8 Best Restaurant Design Apps and Software (Free & Paid)

A restaurant design app is floor-planning software for drawing your dining room, kitchen, and bar to scale, testing seating layouts, and, in many apps, previewing the space in 3D before build-out.

SmartDraw is the strongest pick for scaled 2D plans, RoomSketcher combines 2D and 3D in one app, and Planner 5D offers a free plan with unlimited projects.

What a restaurant design app does

Restaurant design apps fall into three groups:

• 2D floor plan makers draw your space to scale for capacity checks and contractor briefs.
• 3D visualization tools turn the plan into walkthroughs or photorealistic renders.
• AI concept generators create mood images in styles like industrial or Japandi, without measurements.

Apps don't replace the licensed architect or engineer your building department may require for permit drawings. Planning usually starts after signing a lease; see our complete guide to opening a restaurant.

8 best restaurant design apps compared

Prices from each vendor's official pricing page, checked September 30, 2026.

How to choose the right app for your project

• A plan your contractor can build from: pick custom scales and area measurement, like SmartDraw.
• The kitchen line: use an equipment library (DreamPlan, SmartDraw), then check workflow in our small restaurant kitchen layout guide and restaurant equipment checklist.
• An existing floor plan: import or trace it in SmartDraw, DreamPlan, or RoomSketcher.
• Partner buy-in: 3D walkthroughs (RoomSketcher, Planner 5D) or renders (Cedreo).
• A style direction: try Spacely AI or browse these restaurant design ideas.

Can you design a restaurant layout for free?

Yes, within limits. Planner 5D's free plan has no project cap, Floorplanner allows five free projects with watermarked exports, and RoomSketcher and Cedreo cover one project.

The catch is licensing: SketchUp's terms of service limit its free offering to non-commercial purposes, and NCH's free DreamPlan version is non-commercial too. Check each license first.

5 layout numbers to check before you finalize the plan

Four come from the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, one from the International Building Code:

1. 36 inches: minimum width of an accessible route (ADA 403.5.1), which must reach every dining area, including patios (ADA 206.2.5).
2. 60 inches: diameter of a wheelchair turning space (ADA 304.3.1).
3. 5%: minimum share of dining seats that must be accessible, spread throughout the room (ADA 226.1, 226.2).
4. 28–34 inches: height range for accessible dining surfaces (ADA 902.3).
5. 15 net sq ft per person: occupant load factor for dining with tables and chairs (IBC Table 1004.5), so 1,200 net sq ft caps you at 80 occupants.

Code editions vary, so confirm with your building department. For table mix, see our restaurant seating strategy guide.

After the layout: put your floor plan to work

Keep your table numbers after opening. With QR code table ordering, guests scan a code at the table, and orders go straight to the kitchen and POS, while a table management app handles walk-ins.