Table of Contents

In this post, we do an in-depth review of ApplyDesign, a DIY virtual staging software. 

There are many DIY virtual staging apps and virtual staging services to choose from. Which is best?

As part of our review, we will examine many of their features, including the ordering process, furnishing options, pricing, customer support, and the quality of the virtual staging results.

So, let’s get our review underway!

Overall Rating Table 

Let’s begin with an overall comparison between ApplyDesign and PhotoUp’s virtual staging services:

Overall Rating
3.9 4.8
Provider ApplyDesign PhotoUp
Current Ranking 6th of 25 1st of 25
Best For diy best overall
Cost per Image $7 per image $20.00 per image
Turnaround Time 20 minutes 12-48 hours
Furniture
Online Library yes yes
Design Styles 3 design styles 3 design styles
Room Types 9 room types 12 or more room types
Pricing
Cost per Image $7 per image $20.00 per image
Cost of Revision free revisions free revisions
Volume Discount yes yes
Ordering
Turnaround Time 20 minutes 12-48 hours
Weekend Service yes yes
Interface good & easy to learn good & easy to learn
Quality
Realism fair very realistic
Placement okay natural
Set Design good amazing
Support
Email yes yes
Chat yes yes
USA Phone no yes
Response Time 5 minutes 5 minutes
Website applydesign.io photoup.net
Other Services
  • virtual staging
  • photo editing
  • virtual staging
  • video editing
  • single property websites
  • house portraits
  • virtual assistants
  • custom websites
  • virtual tours
ApplyDesign

3.9

  • Ranked 6th of 25
  • best for: diy
  • $7 per image per Image
  • 20 minutes turnaround time

Furniture

  • Online Library
  • 3 design styles
  • 9 room types

Pricing

  • $7 per image
  • free revisions
  • volume discount: yes

Ordering

  • 20 minutes turnaround time
  • Weekend Service
  • interface: good & easy to learn

Quality

  • realism: fair
  • placement: okay
  • set design: good

Support

  • FAQ
  • Email
  • Chat
  • Chat
  • USA Phone
  • response time: 5 minutes
  • applydesign.io

Other Services

  • virtual staging
PhotoUp

4.8

  • Ranked 1st of 25
  • best for: best overall
  • $20.00 per image per Image
  • 12-48 hours turnaround time

Furniture

  • Online Library
  • 9 design styles
  • 12 or more room types

Pricing

  • $20.00 per image
  • free revisions
  • volume discount: yes

Ordering

  • 12-48 hours turnaround time
  • Weekend Service
  • interface: good & easy to learn

Quality

  • realism: very realistic
  • placement: natural
  • set design: amazing

Support

  • FAQ
  • Email
  • Chat
  • Chat
  • USA Phone
  • response time: 5 minutes
  • photoup.net

Other Services

  • photo editing
  • virtual staging
  • video editing
  • single property websites
  • house portraits
  • virtual assistants
  • custom websites
  • virtual tours

ApplyDesign Overview

Based in Tel Aviv, Israel, ApplyDesign is a marketing service group that specializes in 3D technologies, virtual staging, and computer graphics.

ApplyDesign’s do-it-yourself virtual staging software helps real estate sales professionals create photorealistic virtual staging edits quickly and for low prices. 

The user-friendly and intuitive software makes it easy to virtually stage real estate photos with just a few clicks. 

It also features advanced editing capabilities, allowing users to customize the staging to their specifications.

applydesign virtual staging

All right, now that you have an overview, let’s walk through the ordering and virtual staging process. 

Ordering From ApplyDesign

So, let’s go, step by step, through the ordering process for ApplyDesign.

1. Creating an Account

applydesign create an account

Let’s start by noting that it is extremely easy to use ApplyDesign.

You start by creating an account with your email address and a password. There’s nothing else needed for the registration process, and it takes less than 30 seconds. 

Once registered, you can either immediately start uploading photos to be virtually staged or go to your account page, where you can personalize your settings by adding your name, role, company, and other details.

Additionally, you can view your purchase history and download any receipts from previous orders.

Okay, next, let’s talk about uploading photos to be virtually staged. 

2. Uploading Photos

Uploading images is also easy and fast. My three photos uploaded in less than 2 minutes.

You can drag and drop your image to upload or you can also upload by clicking on Browse Files.

Next, you’ll be asked to name the image and identify whether it is 2D or 3D. In terms of file types, do note the following:

  • 2D images can be taken from any device and uploaded in JPG or PNG format 
  • Final images can be rendered in JPG, PNG, or TIFF formats

Now, select Continue, and you will be allowed to review your upload.

applydesign virtual staging

Your image then goes through the uploading process. After the image has been uploaded, it is sent for processing, which takes 1-5 minutes. My photos processed in about 5 minutes.

You will be notified via email once your image is ready to be designed.

To keep your projects organized, you can then assign the images to a new or existing property folder, with the property address as the folder name. 

3. ApplyDesign DIY Virtual Staging

ApplyDesign’s software lets you virtually stage your photos in 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Add Furniture From the Gallery

Select any piece of furniture in the gallery and drag it onto your photo.

If you need details on locating furniture, head to the Gallery Overview.

Step 2: Positioning Furniture

You have a few options for positioning the furnishings in your photo.

First, press and hold the furniture item while dragging it to a different location.

A second option is to click on the furnishing, which will open a dialog area on the left with controls that allow you to move furniture ➖ or ➕ on the horizontal and depth axes in incremental amounts. 

When selecting furniture, a 3-axis control will appear, making it easier to control furniture position. The controls are similar for rotating furniture.

applydesign virtual staging

I’ll admit, it took me about a half hour to be able to use the furniture controls with any skill. It’s a bit more of a challenge than it sounds. The tools are easy to use, but difficult to use with precision.

Step 3: Rendering

Press the Render button in the top bar when you finish virtual staging. 

Depending on the rendering settings, the process may take between 5 to 20 minutes. My images rendered in less than 8 minutes.

When the final rendered results are ready, you will be notified via email and on the property page. You can click View Result to see and download your final image.

ApplyDesign – Pricing

The company relies on a credit system for payments. Credits are called Apply Coins, and the more coins you purchase, the lower the price.

To purchase Apply Coins, click on the gold Coin Icon in the upper right-hand corner of the navigation bar. You will then be asked how many Apply Coins you want to purchase. 

They offer three purchase plans:

  • Starting Out – $10 per Apply Coin when purchasing up to 9 coins
  • Scaling Up – $8 per Apply Coin when purchasing 10 to 19 coins
  • Pro Deal – $7 per Apply Coin when buying 20 or more coins

Do note that the price varies based on the image type:

  • Uploading a 2D image costs 1 Apply Coin
  • Uploading a 3D image costs 2 Apply Coins
ApplyDesign - Pricing

Once you’ve selected the number of Apply Coins you wish to purchase, click the Proceed to Checkout button.

You will then be prompted to fill in your payment method details. Here’s information on their accepted payment methods:

  • Card Types Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, AmericanExpress, Discover, JCB, Diners Club International, and UnionPay International
  • Other Accepted Methods: Paypal, Klarna, Affirm, Alipay, and WeChat

It should only take a few seconds for your Apply Coins to appear. You will receive a Payment Successful notice and be emailed a receipt of your purchase. 

Once you’ve paid and have Apply Coins to spend, you are ready to begin the virtual staging process.

One last thing, ApplyDesign offers a 100% money-back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied with the virtual staging results.

Turnaround Time

Given that ApplyDesign is a do-it-yourself virtual staging service, the turnaround time is extremely fast. 

  • Once you are finished with your design, you will receive the high-resolution image for review within minutes
  • Most orders are completed within 20 minutes 
ApplyDesign - Turnaround Time

Besides, since it’s DIY, you’ll have all the time you need to get the exact result you are looking for. If you are unsatisfied with a design, you can make endless revisions until you are.

Fast & Affordable

Virtual Staging Service

Interiors. Landscapes. Commercial. Virtually transform any space.

Customer Support

ApplyDesign has limited customer support. I couldn’t find a phone number anywhere on their website.

However, they do offer two customer support options:

Also, once logged in, the site has live chat customer support functionality. 

The lack of a customer support phone number is a bit worrying, especially given that I haven’t worked with this company yet and don’t know the response time to their email. 

ApplyDesign Furniture Library 

ApplyDesign offers a decent selection of primarily contemporary-style furniture and decor items. 

You’ll find their furniture options in what they call the gallery. The gallery lets you search by room bundles or by furniture type.

The room bundles feature the following options:

  • Living rooms
  • Dining sets
  • Bedroom,
  • Children’s bedrooms
  • Bathroom fixtures
  • Basement furnishings
  • Office sets
  • And also exterior furniture and decor

If you prefer to search by furniture type, among your choices are the following:

  • Beds
  • Sofas
  • Lamps
  • Rugs
  • And so on

While ApplyDesign offers a few options for each furnishing and decor item, the selection is relatively sparse compared to the more extensive virtual staging services

AI Auto Design Beta

ApplyDesign is currently testing a fully automated virtual staging program powered by AI. 

You can do virtual staging using this program without having to do the virtual staging yourself. Simply upload your image, choose a room bundle, and the AI program does the rest. Some additional details:

  • Each image takes about 15 minutes to upload, design and render
  • You can make changes until you’re completely satisfied with the results

The program is currently in beta mode and is free. Once it launches, the service will be available for an additional cost. 

Virtual Staging Results

To try out the ApplyDesign virtual staging, I selected three rooms to be staged – a bedroom, a dining/kitchen, and a living room.

Let me start by saying that most of the deficiencies in the quality of the results were due to my lack of experience and technical skill in using their tools. And after half an hour I began to get better using the software, but it remained a bit of a challenge.

For example, the dining table in the kitchen looks off and not completely natural. But that was the best I could do after spending 45 minutes making changes.

I like how the living room turned out, but again the quality is lacking, and that is likely due to my inexperience.

The bedroom turned out okay, but again, not perfect. For example, I had a difficult time trying to get the nightstands to look the same size, and it sort of looks like the one to the right is floating in the air.

Pros and Cons of ApplyDesign

To give you a brief overview, here are some pros and cons of ApplyDesign virtual staging:

ProsCons
Easy to useNo customer support telephone #
Simple and intuitive websiteLimited furniture and decor options
Fast turnaroundYou have to do the virtual staging yourself

In the next part of our review, we’re going to discuss the difference between a virtual staging app and a virtual staging service.

A Virtual Staging App vs a Virtual Staging Service

As part of our review, let’s consider the differences between virtual staging apps and virtual staging services.

Virtual Staging Apps

Virtual staging apps are software programs that allow you to upload real estate photos and perform do-it-yourself virtual staging. ApplyDesign is one of these. The apps are typically easy to use and require minimal technical expertise.

Pros of Virtual Staging Apps:
  • Cost-effective: Virtual staging apps are typically more affordable than professional staging services
  • User-friendly: Virtual staging apps tend to be easy to use, even for those with limited technical skills
  • Quick turnaround: With virtual staging apps, users can typically upload photos and receive a finished product within a matter of minutes
Cons of Virtual Staging Apps:
  • Limited customization: Complex staging needs may not be possible
  • Quality concerns: The results are not always as polished as those from a service
  • Design learning curve: It can be a challenge for those with limited tech skills

Virtual Staging Services

Professional companies provide virtual staging services that employ skilled photo editors to virtually stage properties using high-quality, realistic furniture and decor. PhotoUp is this type of service.

Pros of Virtual Staging Services:
  • No design skills needed: Professional staging services do the staging for you
  • Customization: Virtual staging can be done to the client’s specific needs
  • Superior results: The quality of the virtual staging is simply the best
Cons of Virtual Staging Services:
  • Higher cost: Professional staging services typically charge per image or room, making them a bit more expensive than virtual staging apps
  • Longer turnaround time: It may take longer to receive the finished images compared to using a virtual staging app

So, by understanding the differences between virtual staging apps and services, you can decide which option is right for your needs.

Benefits of Centralized Services

Real estate sales professionals frequently use virtual staging services as part of real estate marketing efforts. However, many other real estate marketing solutions are also needed for every listing, including:

Single Property Website by PhotoUp
Single Property Website by PhotoUp

Consolidating all my real estate marketing needs with one vendor on one website is much easier and increases my efficiency. 

ApplyDesign offers only virtual staging services. And while their virtual staging is quite good, it makes vendor and service consolidation impossible, thereby requiring more of my time and money. 

Our Verdict: Is ApplyDesign Virtual Staging Worth Using?

So, to conclude our review, is ApplyDesign virtual staging worth using?

Yes, definitely. But plan on giving yourself a couple of hours to learn the staging tools. I’m a real estate sales agent, not a virtual stager, and the results reflect that.

ApplyDesign virtual staging has the following substantial benefits:

  • The service is easy to use
  • It’s affordable
  • Turnaround time is relatively quick
  • And the results are of decent quality

We’ve already noted a few of ApplyDesign’s drawbacks, such as:

  • Not everyone is skilled at DIY technology
  • Limited furniture and decor options
  • The only real estate marketing service they provide is virtual staging 

But those somewhat minor drawbacks aside, I’d have no hesitation in recommending ApplyDesign to someone looking for reliable and fast virtual staging. 

In fact, ApplyDesign and PhotoUp are exploring ways to collaborate on virtual staging and maybe other real estate marketing services. This leads us to the last part of this article.

Fast & Affordable

Virtual Staging Service

Interiors. Landscapes. Commercial. Virtually transform any space.

For the Best Virtual Staging and More – Choose PhotoUp

The ApplyDesign DIY virtual staging app is an excellent choice if you’re trying to save money. However, if you’re looking for the best virtual staging possible — for just slightly more cost — consider a professional service like PhotoUp

PhotoUp’s experienced virtual stagers do the design and editing for you so you get outstanding and authentic images.

Our comprehensive virtual staging services can handle any staging job, big or small, simple or complex, including the following:

  • Staging empty rooms with your choice of hundreds of professionally designed furnishings
  • Virtual repairs and remodeling
  • Decor updates and replacements
  • Decluttering and depersonalizing rooms
  • Sky replacement and lawn greening
  • And much more!

Additionally, PhotoUp offers many choices of furniture and decor options for various room types and in popular styles.

Commercial Virtual Staging by PhotoUp
Commercial Virtual Staging by PhotoUp

Finally, PhotoUp is a full-service real estate marketing company offering the following robust marketing solutions:

Custom House Portrait by PhotoUp
Custom House Portrait by PhotoUp

We have everything you need to market real estate under one roof!

So, take the next step!

Sign up for a free PhotoUp account and let our virtual staging services help impress your clients and sell your listings faster and for higher prices.

We hope you benefited from this ApplyDesign virtual staging review. Also, before you go, you may want to check out the following related resources:

Gregory Gronbacher

Real Estate Sales Agent / Professional Blogger

Gregory is a real estate sales agent and a state-certified instructor of real estate licensing and law. Originally from New York City, he's called Grand Rapids, Michigan home since 1995.

Connect with Gregory