bathroom spaces by generating photorealistic renders and 360° panoramic views. It gives designers the ability to use real products in designs through the largest selection of manufacturer catalogs in the industry.

3D Imaging

Billing & Invoicing

Bills of Material

BIM Modeling

Contact Management

Data Visualization

Design Management

Document Management

Document Storage

For AEC Industry

Planning Tools

Presentation Tools

Project Workflow

Quotes/Estimates

Summary Reports

Task Management

Task Progress Tracking

Task Scheduling

Template Management

Timesheet Management

Design Flex

Web-based

Windows

Interior Designer - Kitchen and Bath

The ability to print of floor plans and elevations with ease is a great feature. It is a very easy program to learn and integrate.

kitchen & bath designer

I am quite impressed with the 2020 learning videos. They are so helpful and it's nice to go back and revisit them when I am not quite sure how to do something.

Owner and lead designer 

I love the rendering and ability to accurately draw my spaces. Love the huge portfolio online to use.

Cabinet Designer

I love that I can show clients what they're getting. I love that it generates all the trim for me as well.

Estimator

Oh, and the crashes, the crashes alone are making me bald. This is a very frustrating program, but almost required in the industry.

We use this everyday for cabinetry design, proposals, and presentations. It is very nice and pretty user friendly.

owner

I like the ability to visualize the design with 3-d renderings. I appreciate cabinet catalogs include pricing to be able to price, design and visualization simultaneously.

Design/Sales Support

Efficient and definitely helps me do my job to the best of my ability.

Manager Kitchen and Bath 

The ease of using multiple catalogs makes the system work much better. Also, whenever calling customer service they are very helpful.

Designer

It is so user friendly and the rendering are amazing.

Kitchen Designer

Crashes a lot, files become corrupted and don't save into recovery. Can be quite frustrating.

Product Specialist

Big kudos to them for taking that seriously b/c that's what makes/breaks a product.

Owner/Kitchen Designer

2020 design lives helps me draw kitchens quickly and accurately and allows my customers to envision what their space will look like.

I was basically trained on this program, it gives me everything required to professionally do my job. It is easy to use and the customer support is invaluable and user friendly.

Design & Sales Administration

It's like I'm being forced to create a very specific drawing, without actually having the specifics. That results in a misleading rendering.

President/CEO

2020 design has several drawbacks which lead to a negative user impression. Overall cost is significantly too high for small business usage.

Interior Designer

I like the integration with LiveOrder because it makes placing orders through our various cabinet companies a lot easier and more streamlined.

Cabinetry Designer - Home Project Specialist

Some of the applications are hard to determine and understand.

Design Flex screenshot: 2020 Design Live space planning

Design Flex screenshot: 2020 Design Live dimension calculation

Design Flex screenshot: 2020 Design Live visualization

Design Flex screenshot: Kitchen, bath and closet design software. Create high quality renderings to wow your clients.

Design Flex screenshot: Real manufacturer products in real-time. Not only does 2020 Design Live provide the largest selection of manufacturer catalogs to designers but offers online configurable cabinetry, appliance and plumbing that is uniquely available on 2020 Cloud.

Design Flex screenshot: Personalizing a design is the finishing touch that will tug at your clients' heart strings. 2020 Design Live has native decorative cloud items & SketchUp integration to offer you all the decor you need to sell your designs

Design Flex screenshot: Created to help designers sell more spaces from space planning to photorealistic renderings to 360 panoramas 2020 Design Live has all the tools that will help designers create stunning kitchens & bathrooms that are easy to show off to clients

Freelancers

Large Enterprises

Mid Size Business

Small Business

Fohlio is a brand specification and procurement software that helps businesses streamline their FFE (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) and OSE (operating supplies and equipment) projects. The software offers features such as a centralized product and materials library, custom reporting capabilities, collaborative workflows, and advanced analytics to optimize project management and procurement processes.

One platform to streamline your entire business. Consolidate your projects, clients and team into one integrated, easy-to-use platform

Inertia is a construction management software that helps businesses with project management, job site coordination, and compliance management. The platform enables managers to collaborate, track progress, and communicate across teams.

Project management and product specification software made specifically for Interior designers and architects.

Activity Dashboard

Approval Process Control

Commenting/Notes

Communication Management

Customizable Branding

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Drag & Drop

Generative AI

Invoice Management

Mobile Access

Multiple Projects

Project Management

Project Planning

Project Time Tracking

Project Tracking

Projections

Real-Time Data

Reporting & Statistics

Role-Based Permissions

Search/Filter

Secure Data Storage

Status Tracking

Third-Party Integrations

Programa

Interior design professional and architect tech

I love how helpful the team is, and the quick video tutorials. We love how easy everything is to navigate, and the aesthetic is so simple and beautiful.

Programa has been seamless in helping make the design process easier. Customer support has also been great, very easy to get in touch and get help where required.

Director

Programa has improved my workflow and increased the ability to manage projects on site with changes and ease of information.

Owner and Principle Designer

I love the flexibility of the program and just how good it is at keeping your projects and time organized.

Founder

Customer service is fantastic and responsive, and the learning curve was quick and easy.

Principal

Overall would recommend for scheduling to any interior design company. We think it's a fantastic resource.

Director 

It's the best management program on the market with great integration across accounting etc.

We especially love the linked features and how seamlessly clients can review and approve schedules — it’s made the whole process smoother and more collaborative.

Assistant Designer

I enjoy how easy the software is to learn and use. We were able to seamlessly integrate Programa into our everyday work flow.

It is user friendly, great for productivity and our business wouldn't run without it.

Interior Design Director

Very happy to be on board. Takes a little bit to shift into a new way of working, but the updates and online support makes it easier and well worth the migration.

Studio Manager

Being able to attach documents/specs to each line item is a bonus. Boards are also a great way for the client to have a quick view of the selections.

Owner

The material and product library is another strong feature, it’s easy to upload and manage finishes, link selections to budgets, and maintain consistency across projects.

Specifications are not editable on the phone. Very difficult to work with.

It brings structure, efficiency, and clarity to both client communication and internal workflows. Having one system for budgets, revisions, and approvals has made projects run far more smoothly.

Operations e Project Procurement

The software also assumes that the trade discount is passed on to the client. Additionally, there is no project history.

The fee is too high and the reconciliation of fees through Xero is not simple. I choose to use Xero directly and run payments through B2B pay or direct EFT.

Junior Designer

The learning curve is by no means steep, just time consuming if you want to get the most use out of the tools they offer.

Design Flex vs Programa Comparison (2026)

Design Flex

Programa

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives