Plantory vs iScape: AI-Powered vs Manual Design - Which Garden App Wins?

Quick Comparison

Feature	Plantory	iScape
Design Method	AI-powered (automatic)	Manual drag-and-drop
Design Time	30-60 seconds	1-3 hours
Skill Required	None (AI does it)	Moderate (design eye needed)
AR Visualization	❌ Not yet	✅ Walk-through mode
European Climate Intelligence	✅ Köppen zones	❌ USDA zones only
European Plant Database	✅ 3,000+ EU species	❌ US-focused library
Post-Design Care	✅ Seasonal guidance	❌ Design-only
Disease Diagnosis	✅ AI-powered	❌ Not available
Community Features	✅ Regional groups	❌ None
Platforms	Web + Mobile (coming)	iOS + Android
Free Tier	3 designs + care	Limited features
Paid Tier	€9.99/mo (Starter)	$29.99/mo (Pro)
Best For	Time-poor gardeners, EU climates	Design control freaks, US market

The Core Difference: AI Speed vs Manual Control

iScape: Professional-Grade Manual Tools

What iScape Does Well:

Drag & drop 1,000s of objects (plants, hardscape, furniture, lighting)
Precise placement and sizing
AR visualization (use your phone camera to "walk through" the design)
Proposal generation for contractors (material lists, cost estimates)
Established brand (4M downloads, 10+ years)

The Catch: iScape is powerful, but it's work:

Learning curve: You need to understand design principles (spacing, layering, color theory)
Time investment: A simple backyard redesign takes 1-3 hours
Design skills: Results depend on YOUR aesthetic sense, not AI intelligence
US-centric: Plant library is 80% North American species

The Reality: iScape is the Photoshop of garden apps. Powerful for pros. Intimidating for DIYers.

Plantory: AI Does the Heavy Lifting

What Plantory Does:

Phase 1: AI Design (Fast)

Upload a photo or describe your space
AI generates complete garden designs in 30-60 seconds
No dragging, no object placement, no design decisions
European climate intelligence means plants that actually grow in your zone

Phase 2: Refinement (Optional)

Don't like something? Regenerate or tweak
Adjust plant density, color palette, style (formal, cottage, naturalized)
Still faster than manual design

Phase 3: Long-Term Care (Unique to Plantory)

Seasonal care calendar (WHEN to plant, prune, fertilize)
Disease diagnosis (photo + AI = treatment plan)
Weather-based reminders
Community support

The Reality: Plantory is the Canva of garden apps. AI-powered simplicity. Beautiful results without design skills.

Feature-by-Feature Breakdown

1. Design Speed

iScape:

⏱️ 1-3 hours for a basic garden design
Drag-and-drop every plant, tree, bench, path
Trial-and-error to get spacing and layout right
Longer for complex designs

Plantory:

⏱️ 30-60 seconds for AI-generated design
Upload photo → describe preferences → AI delivers
Instant iterations (don't like it? Regenerate in 30 seconds)

Winner: Plantory (100x faster)

When iScape Wins: If you're a landscape professional who needs precise control and client billable hours justify the time investment.

2. Plant Intelligence

iScape:

1,000+ plants, hardscape, furniture objects
USDA hardiness zones (US-focused)
Plant library skews North American (oaks, maples, native US shrubs)
Limited information on European species availability
No post-design care guidance

Example Issue: iScape suggests Hydrangea macrophylla for a Warsaw garden. Technically grows in Zone 6, but continental Polish winters with -20°C and inconsistent snow cover often kill the roots.

Plantory:

3,000+ European species
Köppen climate zones (Cfb, Dfb, Csb - accounts for summer rainfall, humidity, continentality)
Recommends plants available at European nurseries
Post-design care: WHEN to plant, HOW to maintain, WHAT to do if problems arise

Example Win: Plantory knows Warsaw (Köppen Dfb) has harsh winters (-20°C), hot dry summers (+35°C), and continental temperature swings. It suggests Hydrangea paniculata instead - far hardier in continental climates.

Winner: Plantory (for European gardeners)

3. Post-Design Support

iScape:

❌ No care guidance after design
❌ No disease diagnosis
❌ No community features
❌ No weather integration

Result: You have a beautiful design, but you're on your own for implementation and maintenance.

Plantory:

✅ Seasonal care calendar (week-by-week tasks for YOUR garden)
✅ Disease diagnosis (upload photo → AI identifies issue → treatment plan)
✅ Regional community (ask questions, get local advice)
✅ Weather alerts (frost warnings, rain forecasts)

Result: Plantory guides you from design through implementation to long-term success.

Winner: Plantory (iScape doesn't compete here)

4. Price & Value

iScape:

Free: Limited features (watermarked exports, basic tools)
Pro: $29.99/month or $299/year
Pro Features: AR mode, contractor proposals, advanced objects, no watermarks

ROI: Best for landscape professionals who bill clients $50-150/hour. Design time is billable.

Plantory:

Free: 3 AI designs + basic care calendar + community (read-only)
Starter: €9.99/month or €99/year
Starter Features: Unlimited designs + care calendar + disease diagnosis + full community

ROI: Saves €200-400/year in dead plants (wrong species, wrong care). Pays for itself in 1-2 months.

Winner: Plantory (3x cheaper, better value for DIY gardeners)

Use Case Scenarios

Scenario 1: Weekend DIY Gardener (Sophie, Paris)

Goal: Redesign 30m² backyard in one weekend.

iScape Experience:

Saturday: 3 hours learning app, 2 hours designing
Sunday: Drives to 3 nurseries, can't find 40% of plants (US species not stocked in Paris)
Week 2: Redesigns with available plants (another 2 hours)
Total time: 7+ hours

Plantory Experience:

Saturday morning: 5 minutes AI design, 20 minutes tweaking
Saturday afternoon: Drives to local pépinière with plant list, finds 95% of plants
Sunday: Plants garden, follows care calendar
Total time: 25 minutes design + implementation

Winner: Plantory (saves 6+ hours)

Scenario 2: Landscape Professional (Marco, Rome)

Goal: Create client proposal with AR walkthrough.

iScape Experience:

Design in iScape (1-2 hours, billable to client)
AR walkthrough with client on-site
Generate material list and cost estimate
Client sees design before committing
Value: Professional presentation justifies premium pricing

Plantory Experience:

AI design (1 minute) → looks good but lacks AR
No contractor-specific features (proposals, estimates)
Client has to imagine final result
Value: Fast, but missing pro tools

Winner: iScape (built for professionals)

Scenario 3: European Gardener (Tomasz, Warsaw)

Goal: Create garden that survives -20°C winters and hot summers.

iScape Experience:

Uses USDA Zone 6 filter
Suggests lavender, Hydrangea macrophylla, southern magnolia
Result: 70% of plants die first winter (wrong climate intelligence)
Cost: €200-300 wasted on dead plants

Plantory Experience:

Detects Köppen Dfb (continental) climate
Suggests Hydrangea paniculata, lilacs, hardy roses
Care calendar: "Plant after Ice Saints (May 12-15)"
Result: 95% survival rate
Cost: €0 wasted

Winner: Plantory (European climate intelligence)

The Verdict: Which App Should You Choose?

Choose iScape If:

✅ You're a landscape professional who needs AR visualization and contractor proposals
✅ You enjoy manual design and have 1-3 hours per project
✅ You're in North America (plant library optimized for US)
✅ You need precise control over every object placement
✅ Client billable hours justify $29.99/month cost

Choose Plantory If:

✅ You're a DIY gardener who wants results fast (30-60 seconds)
✅ You garden in Europe (Köppen climate zones, 3,000+ EU species)
✅ You want post-design support (care calendar, disease diagnosis)
✅ You value community (regional advice from gardeners in YOUR climate)
✅ You want 3x cheaper pricing (€9.99/mo vs. $29.99/mo)

Why European Gardeners Choose Plantory Over iScape

Climate Intelligence: Köppen zones vs. USDA oversimplification
Plant Availability: 3,000+ EU species available at local nurseries
Speed: 30-60 seconds vs. 1-3 hours design time
Post-Design Care: Seasonal guidance, disease diagnosis, weather alerts
Price: €9.99/mo vs. $29.99/mo (3x cheaper)
ROI: Saves €200-400/year in dead plants

Final Thoughts

iScape and Plantory serve different audiences:

iScape is a professional design tool optimized for the US market. It's powerful, precise, and perfect for landscape contractors who need AR visualization and client proposals.

Plantory is an AI garden assistant optimized for European DIY gardeners. It's fast, intelligent, and guides you from design through long-term care.

For most European gardeners, Plantory is the better choice. It's faster, cheaper, smarter about European climates, and provides post-design support that iScape doesn't offer.

Ready to try Plantory? Start with 3 free AI designs. No credit card required.