ShrubHub vs. Yardzen vs. Bacqyard: Which Online Landscape Design Service Is Right for You?

Dreaming of a backyard oasis but have no idea where to start? You’re not alone. For millions of homeowners, the gap between “I want a beautiful yard” and “I actually have one” comes down to a single roadblock: design. Hiring a local landscape architect can cost anywhere from $2,000 to over $20,000 just for the planning phase — before a single shovel hits the dirt.

That’s where online landscape design services have stepped in to change the game. Over the past few years, platforms like ShrubHub, Yardzen, and Bacqyard have made professional-grade yard design accessible to everyday homeowners — no in-person consultations required. You submit your photos, share your vision, and a team of designers gets to work crafting a plan you can actually use.

But which one is worth your money? Each platform takes a distinctly different approach to the design process, and the right choice depends heavily on your budget, your level of involvement, and what you’re ultimately hoping to walk away with. Let’s break them down.

ShrubHub: The Budget-Friendly Gateway

If price is your primary concern, ShrubHub is almost certainly the first name you’ll encounter — and for good reason. The platform positions itself as the most affordable entry point into professional landscape design, with packages starting at just $197 for a front yard design, $227 for a backyard, and $297 for both. Those numbers are hard to argue with when traditional firms routinely charge $5,000 or more for the same scope of work.

So what do you get? Each ShrubHub package includes a custom 3D landscape and hardscape plan, a one-on-one virtual consultation, a product legend, a shopping list of plants and materials, and a connection to licensed local contractors if you want help with installation. The company also offers direct-to-door delivery of region-specific plants, which is a genuinely useful perk for homeowners who want a true end-to-end solution.

The 3D renderings are ShrubHub’s most-touted feature. The company claims over 100,000 satisfied customers and touts accolades including a Stevie Award and a Titan Business Award for innovation in landscape technology. They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, which provides a layer of reassurance for first-timers.

That said, ShrubHub has its critics. Independent reviews on platforms like Trustpilot are notably mixed. Some customers report that the entry-level price can climb quickly once the consultation reveals that their property exceeds the square footage limits included in the base package. Others have noted that the initial designs don’t always reflect their stated preferences, and that revision fees can pile up. One reviewer described feeling caught in an “upsell trap,” while a professional landscape designer who reviewed the service noted that the plans sometimes lack the site-specific accuracy you’d expect from a premium service.

Best for: Budget-conscious homeowners who want design inspiration and a visual starting point, and who are comfortable doing some of the implementation legwork themselves.

Pricing: Starting at $197–$297 (note: larger lots may incur additional fees)

Turnaround: Approximately 15 business days

Yardzen: The Premium, Sustainability-Focused Option

If ShrubHub is the entry-level trim, Yardzen is the luxury package. Founded with a focus on beautiful, sustainable outdoor spaces, Yardzen pairs each homeowner with a team that includes both a landscape designer and a horticulturalist — a combination that lends real depth to the plant selections and ecological considerations baked into every plan.

Yardzen offers seven distinct packages to match different project scopes, from a Botanical planting-only plan starting around $649–$895, up to a comprehensive Outdoor Transformation or Premium package that can run $2,395 and beyond. For those wanting full exterior design including home façade work and hardscaping, the upper-tier packages are genuinely comparable to what you’d receive from a boutique design firm — but at a fraction of the cost.

The process is thorough and well-organized. Homeowners start by completing a detailed questionnaire through Yardzen’s Yard Builder tool, uploading photos and videos of their space, and curating a style board from curated materials, plants, and groundcovers. From there, the design team takes over and produces the plan, which clients review and refine through Yardzen’s Feedback Studio. Final deliverables include 3D renderings, a planting guide, and the option to connect with vetted contractors through Yardzen’s ProNetwork.

Customer reviews are largely glowing. Homeowners consistently praise the quality of the renderings, the professionalism of the team, and the sustainability-conscious plant choices. One reviewer noted that the full landscape plan they received from Yardzen would have cost upward of $8,000 if they had engaged a traditional contractor, landscape designer, architect, and horticulturalist separately. The value proposition at the mid-to-upper price tiers is genuinely compelling.

The tradeoffs? The service is pricier, and each package typically includes only one round of revisions (the premium tier offers more). Since Yardzen’s designers never visit the property in person, some technical details — fine grading, drainage, permit compliance — fall on the homeowner and their contractor to work out. And because many of Yardzen’s designers work remotely, quality can occasionally vary.

Best for: Homeowners with a moderate-to-generous budget who want a polished, sustainability-minded design they can hand directly to a contractor.

Pricing: $649–$2,395+ depending on package and property size

Turnaround: Varies by package; typically several weeks

Bacqyard: The Personalized, Relationship-Driven Approach

Bacqyard carves out its own lane by putting genuine 1-on-1 collaboration at the center of the experience. While ShrubHub and Yardzen operate somewhat like design production pipelines — you submit your info, a team creates a plan, you review — Bacqyard is built around a continuous relationship with a dedicated principal designer from start to finish.

After purchasing a package, clients are matched with their designer, who walks them through a design quiz, reviews uploaded property photos and survey drawings, and works collaboratively to bring the client’s vision to life. Video calls are included with all packages (the number depends on the tier), giving the experience a more consultative, almost boutique feel. Packages cover front yard, backyard, or entire property designs, with deliverables that include bird’s-eye layout views, 3D renderings (on select packages), plant lists, CAD drawings suitable for contractors, and day-and-night visuals.

Pricing starts around $675 for Bacqyard’s Classic package and scales upward for the Full and Luxe tiers. Due to the highly personalized nature of the service, Bacqyard intentionally caps the number of clients per month — which means some packages are periodically sold out. That exclusivity is part of the appeal, but it also means you may need to plan ahead.

Reviewers frequently highlight the exceptional communication from their assigned designers and the willingness to iterate until the client is truly happy. One reviewer described working with Bacqyard as “a 10/10 experience,” while another praised the quality of their 3D walkthrough rendering as far superior to what a local designer had previously produced for twice the price. For clients who want to feel like they’re truly working with a designer rather than simply submitting a form and receiving a finished product, Bacqyard delivers.

The potential downsides? A few reviewers note that turnaround times can stretch longer during busy seasons, and the quality of revisions can occasionally be inconsistent depending on the designer assigned. The more premium tiers are meaningfully more expensive than ShrubHub’s entry-level offerings, though competitive with Yardzen at similar price points.

Best for: Homeowners who want a collaborative, high-touch design experience and value direct access to their designer throughout the process. Also excellent for DIY-oriented homeowners who want contractor-ready CAD drawings they can shop around.

Pricing: Starting around $675, with higher tiers for larger or more complex projects

Turnaround: First concept within 7–10 days; longer for complex projects

Head-to-Head: How They Stack Up

The Bottom Line

All three platforms represent a genuine leap forward in making landscape design accessible. The question isn’t really whether they work — it’s which experience matches your needs.

Choose ShrubHub if you’re on a tight budget, want a quick visual concept, and don’t mind doing some of your own research to fill in the details. Just go in with eyes open about potential upsells and review the deliverables carefully before assuming the base package covers everything you need.

Choose Yardzen if you want a polished, professional-grade design with a strong emphasis on sustainable planting, and you’re comfortable spending in the $1,000+ range for something that truly looks portfolio-worthy. The team model works well for most homeowners, and the ProNetwork contractor connection is a genuine time-saver.

Choose Bacqyard if you want to feel like you have a real design partner in your corner — someone who listens, iterates, and produces contractor-ready CAD documents you can take straight to bid. The 1-on-1 model is ideal for anyone who’s had frustrating experiences with impersonal online services and wants something closer to a boutique design studio without the boutique price tag.

Whichever direction you go, the days of paying tens of thousands of dollars just to plan your yard are officially over. Your dream outdoor space is closer — and more affordable — than you might think.