DynaScape software alternative for design-build landscape estimating and DynaScape pricing compared
LandscapeEstimating is a DynaScape software alternative for US design-build and install contractors whose bottleneck is the estimate, not the drawing. You trace beds, turf, hardscape and edging on satellite imagery, every layer prices from your own production rates and margin, and the client signs the proposal online. It runs in a browser on Mac or Windows. Plans start at $129 a month per company, with no onboarding fee, compared with DynaScape Manage360 at $2,497 to $4,093 a year plus a $599 to $1,199 onboarding fee.
The problem
A beautiful plan still needs a price that makes money.
Why design-build firms look for a DynaScape alternative
DynaScape is design software first. DynaScape Design produces scaled CAD plans, plant schedules and construction drawings, and that is where it earns its keep. The estimate is a separate step: you export the plan quantities into Manage360, the business management add-on, or into a spreadsheet, and then someone prices them.
That split works when every job starts with a drawing. It gets slow for the jobs that don't: the bed refresh, the sod replacement, the patio extension, the 40 enhancement quotes a spring season brings in. Nobody draws a CAD plan for a $3,800 mulch and edging job, so those quotes get priced from memory.
- Small and mid-size jobs priced without measured quantities because a full plan isn't worth drawing
- A Windows desktop install for the design tool, while the owner and sales staff work on MacBooks and iPads
- Two annual subscriptions plus an onboarding fee before the first estimate goes out
- Plan quantities retyped into a spreadsheet, where waste factors and margin differ per estimator
How it works
From satellite trace to signed proposal.
How LandscapeEstimating replaces the estimating side of DynaScape
You skip the drawing when the job doesn't need one, and you still price from measured quantities.
- Search the property address and trace beds, turf, hardscape, walls and edging on the satellite map, with square feet and linear feet shown live
- Each traced layer maps to a service in your cost library: materials, labor rate, production rate, equipment, disposal, overhead and target margin
- Assemblies on Company and above turn an area into a full line, for example bed area times 3 inches of depth becomes cubic yards of mulch with waste and delivery added
- Count shrubs, trees and other unit-priced items with single clicks, and each count prices from the library item
- The proposal goes out branded with good, better and best options, the client signs online, and on Company you send a deposit request link once it is signed
- Signed work exports to QuickBooks Online as invoice lines on Company, and job costing compares estimated hours with actual hours
The full arithmetic for a real property is on the landscaping estimate example page.
Pricing
What each setup costs in the first year.
DynaScape pricing compared with LandscapeEstimating
DynaScape publishes its prices. These are the figures on dynascape.com/pricing, checked in October 2026; confirm them with DynaScape before you buy.
| Product | Monthly | Yearly | One-time fee | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DynaScape Design | $158 | $1,599 | none listed | CAD landscape design, Windows only |
| DynaScape Creator | $119 | not listed | none listed | Browser-based design for entry-level designers |
| Color or Sketch3D add-on | $59 each | $600 each | none listed | Color renderings, or 3D through SketchUp |
| Manage360 Sales and Estimating | $219 | $2,497 | $599 onboarding | Estimating, proposals, design integration, scheduling, work orders, invoicing |
| Manage360 All Features | $359 | $4,093 | $1,199 onboarding | Adds job costing, crew tracking, QuickBooks, routing, purchase and change orders |
| LandscapeEstimating Crew | $129 | $768 | none | Satellite measuring, cost library, proposals with e-sign, 2 estimator seats |
| LandscapeEstimating Company | $299 | $1,788 | none | Adds assemblies, options, deposit links, job costing, QuickBooks Online export, 6 seats |
A design-build firm running DynaScape Design plus Manage360 All Features on yearly billing pays $5,692 in subscriptions plus the $1,199 onboarding fee, so $6,891 in the first year. The same firm keeping DynaScape Design for drawings and pricing every bid in LandscapeEstimating Company pays $1,599 plus $1,788, so $3,387, with no onboarding fee.
Install bids
Quantities, labor and margin on every line.
Pricing landscape install bids without a CAD drawing
Take a backyard renovation: 620 square feet of new beds, 180 linear feet of steel edging, 340 square feet of paver patio and 14 shrubs. You trace the beds and patio, draw the edging line and drop 14 pins.
| Line | Quantity from the map | What the library adds |
|---|---|---|
| Bed prep and mulch at 3 in. | 620 sq ft, 5.7 cu yd | 10% waste, delivery, man-hours from your spread rate |
| Steel edging | 180 linear ft | Material per foot, install rate, stakes |
| Paver patio | 340 sq ft | Base depth in tons, sand, pavers with waste, compaction, labor |
| Shrubs, 3 gallon | 14 pieces | Plant cost, planting labor, soil amendment |
Every line carries your labor rate, overhead recovery and margin, so two estimators pricing the same yard get the same number. When the client asks to drop the patio to 280 square feet, you edit the outline and the base, pavers and labor reprice together. The landscape construction estimating software page goes deeper on hardscape and grading.
Who it's for
Firms where pricing, not drafting, holds up the sale.
Who switches from DynaScape to LandscapeEstimating
If you run a large operation and need scheduling, payroll and crew tracking in one platform, compare our Aspire alternative and LMN alternative pages too. Owners who work only on Apple hardware can read about our landscape estimating software for Mac.
- Design-build firms that keep DynaScape Design for drawings but want enhancement and install bids priced the same day without a plan
- Install contractors who bought DynaScape mainly for takeoffs and rarely present a full CAD plan
- Offices on MacBooks and iPads that need estimating outside a Windows desktop install
- Companies weighing Manage360 against a lighter estimating tool and their existing scheduling or accounting system
Compare
Honest about where each one wins.
DynaScape vs LandscapeEstimating at a glance
| Capability | DynaScape | LandscapeEstimating |
|---|---|---|
| Scaled CAD plans and construction drawings | Yes, DynaScape Design | No |
| Color renderings and 3D | Yes, add-ons | No |
| Measure a property from satellite imagery | Not listed | Yes, every plan |
| Cost library with production rates and margin | Yes, in Manage360 | Yes, every plan |
| Proposals with online signature | Proposals in Manage360 | Yes, e-sign on every plan |
| Job costing | Manage360 All Features | Company and above |
| QuickBooks | Manage360 All Features | QuickBooks Online export on Company |
| Scheduling, routing, work orders | Yes, Manage360 | No, keep your current tool |
| Runs on Mac | Creator in the browser; Design is Windows only | Yes, any browser |
| Onboarding fee | $599 to $1,199 | None |
Where DynaScape wins: if your sales process is a drawn and rendered design presented to the client, nothing here replaces DynaScape Design. Where we win: measured bids for the jobs that never get a drawing, priced from your own rates in minutes, at a lower yearly cost and with no onboarding fee. The landscape measuring software page shows how a satellite trace becomes a priced line.
Plans
Priced per company.
LandscapeEstimating pricing for design-build firms
Satellite measuring, the cost library and e-signed proposals are on every plan.
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | Estimator seats | Satellite measurements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | $129 | $64 a month | 2 | 60 a month |
| Company | $299 | $149 a month | 6 | 250 a month |
| Operations | $649 | $324 a month | 15 | 800 a month |
Full details are on the pricing page.
FAQ
- What is DynaScape software used for?
DynaScape is landscape design software. DynaScape Design draws scaled CAD plans, plant schedules and construction drawings, Creator is a browser design tool, and Manage360 is the business management add-on for estimating, proposals, scheduling and, on its top tier, job costing and QuickBooks.
- How much does DynaScape cost?
DynaScape lists Design at $1,599 a year or $158 a month and Creator at $119 a month. Manage360 is $2,497 a year with a $599 onboarding fee for Sales and Estimating, or $4,093 a year with a $1,199 onboarding fee for All Features. Color and Sketch3D add-ons are $600 a year each.
- What is the best DynaScape alternative for estimating?
For firms that need drawings, PRO Landscape and Land F/X are the usual design alternatives. For firms whose real need is a priced bid, an estimator that measures from satellite and prices from your rates, such as LandscapeEstimating, replaces the estimating side at a lower cost.
- Does DynaScape work on a Mac?
DynaScape's pricing page lists Design as Windows only, while Creator runs in a browser on Mac or PC. LandscapeEstimating runs in any browser, so a Mac, an iPad or a Windows laptop all work without an install.
- Can I keep DynaScape Design and use LandscapeEstimating for estimates?
Yes. A common setup is to keep DynaScape Design for drawings on the jobs that need a plan and price every bid, drawn or not, from a satellite trace in LandscapeEstimating. The proposal and e-signature then happen in one place.
- Is there an onboarding fee for LandscapeEstimating?
No. You create the account, load your materials, labor rates and production rates into the cost library and start pricing. Plans are billed monthly per company, or yearly at half the monthly price, and you can cancel at any time.
Get started
Price your next design-build job from the satellite map this afternoon
Trace a real US address, let the beds, edging and patio price from your own rates and see the margin on every line. When it prices the way you do, create your account.