I've Reviewed Every Online Design Service: Here's the Truth
I've watched this industry long enough to see patterns that predict which services are the "best" and which will disappoint you.
I was here when online interior design meant convincing skeptical clients that yes, someone could actually design their room without standing in it. I was here when Modsy launched with $70 million in funding. I was here when they shut down in 2022 and left clients with nothing.
Here's what I can tell you: I know things about this industry that customers never see. I've seen what happens when a business prioritizes growth over quality.
I'm going to tell you the truth about every service on this list, including mine. Some of my competitors do specific things better than we do. I'll tell you which ones and why. If that means you hire them instead of us, fine. You'll make the right choice for your situation, and that matters more than winning a sale.
This is what I know.
Why I'm Reviewing These 10 Services Brutally
Before we dive in, understand what you're reading. I'm the founder of Debora Interiors. I have financial incentive for you to hire us instead of competitors. That's real, and I won't pretend otherwise.
But I also have something stronger: 2,000+ completed projects across all 50 states. That's enough data to see patterns that most customers never see. Enough experience to recognize which business decisions lead to sustainable quality, and which lead to collapse.
I've watched the online interior design industry from the inside since its early days. I've seen what happens when companies prioritize growth over profitability. I've documented how designer compensation directly predicts service quality. I've tracked which platforms survive and which burn through funding until they can't.
This ranking isn't marketing. It's pattern recognition from someone who's built an actual sustainable business in this space while watching others implode. Brutally honest about what works and what doesn't.
Quick Answer: Match Your Situation to the Right Service
| Find the service that matches your needs | Your Situation | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Need to see design before buying | Debora Interiors | Photorealistic 360° virtual tours | |
| Want multiple design directions | Decorilla | Two designers compete for your project | |
| Tightest possible budget | Havenly | $129/room entry point | |
| Need it in under 2 weeks | Spacejoy | 7–10 day delivery guaranteed | |
| Designer credentials matter most | Stuccco | Strictest credential requirements | |
| Need to touch and feel materials | RoomLift | Physical material sample boxes | |
| Buying IKEA anyway | IKEA Home Planning | $99 catalog design expertise | |
| Want Studio McGee's aesthetic | Studio McGee | Design directly from the source | |
| Buying West Elm anyway | West Elm Design Crew | Free design with purchase | |
| Quick style exploration | Collov | AI-powered design in hours |
The 10 Services, Brutally Ranked
Debora Interiors
Best Online Interior Design Service
With 2,000+ projects completed, Debora Interiors is a leading online interior design company in the United States, serving homeowners and businesses nationwide. Services include whole home (entire house) interior design, residential and commercial design, and professional 3D modeling and visualization for designers and studios. Every furniture piece is modeled manually by senior designers and architects for precise dimensions and realistic materials. Designs can include products from any U.S. furniture brand with no limitations, with a focus on quality craftsmanship. Entire house projects can qualify for automatic discounts based on square footage.
Projects
2,000+
Turnaround
7–10 days
Discounts
15–25%
Best For
Complete package: design + visualization
Projects
2,000+
Turnaround
7–10 days
Discounts
15–25%
Best For
Complete package: design + visualization
My company. My bias. My brutal honesty.
Debora Interiors is the best overall online interior design service because of a complete package: senior architect-led design, photorealistic 3D renders, and 360-degree virtual tours that let you stand in the redesigned space before any furniture ships. That 360-degree technology is what takes us to another level—most competitors use static images. You can virtually look in any direction, check scale and proportion against your walls, walk through the room, and share the experience with your partner.
Every model hand-built by senior designers and architects using your exact measurements. No limitations on furniture brands. Pricing calculator gives instant quotes without sales calls.
Where we're not the best choice:
If you want someone to handle everything—visiting your home, managing contractors, coordinating deliveries—we don't do that. You receive a complete design package and implement it yourself or with local help.
If you want the cheapest option, we're not it. We charge more because senior designers and immersive technology cost more to deliver. That trade-off isn't right for everyone.
If you need hand-holding through every decision, our model assumes you're a capable adult who can execute a plan. Some clients want more guidance than we provide.
Where we excel:
Speed (7-10 days), visualization (360° tours no one else offers at our level), pricing transparency (instant calculator), and quality consistency (senior designers, fair pay, low turnover).
Walk through completed designs before your free consultation.
Explore 360° Tours
Decorilla
Best for Multiple Designer Options
Two designers create competing concepts so you can compare visions before committing. Established since 2014 with 300+ designers.
Price
$599–$2,219/room
Turnaround
3–5 weeks
Discounts
Up to 45%
Best For
Comparing styles
Price
$599–$2,219/room
Turnaround
3–5 weeks
Discounts
Up to 45%
Best For
Comparing styles
What they do that I respect:
The two-designer model is genuinely clever. You see different visions before committing. For clients who aren't sure what they want, that exploration has real value.
Up to 45% trade discounts. That's significant, potentially thousands saved on a large project.
They've been around since 2014 and built a legitimate operation with 300+ designers.
What to consider:
The 3-5 week timeline is long. If you need designs quickly, look elsewhere.
Quality varies by designer match. Glassdoor shows 3.1/5 rating from designers, with pay rated 2.7/5. Some designers thrive there; others are frustrated. Your experience depends on who you get.
Communication complaints surface in reviews. Some clients report slow responses and unclear processes. Others have smooth experiences. Variance suggests inconsistency.
Havenly
Best Budget-Friendly Option
Made online interior design accessible with $129 entry point. Style quiz matching and user-friendly platform.
Price
$129–$499/room
Turnaround
2–4 weeks
Discounts
None
Best For
First apartments
Price
$129–$499/room
Turnaround
2–4 weeks
Discounts
None
Best For
First apartments
What they do that I respect:
They made online interior design accessible. $129 to start is real. For someone furnishing their first apartment who can't afford $600+, Havenly exists as an option that didn't exist before.
The style quiz is well-designed. Their platform is user-friendly.
What to consider:
The Glassdoor reviews are concerning. Designers reporting $600/month earnings, 2.7/5 company rating. Heavy workload, high pressure. That creates conditions for inconsistent quality and turnover.
Wait times of 2 weeks before a designer even starts. Room size capped at 400 square feet on standard packages.
Reddit users have found significant markups, furniture priced at $511 through Havenly's concierge that was $265 directly from the retailer. Verify prices independently.
Trustpilot has ghosting complaints: scheduled calls that never happen, unanswered emails. Other users report great experiences. High variance.
Spacejoy
Best for Quick Turnaround
Fast 7-10 day delivery with solid 3D renders and a real money-back guarantee.
Price
$299–$599/room
Turnaround
7–10 days
Discounts
None
Best For
Speed
Price
$299–$599/room
Turnaround
7–10 days
Discounts
None
Best For
Speed
What they do that I respect:
7-10 day delivery is genuinely fast. When you're coordinating with movers or contractors, that matters.
Their money-back guarantee appears to be real. They actually return money when clients aren't satisfied. That's not nothing.
Solid 3D renders.
What to consider:
No trade discounts. You pay full retail on furniture. Services offering 15-45% discounts can save hundreds or thousands, Spacejoy's lower design fee might not offset that loss.
No kitchens or bathrooms.
Review scores vary wildly by platform (2.5 to 4.5 stars). That spread suggests either different user bases or genuinely inconsistent experiences.
Stuccco
Best for Premium US Designers
Strictest designer requirements: US-based, design degree, 5+ years experience. No commission bias. Unlimited revisions.
Price
$999–$1,499/room
Turnaround
14 business days
Discounts
Not listed
Best For
Credentials
Price
$999–$1,499/room
Turnaround
14 business days
Discounts
Not listed
Best For
Credentials
What they do that I respect:
Strictest designer requirements I've seen: US-based, design degree, 5+ years experience. That floor is higher than most platforms.
Designers explicitly don't work on commission. Removes one layer of recommendation bias.
Unlimited revisions are genuinely unlimited.
What to consider:
Higher price point. $999-$1,499 adds up on multi-room projects.
They expanded from virtual staging into full design more recently. Shorter track record than older players.
Limited third-party reviews for independent verification.
RoomLift
Best for Physical Samples
Physical sample boxes with fabric swatches, paint samples, and materials you can touch. Women-founded with distinctive positioning.
Price
$1,500+/room
Turnaround
2 weeks
Discounts
Not listed
Best For
Tactile people
Price
$1,500+/room
Turnaround
2 weeks
Discounts
Not listed
Best For
Tactile people
What they do that I respect:
Physical sample boxes are genuinely different. Fabric swatches, paint samples, materials you can touch. For people who can't visualize from screens, this solves a real problem.
Women-founded company with distinctive positioning.
What to consider:
No revisions. No refunds. The physical box is what it is. If recommendations miss, you have no recourse.
No designer meetings on standard packages. Recommendations come from questionnaire answers alone.
Only one Trustpilot review. Limited data.
IKEA
Best Free Planning Service
Three virtual meetings, 3D renders, and a floor plan for $99. Exceptional value if you're buying IKEA anyway.
Price
$99/room
Turnaround
Varies
Discounts
IKEA prices
Best For
IKEA shoppers
Price
$99/room
Turnaround
Varies
Discounts
IKEA prices
Best For
IKEA shoppers
What they do that I respect:
$99 for three professional meetings, 3D renders, and a floor plan is exceptional value if you're buying IKEA anyway.
Designers know the catalog deeply and catch measurement errors that would be costly.
What to consider:
IKEA products only. No mixing sources.
General IKEA customer service complaints exist, though less about the design service specifically.
Studio McGee
Best for Luxury Design
Distinctive, refined aesthetic from the Netflix stars. If you want the Studio McGee look specifically, this is the source.
Price
Premium
Turnaround
3–4 months
Discounts
McGee & Co.
Best For
Their aesthetic
Price
Premium
Turnaround
3–4 months
Discounts
McGee & Co.
Best For
Their aesthetic
What they do that I respect:
Distinctive, refined aesthetic. If you want the Studio McGee look specifically, this is the source.
Built a media empire that demonstrates their design vision clearly.
What to consider:
3-4 month timeline. Significantly longer than any other service.
Premium pricing, not publicly listed.
Most complaints relate to McGee & Co. (retail), shipping delays, 30% restocking fees, devalued rewards program, not necessarily the design service.
West Elm Design Crew
Best Free with Furniture Purchase
Free design consultation if you're buying West Elm furniture anyway. Professional guidance at no cost.
Price
Free
Turnaround
Varies
Discounts
West Elm
Best For
West Elm fans
Price
Free
Turnaround
Varies
Discounts
West Elm
Best For
West Elm fans
What they do that I respect:
Free is free. If you're buying West Elm furniture anyway, professional guidance at no cost has value.
What to consider:
Product-locked to West Elm catalog.
West Elm has 1.8/5 on PissedConsumer (499 reviews). Complaints about furniture quality, customer service, delivery issues.
Designer employees rate pay at 2.1/5 on Glassdoor.
Collov
Best AI-Assisted Design
Fast, cheap AI-generated concepts useful for exploring styles before committing to a full service.
Price
$79–$159/room
Turnaround
Hours
Discounts
None
Best For
Inspiration only
Price
$79–$159/room
Turnaround
Hours
Discounts
None
Best For
Inspiration only
What they do that I respect:
Fast, cheap inspiration tool. Useful for exploring styles before committing to a full service.
What to consider:
Trustpilot is rough. "SCAM" complaints about cancellation difficulties. Subscriptions hard to cancel, no phone support, unresponsive customer service.
AI quality inconsistent. "Better from ChatGPT" according to one reviewer.
Credit-based pricing where costs accumulate.
My honest take on AI design:
Useful for inspiration. Not ready for implementation. AI can't understand how your family actually lives, solve awkward architectural challenges, or create the nuance that makes a space feel right. Use it to clarify preferences, then bring those insights to human designers.
Matching Service to Situation
| Your Situation | Best Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Need to see design before buying | Debora Interiors | 360° virtual tours |
| Want multiple design directions | Decorilla | Two designers compete |
| Tightest possible budget | Havenly | $129 entry point |
| Need it in under 2 weeks | Spacejoy | 7-10 day delivery |
| Designer credentials matter most | Stuccco | Strictest requirements |
| Need to touch materials | RoomLift | Physical sample boxes |
| Buying IKEA anyway | IKEA | $99 for catalog expertise |
| Want Studio McGee aesthetic | Studio McGee | The source |
| Buying West Elm anyway | West Elm Design Crew | Free with purchase |
| Quick style exploration | Collov | AI inspiration in hours |
The Questions That Actually Matter
Before choosing any service:
What's the real cost including furniture? Services with trade discounts (15-45% off) can save more than the design fee itself.
How are designers paid? Commission on products creates bias. Ask directly.
What happens when I'm not satisfied? Get specifics on refunds and what counts as a revision.
Can I see real deliverables, not marketing samples? Quality varies more than websites suggest.
What's the actual timeline including revisions? "2 weeks" often means 4 weeks once you factor in back-and-forth.
Why Designer Pay Determines Quality
This is the part most customers never think about, but it's the foundation under everything you see.
When a platform charges $299 per room and promises photorealistic renders, someone's getting squeezed. The math is simple. Platform overhead (servers, payments, support), marketing costs, and profit all have to come from $299. After the platform takes 30-50%, designers are working on $100-150 per project.
What does $100-150 per project look like for a designer?
If a designer can complete a room in 4 hours, that's $25-37/hour. More realistically, full quality work takes 6-8 hours—measurement research, client consultation, design iterations, 3D renders, shopping list curation, quality control. That drops to $12-25/hour.
At that rate, designers aren't making design decisions carefully. They're processing volume. Quantity over quality. When you can't afford to spend 8 hours on a project, you don't. You spend 3, make quick compromises, and move to the next one.
Contrast this with designers paid fairly ($400-600 per project, which still works out to $50-75/hour on a 6-8 hour engagement):
Those designers can afford to spend time on your space. They research your architectural constraints. They make furniture recommendations based on actual fit, not what's trending. They catch mistakes before they become expensive returns.
When you're comparing services, ask directly: "How much do you pay designers per project?" If they dodge the question or quote numbers that seem impossible, walk. Quality requires investment. If the investment isn't there, neither is the quality.
What Modsy's Collapse Teaches Us All
Modsy raised $72 million in venture capital. That number still blows my mind. $72 million. Celebrity partnerships. National advertising. Technology that actually worked—their 3D renders were legitimate.
In late June 2022 (operations ceased July 6), they shut down with two weeks notice. Clients with pending projects got nothing. Designers lost their jobs overnight. Gift cards became worthless. A company with that much funding, that much visibility, that much technology, evaporated.
The arithmetic behind the collapse:
This is where it gets instructive. Modsy burned through $72 million subsidizing prices that couldn't sustain the business. They charged less than competitors to capture market share, but the underlying economics didn't work.
Think about it: $72 million over approximately 6 years of operation. That's roughly $12 million annually. For a company processing maybe 10,000-15,000 annual projects, that's $800-1,200 cost per project to deliver, before profit. But they were charging $300-500.
The gap came from investor money. They could afford to lose money because the funding kept flowing. They had a growth-at-all-costs mindset: burn cash, capture users, figure out profitability later. Venture capital loves this model until the later part never comes.
I knew people who worked there. The warning signs were visible months before collapse: vendor payments delayed, response times slowing, staff turnover that exceeded normal startup churn. These are the signs of a company running out of money.
Compare to services still operating:
Services like ours, Decorilla, and Havenly (despite its own issues) are still here because the underlying economics work. We're not losing money on each project. We're not dependent on outside funding to survive. When clients pay, that revenue actually funds the business.
This doesn't mean profitable businesses are always better—some cheaper services deliver real value within their constraints. But it means sustainable businesses can invest in quality, pay designers fairly, and maintain standards. Platforms burning through venture money can't.
How to Spot a Failing Design Service
Modsy's collapse wasn't a surprise if you knew where to look. The warning signs show up consistently before any of these services fail.
Red flag: Pricing that seems unsustainably low
If a service charges $199 for a room design with premium deliverables (photorealistic renders, 360° tours, shopping lists), and their overhead is high, the math doesn't work. Something has to give: designer pay, quality, or sustainability.
Havenly at $129/room is cheap but honest about the tradeoffs. Their designs are simpler, turnaround is slower, features are more limited. That math works. Services claiming premium work at unsustainable prices are subsidized somehow—either by investors burning capital (Modsy) or by lower-quality delivery than advertised.
Red flag: Rapid designer turnover
Check Glassdoor and similar sites. If a platform's most common review is "designers leave constantly," that's a sign of low pay or difficult working conditions. High turnover means inconsistent quality—every project gets assigned to someone newer, less experienced.
Red flag: Communication problems
Slow email responses, cancelled meetings, unclear timelines. These often signal a platform under stress. When a company can't staff customer support properly, it's usually because they're cutting costs to stay alive.
Red flag: Acquisition by a larger company
Decorist was acquired and then shut down. Being acquired isn't always bad—sometimes it's a successful exit. But if the acquiring company doesn't value online design as core business, that service becomes expendable.
Red flag: Vague designer compensation structure
If they won't tell you clearly how designers are paid, assume it's unfair to designers. Transparency about pay usually means confidence in the model.
The Designer Problem Nobody Discusses
Online design platforms are only as good as the designers doing the actual work.
Here's the uncomfortable reality many platforms won't admit: designers are treated as interchangeable production units, not creative professionals. When a platform pays per-project rates that work out to less than minimum wage, designers take on too many projects to survive. Quality suffers. Or they leave, and you get assigned someone brand new who's learning on your project.
This is why designer pay matters when evaluating a service. A company that pays designers $300-$500 per project can't afford to spend quality time on your room. A company that invests in designer salaries, benefits, and workload management produces different quality.
Ask any service: how much are your designers making? If they dodge the question or quote numbers that seem impossible, walk. Quality takes investment. If the investment isn't there, the quality won't be either.
Final Thoughts
I know that ranking myself first will look self-serving. It is, partially. I believe in what we built.
But I also told you where we're not the best choice. Where competitors do specific things better. Where budget constraints or timeline needs or personal preferences should point you elsewhere.
The best online interior design service is the one that matches your actual situation. Not the one with the best marketing. Not the one paying the highest affiliate commissions. Not the one that happens to be writing the comparison article.
Compare the work. Ask the hard questions. Make the choice that's right for you.
If that's us, great. If it's not, you'll still end up with a better outcome than choosing blind.
Ready to See the Difference?
Walk through completed designs in immersive 360° before your free consultation.
Related Reading
- What is Online Interior Design? - How the process works
- Interior Designer Cost Guide - Full pricing breakdown
- Affordable Online Interior Design Services - Budget-focused comparison
- 360° Tour Gallery - See our work in immersive detail
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from 2,000+ projects and real client conversations.
What is the best online interior design service in 2026?
The best service depends on your needs. For immersive 360° visualization, Debora Interiors leads. For multiple designer concepts, Decorilla excels. For tight budgets, Havenly starts at $129. For speed, Spacejoy delivers in 7-10 days. For free service, West Elm Design Crew costs nothing with furniture purchase.
How much does online interior design cost?
Online interior design ranges from free (West Elm Design Crew with purchase) to $2,219+ per room (Decorilla Gold). Most services fall between $299-$999 per room. Debora Interiors charges $600/room or $2/sqft for whole homes. Budget options like Havenly start at $129.
Is online interior design worth it?
Yes, if you choose the right service. Online design costs about 5 times less than traditional designers while providing 3D renders, floor plans, and shopping lists. Services with trade discounts (15-45% off furniture) can save more than the design fee itself.
What's the difference between Havenly and Decorilla?
Havenly is budget-focused ($129-$499/room) with faster matching but limited room sizes and no trade discounts. Decorilla is premium ($599-$2,219/room) with two competing designer concepts and up to 45% trade discounts, but takes 3-5 weeks.
Can you really design a room without visiting it?
Absolutely. With accurate measurements, photos from each corner, and video consultation, designers understand your space completely. 360° virtual tours let you walk through the finished design before purchasing anything.
Which online interior design service has the fastest turnaround?
Spacejoy offers the fastest standard delivery at 7-10 days. Debora Interiors also delivers in 7-10 days with express options available. Most other services take 2-5 weeks. AI tools like Collov generate concepts in hours but aren't implementation-ready.
