# Page 3 | Design Flex Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 3 - Is Design Flex the right Architecture solution for you? Explore 357 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/reviews --- Design Flex 4.3 (357) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/218525/2020-Design-Live/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Page 3 - Reviews of Design Flex ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 51-75 of 357 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use AH Abel H. Ceo Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Good software " April 1, 2025 5.0 I like the program, i dislike the limitations in terms of catalogs that are not downloadable even the most basic ones. Pros The simplicity of use while designing as long as you have a basic idea on kitchen or bath layouts. Cons Receiving emails for new catalog downloads that i can not use Review Source RH RANDY H. President Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Totally recommend " October 3, 2024 5.0 Excellent. Even customer service is great Pros The experience and quality. Makes life so much easier Cons Nothing to like least. It’s a great product Review Source EK Enga K. Showroom sales consultant Building Materials Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Pleased with the program" October 25, 2024 4.0 I am very new to Design Flex. I love tat they provide free online training as well as in person training. Pros being able to covert my design straight to order Cons How complex the program is and I feel like they should provide free in person training. Alternatives considered [ProKitchen Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/210673/ProKitchen-Online/) Reason for choosing Design Flex Because you cannot send order from ProKitchen Review Source HS Holly S. Owner Operator Architecture & Planning Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Great Product" December 4, 2024 5.0 customer service was amazing. Personal guidance was invaluable Pros I love how easy it is to use and how lifelike the renderings are. Cons nothing about the product was inadequate Review Source TW Tambra W. President Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Easy to use" November 19, 2024 5.0 I enjoy the whole designing process and simplicity of the program. Pros I like the renderings process and the ease of customizing the tool bar Cons Sometimes it over powers the computer but that is an issue on my end not 2020s Review Source JS Jen S. Kitchen Bath Designer Building Materials Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Kitchen and Bath Designer" August 7, 2024 4.0 I have been happy with Design Live and what it allows me to offer to my customers. The recent improvements with perspectives is huge to me. Pros 2020 Design Live allows me to show customers what their new project is going to look like. DL is easy to use with multiple lines. Cons Sometimes the lighting effects take forever to get correct in the perspective view. Alternatives considered [ProKitchen Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/210673/ProKitchen-Online/) Reason for choosing Design Flex I liked the ease of use when creating a kitchen. Review Source Response from Cyncly August 27, 2024 Hey Jen, Thank you for your review, we appreciate that you left a comment! lF lisa F. designer Building Materials Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "designer and sales" October 30, 2024 5.0 i'm still getting used to using it so not sure yet Pros i like the ease of cloud use compared to before Cons i wish there was more help available like a handbook Review Source AH Andrea H. Sales and Design Manager Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Over 20 Years using 2020/Cyncly" July 1, 2024 4.0 I have used the 2020 program for over 21 years. So, it has really come a long way and they offer tons of manufacturer catalogs for designing. Overall I like the new 3D renders and additional items offered with the Design Live that you can import or bring into your layouts. Pros It looks like the 3D render is better and there are more tile and countertop selections. Cons Now that 3D design is so life like, customers want to see their selections in the 3D renders. 2020/Cyncly has limitations when creating additional spaces in the home where customers add cabinetry. Like archways and specialty areas in the kitchens and other rooms. It's hard to make the renders look realistic Alternatives considered [Revit](https://www.capterra.com/p/265023/Revit/)[SketchUp](https://www.capterra.com/p/211798/SketchUp/)[ProKitchen Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/210673/ProKitchen-Online/) Reason for choosing Design Flex I still feel like 2020 has an edge on manufacturer catalogs and overall design. But I do think 2020 should keep up with the latest render ability and keep the price competitive. If another software like a Pro Kitchen or Autocad gets a better at 3D render and offers a lower price than 2020 they will take market share from 2020. Review Source DC Danitza C. interior designer and project manager Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "nice program" July 8, 2024 4.0 I was working the last 3 years in this program and is easy to get the basic but if you want something more standup you have to see a lot of tutorial or pay for training and is no the money is the time Pros I like that is easy to use on the basic design, you don't need to know much about program or kitchen to do a design in half an hour, for a basic presentation an estimate if you have the catalogs already installed. take time to do something more detailing but also easy to work just more time. love the countertop option, and most of the time use the SAMPLE-F base catalogs because I can change sizzes easily if I need it and color, and finished. Cons I hate that I cannot have the catalogs that I have it before, as the furniture, appliances, the cabinets companies, before was easy to get but now some doesn't works and I need it, but your team doesn't care much, the help is not much when you have question and I don't have time to see videos to research how to do something that I already have it on my setup. Review Source SK Stacey K. Interior Designer Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Too Expensive!" August 1, 2024 4.0 Wish I could find something of better value to replace it, feel like I am stuck with 2020, seen little to no improvements since I have had it yet my licence cost has more than tripled in the 8 years I have had it. Pros Ease of use, 3D abilities and ability to create order forms and price kitchens with the designs. Cons Freezing and crashing, difficulty with updates and reaching customer service and the cost of the software is gouging. Reason for choosing Design Flex Because I knew the software and how to use it. Review Source DS Danielle S. Kitchen and Bath Designer and Store Manager Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Exceptional" July 16, 2024 5.0 This is a tried and true software that is necessary in this line of work. I learned the software fairly quickly and have been self taught since I began 15 years ago and very rarely need to call on assistance as it is that easy to use Pros It gives me everything I need to give my clients a true view of their prospective project Cons It is quite expensive as compared to other brands Reason for choosing Design Flex I had been using it elsewhere and was very familiar with the ins and outs Review Source OT Owen T. Owner Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "2020 Design Live Review" July 24, 2024 5.0 Pros Ease of use, catalogue support & tech support Cons Cost of license lighting for 3D renderings. Reason for choosing Design Flex Because we tried Pro Kitchens and did not like it. We have been using 2020 since version 5. Review Source MB Matt B. Corp Co-Ord of K and B Displays and Training Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Home is always Local" June 28, 2024 5.0 Excellent, the platform is very familiar and there are some great new features like the Local function and the Variations function that have improved the way Design Live works. Pros My favorite new function in Design Live is the Local function located in the Home ribbon. I remember this by the phrase 'Home is always Local'. This function opens File Explorer where the file is located providing instant access to any records that I have saved in that drawings project folder. Cons I don't like that the colors have been removed from the Icons, in V13 it was easier to identify them as the new colors are very similar in all Icons I have to look a lot closer to make sure that I have selected the correct one. Alternatives considered [Chief Architect](https://www.capterra.com/p/80035/Chief-Architect/) Reason for choosing Design Flex Ease of use, functions are more intuitive, support behind the product surpasses other products, innovation of new product is constant. Review Source CD Christian D. owner kitchen designer Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Not the best, looking for other options when it comes time to renew" July 1, 2024 3.0 I use it because I have to. I will have to completely uninstall it and reinstall to see if it fixes anything. Pros User interface. Version 13 was more appealing visually but 14 is ok. Cons The program is not the best. Version 14 has a TON of issues. Very glitchy, does not load perspectives fully, files/designs get corrupted and cannot be fixed so the entire file has to be deleted. I bought a new laptop the same day as I purchased 20/20 and matched the computer specs to what Cyncly recommends and it still has issues. Would recommend looking at the competition before purchasing. Alternatives considered [ProKitchen Online](https://www.capterra.com/p/210673/ProKitchen-Online/) Reason for choosing Design Flex I used 20/20 previously. Also, the cabinet company I rep has 20/20 catalogs or I would have looked harder at the competition Review Source JH Jennifer H. Sales Manager Building Materials Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Use out of necessity " July 17, 2024 3.0 It is necessary for work but not my favorite to use. Nice feature would be to upload a picture of hand drawn dimensions of the room and it creates an interpretation of that space you can edit as you go along. Pros Ease of use and to learn. Ability to create nice drawings if you spend the time to learn it Cons You can not zoom in on things to make larger. I’m getting older and my eyesight is going. Sometimes I have trouble reading catalogs or material lists I need to zoom in on other areas other than the work space Review Source SP Shanna P. Owner Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Making Improvements" March 20, 2026 4.0 Overall the experience is pretty good. Cyncly seems to be working on the annoying bugs that seemed to be ignored in prior versions. Pros The software is less glitchy and some background improvements have been made to the function. Less corrupted files and lost work. Cons I wish the catalog part of the software was integrated with the software instead of separate. Chief Architect does this pretty well. It would be nice to see Design Flex incorporate a similar process. Review Source CM Cindra M. Designer Design Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "2020 Desgin" July 25, 2024 4.0 It's fine for now until I learn more and watch more videos Pros Nice reports, easy Cabinet design, easy cabinet selection. Cons I need to find out how to use it more and have learned there are videos to watch which will help. Review Source Response from Cyncly July 31, 2024 Thank you for your feedback! We're glad you find our reports and cabinet design features easy to use. To help you get the most out of our software, please check out the Training Platform. If you're not sure which class to start with, you can reach out to the training team at: residential.training@2020spaces.com. aJ andy J. owner Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Owner of Wood Repair NorthWest" July 24, 2024 4.0 it is not being used at this time due to the issue above. Pros It seems fairly easy to use but without our manufacturers catalogs it is not near as useful as advertised. Cons One of the main selling points for me was the ability to use cabinet manufacturers cabinets in the design. The issue is that i have not been able to get any of the cabinet manufacturers to give us their catalog. The manufacturers we use also use the product so i didn't think there would be any kind of issue. Which is why we purchased it. Review Source Response from Cyncly July 31, 2024 Thank you for your feedback! Yes, the manufacturer catalogs are one of the best parts of Design Live. If you are an approved supplier, the manufacturers should gladly give you access to their catalog so you can easily specify their product. We recommend reaching out to your local rep to request how to access their catalog. NM Natalie M. Owner Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Computer Designs" June 28, 2024 4.0 Tech support is hit or miss. Some techs have been awesome, VERY helpful. Others can be a bit condescending and make you feel stupid for asking questions. The availability of outside elements to incorporate into my design are good - but they are challenging to acquire and can bog the design down. Pros 2020 is relatively easy to use - I've used it for many years Cons The graphics are really not what I'd like to see. Great for my clients to get a 3D image, but they are a bit amateur looking Alternatives considered [Chief Architect](https://www.capterra.com/p/80035/Chief-Architect/) Reason for choosing Design Flex Habit and familiarity. I don't have time to learn a new system Review Source RC Renee C. Interior Designer Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "2020 Design Live Review" March 29, 2023 3.0 Overall I think that 2020 is a necessary part of my design process because of the floorplans and renderings showing the catalogs I'm using, but I wish that it was easier to achieve high quality renderings and that it wouldn't crash or have random errors so often. Pros Features that I find most impactful are the floorplans and renderings. Floorplans & renderings are important for the Interior Designer, the client, and the builder. As an interior designer I use floorplans and renderings to present layouts and options to the client as well as a reference to order my products off of. Floorplans and especially renderings are helpful to the client to envision the space realistically with the accurate product they are getting. The builder sometimes finds renderings helpful, but mostly needs to see the floorplan to build off of (for example cabinets). I like that I can add notes to the floorplan to point out aspects they need to pay attention to. Cons I find that 2020 crashes a lot despite having the most updated video card and other updates. One time my almost completed design file wouldn't let me open it anymore. It was random and I was not expecting this. I called 2020 for help and they discovered the file was corrupt. When I asked what caused this, 2020 told me it was a random cloud item that had been placed in the design. They explained there was nothing I could have done about it to prevent that since cloud items just sometimes do that randomly. Obviously this was a frustrating experience.Or, sometimes 2020 might not crash but it suddenly stops showing your renderings and you have to restart the program. Things like this are quit annoying.I feel that high quality renderings are sometimes difficult to achieve. You often have to play around with lighting and moving walls around, etc. to get a realistic look that's not too dark or bright. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Kitchen Design Building Materials Used the software for: 2+ years ### "2020 Design has learning curve, but worth the journey" March 28, 2023 4.0 I have been using 2020 design for nearly 20 years, I love that I can create a photo realistic model and accurate parts list/price list for my clients. I try to incorporate architectural features that are unique to their space to help make it feel like it is theirs. Pros 2020 Design is easy enough for a novice to start dragging and dropping cabinets to create a simple design and quote, but there are powerful features locked away that make it worth the time investment to get really familiar with the software Cons Some complain about the software crashes in 2020 Design, I have found this happens less often with newer versions of the software. By constructing your designs strategically, minimizing the rendering that happens behind the scenes and keeping an eye on the file size of imported models and materials, you can almost eliminate this problem. Review Source JT Joy T. Lead Designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Needs Improvement" March 29, 2023 3.0 I have been using 2020 Design for more than 20 years and I know the program extremely well. I feel that it is a useful product, but I also feel that there is a lot of room for improvement. Since day 1 of using 2020 Design I have HATED the dimensions. They are sloppy and when moving dimensions to the placement that you want them on your design is time consuming since it is required to then move every extension line individually to make then look right. The multiline dimensioning also does not work correctly since the leader lines do not go in the direction that they are needed. I have spoke to the 2020 customer service about this in the past. It would be nice to be able to change the size of the architectural tick, arrow or dot for the dimensions also. Pros I like that 2020 Design Live has a design cloud. This allows the ability to pull other manufactures products into your design. This helps with giving to most realistic presentation. Cons 2020 Design Live cloud does not have enough plumbing choices especially when it come to sinks and faucets. I find to using to Kohler catalogs is horrible because the only way to find what you are looking for is by collection name. I do not want to have to continually go to the Kohler website to find the product that I am wanting and then find it in 2020. The 2020 generic plumbing catalog has very little items that are useful.It would also be useful if the 2020 Decorative Items catalog needs to be expanded. I know that has gotten more items that are useful but that needs to continue to get more items added. Review Source JS Janine S. Kitchen and Bath Designer Construction Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "My experience" March 28, 2023 3.0 I don't have very many positive things to say about 2020 Design Live. I do hear the same complaints from colleges. My drawings need to be detailed. There are times when I have more than 1 room on a plan. I never use the virtual 3d color rendering. I need the working drawings and camera perspectives in hidden lines and hidden lines elevations. I always have to manually add height dimensions for base cabinetry height and wall cabinetry height in elevations even thought I have them set already to show. Pros I like how there are more cataloges to choose from. If only the cloud configurator would work to:change dimensions, add accessories (i.e. a shower arm on a shower head) without having to piece things together. Cons Tedious, redundant, crashes. There are quite a few issues with this product. I always have to reset countertop thickness, no global for it. I always have to manually add or hide dimensions even though I have them set to what I want. The program crashes every other day, hopefully I've saved it prior to the surprise of it. I use it almost everyday and I often dread going through the time comsuming task of getting working drawings with correct dimensions that I can confidentally give to my installers. Why are the lighting fixtures and furniture on the decorative items/cloud seen as boxes/squares on the floor plan? I can't use that and don't. The appliances in the could, i..e. Sub Zero, Thermador, won't allow me to change anything, why?If I use a tub plumbing trim set (all on one) from Kohler bath, the spout, the showerhead, the valve cannot be adjusted in heights. Which makes it tedious to grab one thing at a time and then it gets precariously close to causing a crash. Sketch up really whacks it out but Sketch up has better visuals for lighting and bar stools etc and I can adjust the dimensions of those.Frankly, when I call for customer service, which has been a handful of times, they come onto my screen help me out but then all my categories of cabinetry has to be re-organized so I tend to not call. Review Source AC Ashley C. Project Coordinator Building Materials Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great foundation for Kitchen & Bath Remodeling/New Construction" March 28, 2023 5.0 2020 has been my top choice for all computer-aided designing and the integration with manufacturer catalogs really takes a lot of stress out of pricing a job. Beautiful renderings, easily edited design drawings, it really is top notch for any one in the kitchen & bath industry. Pros Being able to give clients a visual very similar to what their space will look like by the end of the project has been one of the most valuable features in the K&B industry for years. I am a self-taught 2020 Design user and, though I may be a bit more versed in technology than my associates, between \[sensitive content hidden\] videos and other internet resources it has been quite easy to learn. Also, being able to provide detailed floor plans and elevations for installers and builders has made the process of every project that much easier for all parties involved. Cons I wish it were easier to apply our vendor multipliers to manufacturer catalogs; so we could provide clients accurate quotes straight from 2020 reports. A lot of the textures available are outdated and tiles aren't that easy to display for rendering purposes. I wish more secret tips and tricks for super high quality renders were available, rather than running through a lot of trial and error (and software crashes!!). I also really wish the LIVE Order feature was as simple and seamless as it seems it may have been at one point (prior to .net being closed down). Review Source JR Joe R. Outside Cabinet Sales & Design Building Materials Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "It's just not a design software, it's a sales tool as well." March 28, 2023 5.0 I have truly enjoyed the added productivity that 2020 Design Live has given me. In earlier versions I always felt as if I was fighting the program to get where I wanted to be with a design. 2020 DL gives me fluidity that I haven't experienced before in the design process. Pros 2020 Design Live allows me to be a professional. The ease of drawing the existing room doesn't take time away from the design process. Placing, adjusting and changing cabinets are a breeze. I utilize the ability to save a design at any point, give it a new name, and then be able to tweak the design knowing I have a fallback-to copy if I need it. The fact that I can generate a rendering so quickly, has opened millions of doors for me for myself and the customer to understand the design better. Couple that with the speed that reports can be generated, 2020 Design Live is a closing machine. I would be a miss if I didn't mention how thankful I am that the Auto Save works so smoothly and efficiently. Cons Not so much a dislike. I have come to utilize the Manufactures Spec book in PDF version. I find it convenient, that I don't have to carry all the different books. For me it is faster to work with as a PDF. That being said, I would love to be able to access that Spec book from the app. Review Source Similar Products Featured