What is 2020 Design, and why look for an alternative?
2020 Design Live is professional kitchen and bath design software used by cabinet dealers, designers and showrooms. It has thousands of manufacturer catalogs, NKBA-style layouts, renderings, floor plans, elevations and pricing from the catalog. It's now part of Cyncly, and the newer cloud version is called Design Flex. Pricing is by quote and subscription.
People look for an alternative because of the license cost, the learning curve, needing a trained designer to run it, or because they're a remodeler rather than a cabinet dealer and mostly need a visual that helps the client say yes.
What are the main types of 2020 Design alternatives?
| Option | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Another kitchen design program | Catalog-based cabinet design software | Dealers and designers who design every kitchen |
| General 3D or CAD | Draw anything, including cabinets | Custom millwork, construction drawings |
| Outsourced design service | Designers make the 2020 drawings for you, per room | Dealers who don't want a license or staff designer |
| Sales visual of the real room | A 360° before & after from photos, no layout | Remodelers selling the whole kitchen or bath |
Which 2020 Design alternatives are best?
| Tool | Best for | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Remodel in 360 | Remodelers showing the finished kitchen or bath | First tour free, then $49/month |
| ProKitchen | Catalog-based kitchen design on Windows and Mac | See its site for current plans |
| SketchUp | Custom kitchens and millwork | Free web version; Go $129/year, Pro $399/year |
| Chief Architect | Kitchens that need construction drawings | $229/month or $1,995/year |
| DraftBase | Browser-based AI cabinet design with cut lists | Free to start; see its site |
| Coohom | Fast photo-real kitchen and cabinet renders | Free version; Pro $9.90/user/month |
| Fast Kitchen Design | Outsourced 2020 Flex designs, no license | Flat $100 per room |
| IKEA Kitchen Planner | Homeowners planning an IKEA kitchen | Free |
Prices from each company's website or Capterra, checked October 2026. They change, so confirm before you buy. 2020 Design, Cyncly and the other names are trademarks of their owners; we're not related to any of them. We make Remodel in 360, so weigh our view of our own product accordingly.
1. Remodel in 360: best for remodelers who sell the whole room
2020 Design is built for designing cabinets. A remodeler selling a kitchen or bath usually needs something simpler: the client seeing their own room finished, fast. Take 2 phone photos, say what changes ("white shaker cabinets, quartz counters, slab backsplash, keep the window"), and about 6 minutes later send a 360° tour of that room before and after, every change labeled.
At our own remodeling company, our close rate went from 3 in 10 estimates to 5–6 in 10 after we started sending 360° tours.
- No catalogs, layouts or design training
- The client's real room, keeping what stays
- 2 change rounds per tour, about 2 minutes each
- Plans: Starter $49/month (4 tours), Pro $99 (12), Team $249 (35). See pricing
The tradeoff: no cabinet catalogs, exact layouts or order lists. Keep a design tool when you order cabinets.
Which alternatives are best for kitchen design itself?
2. ProKitchen
Catalog-based kitchen and bath design software for Windows and Mac, with manufacturer catalogs, renderings and pricing. The closest like-for-like alternative.
3. SketchUp
Flexible 3D modeling for custom kitchens and millwork. Free web version; Go $129/year, Pro $399/year. See SketchUp alternatives.
4. Chief Architect
Residential design with detailed cabinets and construction drawings. Premier $229/month or $1,995/year. See Chief Architect alternatives.
5. DraftBase
Browser-based AI cabinet and kitchen design that generates cut lists, door lists and material lists from the model.
6. Coohom
Fast photo-real 3D kitchen and cabinet renders, used by designers and cabinet businesses. Free version; Pro $9.90/user/month. See Coohom alternatives.
Can you get 2020 designs without buying a license?
Yes. Design services like Fast Kitchen Design produce 2020 Flex drawings for you, for a flat $100 per room on its site (October 2026), so you pay only for the designs you need. That works for dealers who sell cabinets occasionally and don't want a license or a staff designer.
Which free 2020 Design alternatives are there?
IKEA Kitchen Planner and Kitchenplanner.net are free for simple layouts, SketchUp has a free web version, and Coohom has a free tier. Remodel in 360's first full tour is free on a real job. None of the free tools replace 2020's manufacturer catalogs.
How do you choose the right 2020 Design alternative?
Are you a dealer or a remodeler?
Ordering cabinets from catalogs: a kitchen design program. Selling the whole remodel: a sales visual.
Do you need drawings?
Shop drawings and orders need a design tool; client approval often doesn't.
How many designs a month?
Few: outsource per room. Many: own a license.
How fast must it be?
Same-visit visuals: Remodel in 360. Next-day drawings: a design service.
When should you stay with 2020 Design?
If you design and price cabinets from manufacturer catalogs every day, 2020 Design is the industry standard for a reason. Many remodelers keep their dealer or designer on 2020 for orders and add Remodel in 360 to get the client's yes first.