Yardcast vs AI Yard Design — 2026 Comparison
AI Yard Design offers climate-aware image generation on a credit system. Yardcast goes further: a 44-page contractor PDF, full plant lists with quantities and costs, All 4 Seasons view, and video export — for $12.99 one-time or $19/month.
The Real Cost Comparison
- • 2 free credits to start
- • $4.90 for 10 credits (starter)
- • $9.90 for 25 credits (standard)
- • $29.90 for 100 credits
- • $99 for 500 credits / year (VIP)
- • Credits expire after 12 months (VIP plan)
- • No PDF, no plant lists, no cost estimates
- • 3 free designs to start
- • $12.99 one-time for full design package
- • $19/month for unlimited
- • 44-page contractor PDF included
- • Full plant list with scientific names + costs
- • All 4 Seasons view + video export
- • Phased implementation plan
At $29.90 for 100 AI Yard Design credits, you could have 100 designs but zero actionable plans. One Yardcast design at $12.99 gives you a complete contractor-ready 44-page document.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | 🌿 Yardcast | AI Yard Design |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $19/mo or $12.99 one-time | $4.90 for 10 credits (1 credit = 1 design) |
| Unlimited Designs | Yes — $19/mo | No — pay per credit |
| One-Time Unlimited Option | $12.99 for full design package | $99/yr for 500 credits |
| AI Photo Transform | FLUX Kontext Max (photorealistic) | AI photo transformation |
| Climate-Aware Designs | Yes — zone + climate inputs | Yes — climate-aware generation |
| Plant Name Labels | Full plant lists in PDF | Labels on image |
| Full Plant Lists | Scientific names + quantities + zones | Label overlays only |
| Contractor PDF | 44-page professional report | None |
| Cost Estimates | Per-plant + total project cost | None |
| All 4 Seasons View | Spring / Summer / Fall / Winter | None |
| Video Export | Before-after fade video | None |
| 4K Upscaling | Real-ESRGAN on every design | High-resolution (no upscaling noted) |
| Phased Implementation Plan | Phase 1/2/3 budget planning | None |
| Shareable Results | Public share URL | None |
| Community Gallery | User gallery submissions | None |
| Design Library (My Designs) | Full dashboard history | VIP plan only ($99/yr) |
When to Use Each Tool
Use Yardcast When…
- You need a contractor-ready 44-page PDF
- You want full plant lists with quantities and costs
- You want to see your yard in all 4 seasons
- You plan to do multiple iterations (unlimited at $19/mo)
- You want the most actionable output, not just images
- You want video export for sharing on social media
AI Yard Design Works When…
- You only want a few quick inspiration images
- You don't need a PDF or plant lists
- You want labeled visual designs at low credit cost
- You want climate-aware visual generation only
- You need a quick reference before a contractor call
- You're casually exploring design styles
What Homeowners Say
“AI Yard Design looked cheap to try but credits add up fast, and after buying $30 worth I still had no plant list, no PDF, and no idea what anything cost. Yardcast gave me all of that for $12.99 total.”
“I appreciated AI Yard Design labeling the plants in the image, but I needed a real plant list with quantities, costs, and something I could give my landscaper. Yardcast's 44-page PDF is exactly what I needed.”
“Credit-based pricing is fine for testing but when I needed 10 design iterations, Yardcast's subscription was way cheaper. Plus the PDF with cost estimates was the deciding factor — no other tool has that.”
Images vs. a Complete Execution Plan
AI Yard Design generates pretty pictures. Yardcast gives you a complete contractor-ready plan: 44-page PDF, plant lists, cost estimates, All 4 Seasons view, and video export. One purchase. One plan. Ready to execute.
Try Yardcast Free — 3 Designs IncludedNo credit card required · Results in 40 seconds