Kcd vs. Pro Kitchen

By Sean Ahern

Every day people around the world are getting ready to purchase the kitchen of their dreams. Not many people can tell you the process of kitchen design. A lot of thought, calculation, color selection, and placement has to be done in order for your kitchen project to be successful. This is why kitchen designers use software like KCD and ProKitchen to create plans for kitchen projects.

How do designers get these plans for the customers, and what software do they use?

There is a lot of software on the market for kitchen design including Homestyler, Planner5D, Home Stratosphere, HGTV Home Design & Remodeling Suite, and many more.  With all of these options, you can find the one that best suits your budget as well. Some of the software is free, others can be a one time purchase, while others even have a monthly fee. There are a few companies in the industry that come to mind when you ask kitchen designers what they use. One of these companies is KCD Software and another is ProKitchen. Let’s dive in and explore what these companies have to offer.

Dean Cabinetry Kitchen plans with KCD Software

Who are they?

KCD Software

KCD is a custom, fully-loaded cabinet design software. It is innovative and helps designers create one of a kind cabinets for their customers. In KCD you are able to design without the restrictions of normal cabinet sizes and restraints. This software is specifically for custom cabinetry. Along with the custom designs, there are plan views, elevation views, and even 3D rendering. Freedom to design any shape or size with seamless integration is what makes this an ideal software for custom cabinetry.

Dean Cabinetry Kitchen plans with ProKitchen Software
ProKitchen Software

ProKitchen was designed to provide very intuitive software for designers, manufacturers, and retailers. This software has a range of company catalogs for you to design with. It does not have the functionality to create custom cabinets, however, it seamlessly loads stock cabinets into your catalog to choose from. This allows you to design one kitchen with multiple companies to find the right budget and design for the customer. ProKitchen also has the plan views, elevation views, and the much sought after 3D rendering to bring ideas to reality for the customer.

What makes them different?

KCD and Prokitchen have a lot in common, however, there are a few differences that make them miles apart. KCD is well known for its adaptive user-friendly, fully custom cabinet making. The dimensions can be transformed into a one of a kind piece if needed. ProKitchen on the other hand uses catalogs from stock cabinet companies that make a quality product at different price points. This is a great way to save a little bit of money. ProKitchen allows you to design a kitchen and then price shop that same design with multiple manufacturers. The downside to Prokitchen is that it can limit your vision with its restrictions on customization.

Digital Mockup with ProKitchen Software

Kitchen design can be challenging without the proper tools. Before this type of software came out, everything was drawn out on paper and then manually cut. Nowadays, this software can send the designs from your computer straight to a CNC machine to cut to perfection. Whether you are looking for a fully custom kitchen or stock cabinets from a reputable company, the software is there for designers to make your vision come to life. 

If you have any questions about these two software companies, or you are just looking to get your vision onto the computer, please reach out, we would love to design your perfect kitchen