Idea Spectrum Realtime Landscaping Pro 2026 review

The newest version of Idea Spectrum's Realtime Landscaping Pro has arrived - the 2026 update brings some great improvements to an already excellent piece of software.

Now, for a long time now I've rated this tool as the top choice in our guide to the best landscape design software. It's always done what I feel most people need from a landscaping app on Windows.

So, I was keen to see what those updates mean for Realtime Landscaping Pro and for the users.

Note: I re-reviewed the 2025 edition just a few weeks before the 2026 release, so I've retained my sections on planting and objects, updating where necessary. Everything else is a fresh look.

You can download Realtime Landscaping Pro from Idea Spectrum by clicking here.

Realtime Landscaping Pro 2026: Pricing and plans

• No subscriptions, just a one-time fee
• Upgrade pricing is available for existing users
• 30-day money back guarantee and a watermarked fully functional trial version

In an era where everything and everyone appears to be embracing the dreaded subscription model - you will own nothing and you will be happy, right? Well I'm not happy: I want to own my software, not rent it.

Thankfully, Idea Spectrum agree, and you won’t see a subscription option on their Realtime Landscaping Pro page, but an offer to purchase the app (yes, purchase), for just under $280. Idea Spectrum also have a 30-day money back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the product.

Owners of previous versions haven’t been left out of the loop and can take advantage of the latest features through an upgrade price of around $130 (this is valid for owners of version 2011 onwards).

If you’re curious about what’s on offer but don't want to open your wallet just yet, a trial version is available. It’s not time-limited, is fully functional, aside from your project being plastered with a watermark, and you have a much smaller number of objects to play with.

If there's a downside, it's that the software is Windows only - more specifically, it will only run on Windows 10 and 11, and although the minimum specs include a 1GHz CPU, 4GB of RAM, 60GB or storage space and a DirectX 11-compatible video card, as with all graphics intensive apps, the more powerful your specs, the smoother your experience will be.

• Score: 4.5 / 5

Realtime Landscaping Pro 2026: Interface

• The interface remains pretty much the same as the previous version
• Well-designed and easy to understand for newcomers

This software is about creating digital landscapes, and the options you have are huge.

Not only can you create practically any setting, with different elevations, ponds, paths, swimming pools, decks, plant life - so much plant life - in fact, you have over 18,000 objects to add to your project and bring it to life.

Unlike those tools in my guide to the best interior design software, you can’t really venture inside a house, but your options to make any building look good from the outside are impressive. We’re talking precise dimensions, materials, roof pitches, doors, windows, guttering, the lot.

And the final touch, as it were, allows you to bring your creation to life through various built-in animations - see leaves rustle in the breeze, watch as a water feature flows with water, see people and animals going about their day, and so on.

So if outdoor work is your thing, Realtime Landscaping Pro is definitely for you.

If you’re coming from the 2025 version, you’ll be hard pressed to see anything different: the interface looks the same with all the objects you can add at the top, your tools are still in the sidebar to the left, a contextual inspector to the right, and most of the screen’s taken up by your project.

It’s all pretty standard, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Idea Spectrum have sensibly stuck to that unwritten rule.

• Score: 4 / 5

Realtime Landscaping Pro 2026: Planting

• Unbelievably wide inventory of customizable plants
• Control over the time of day, and season

Software designed to recreate an outdoor environment should be well stocked when it comes to flora, and this is exactly what Realtime Landscaping Pro offers. You have at your disposal over 6,000 plants, subdivided by category such as Annuals, Succulent, Tropical, etc, to make it easier to find what you’re after. But with so many to choose from, you’ll be grateful for that handy search field as well!

But that’s not all: you get to choose plants ideal for the geographical location you’re designing in - or not - the choice is completely up to you, as you add trees and shrubs that can look great together, but might not survive in the real world.

You also get to choose each plant’s age, which mostly just alters their height, as well as the season you’re working in. This is set for your overall design. But you can also supersede that choice for each plant individually if you’re looking for an unusual and striking look, such as having plants displaying their spring appearance, next to others in the fall. Essentially, you can be as realistic and accurate as you please, or as fanciful as you desire.

This level of control extends to the weather, time of day, season, and even the phase of the moon. All of this is available through the ‘Settings’ menu.

You’ll find that each category has a ‘Currently Used’ section, which allows you to reuse objects currently in your project, elsewhere. This only works on your current project though. Should you wish to use the same plants in multiple projects, that’s where the ‘Favorites’ section comes in, making it easy to locate items once, and use them again and again in future works.

• Score: 5 / 5

Realtime Landscaping Pro 2026: Objects, people, and animation

• Large list of materials, objects and people
• Bring creations to life with a few fun animations

Plants are but the start of your designing journey. Realtime Landscaping Pro also contains a generous library of 3D objects, from lawn furniture, to cars, as well as a wealth of materials you can use for your walls, driveways, and more.

But what we particularly enjoyed was how you can bring your design to life through animation. Water can shimmer, and fountains flow, for instance. But people - and even animals - can be animated as well. Some can walk, others jog, and a few even swim. Set a path for them to follow and they’ll repeat their action on a loop.

Even those sitting or lying around will have some kind of animation set for them, like a head tilt, or a hand movement. All of these help your creation come to life when exploring it in Walkthrough.

Speaking of Walkthrough, you’re able to create movies meandering through your project, although you don’t actually control the movement through your keyboard and mouse, but rather by setting a path for the camera to follow. You can even connect it to an Oculus Rift.

As it stands, this software is very versatile with a wealth of features. It’s simple enough for casual users to have fun with, yet versatile enough for professional use, creating your dream garden, virtually, complete with seasons, and fun animations.

• Score: 4/5

Realtime Landscaping Pro 2026: What's new?

• Better curve support
• New materials and objects
• Improved lighting and animation
• A more powerful interface

I've long been impressed with this software. Thankfully, Idea Spectrum have built on that existing foundation and focused on refining it.

One such improvement can be seen when adding objects such as grass over a large area; you’d always end up with a potentially irritating and obviously fake repeating pattern, like someone cloned a small area far too often. This becomes more noticeable the more you zoom out. Now, one click of a button removes that pattern, leading to a more satisfying landscape.

Designing with Realtime Landscape Pro is quite easy, at first: you add objects, move them around, alter them, add others, and before long your project is taking shape… and it then becomes quite tricky to find the item you want to select and work on further.

That is, until the 2026 edition. A new Object List section has been added to the roster, which appears as a sidebar to the left of the screen when it’s selected (you might need to resize the preview section to see it). Every object you’ve added is there, making it easy to navigate through, select one, and alter its parameters.

Speaking of being able to select objects, no one likes looking at rigid rectangular designs, right? Especially when it comes to ponds, paths and more. Curves make any design more organic. Well with this update, such shapes are created using better user manipulatable tangent and 3-point arcs, helping you create precise curves for a more organic feel to your projects.

But of course, that’s nature - nature prefers curves. We humans, we like to build in straight lines, and virtual abodes have also been refined in the latest version. Take windows and doors for instance: they can now be recessed into a wall, and even have a trim around them for added realism, and if you like building decks, many elements of them have been improved to make them look more realistic.

In addition to that, you’ve got hundreds of new materials and accessories to play with, including gravel, soil, mulch, statues, birdhouses, and more, and that includes an expanded lighting library (yes, you can turn the lights on when creating lovely night settings).

Realtime Landscape Pro was already excellent, but this latest update makes it even better in numerous ways. Better materials, new objects, a more powerful interface, even improved animation tools and decorations known as decal which we didn’t have time to touch on here. It’s always great to see a company not resting on its laurels and always striving to make their product better for their customers.

• Score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy Realtime Landscaping Pro 2026?

Buy it if...

You’re looking for an easy to use landscape creator, with realistic effects, and don’t mind not being able to design the interior of buildings.

Don't buy it if...

Designing inside buildings is pretty crucial for you, as working on the landscape might feel like it’s only half the story.

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