We build RackCity AI, one of the eight tools in this table. That's the bias, stated once. The rest of the page is what each tool did and didn't do when we gave it the same pallet rack layout job, with the prices from each vendor's public pricing page.
The table comes first, then a short note per tool, then a decision list. On a phone the table scrolls sideways.
How we ran this comparison
Same job for every tool: lay out selective pallet racking in a 100,000 sq ft (about 9,300 m²) rectangular building with a regular column grid, as many positions as possible, 10 ft (3 m) aisles. Then we noted three things.
First, how long it took to get a complete first layout. Second, whether the tool understood rack geometry (frame depth, beam length, back-to-back pairs, flue space) or just drew rectangles. Third, whether it counted pallet positions or left the arithmetic to us.
Prices are from each vendor's public pricing page and were last checked in July 2026; vendors change them, so treat the column as a guide, not a quote. Two tools (Bluebeam, Visio) aren't built for this job at all. We scored them on what they are for and said so in the notes.
The big comparison table
| Criterion | RackCity AI | AutoCAD | SketchUp Pro | RackPlanner | Visio | SmartDraw | Bluebeam Revu | Floorplanner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (2026) | Free to start; $29–99/mo | $1,865/yr | $349/yr | $595 once | $5–15/mo | $9.95/mo | $260/yr | $5–29/mo |
| Browser-based | Yes | Web app only | Web app only | No | Limited web | Yes | No | Yes |
| Rack-aware geometry | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Auto pallet position count | Yes | Manual | Manual | Yes | Manual | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| AI layout generation | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Column burying logic | Yes | Manual | Manual | Basic | Manual | Manual | N/A | Manual |
| Aisle compliance check | Truck-type bands | Manual | Manual | Basic | Manual | Manual | N/A | Manual |
| 3D visualization | Coming soon (3D bay view in development) | Yes | Excellent | Basic | No | Basic | No | Yes |
| .dwg export | No (PDF, CSV, Excel) | Native | Yes (Pro) | Yes | Limited | Limited | PDF/.dwg | Limited |
| Learning curve | < 1 hr | Weeks | Days | Hours | Hours | < 1 hr | Days | < 1 hr |
| Real-time collaboration | Cloud projects | Cloud feature | Yes | No | M365 | Yes | Studio sessions | Yes |
| Best fit | Rack layout iteration | Permit drawings | 3D presentation | Solo desktop rack work | Diagrams in decks | Quick mockups | PDF markup | Concept-stage plans |
"Rack-aware geometry" means the tool itself knows frame depth, beam length and how a back-to-back pair is built, and holds the drawing to those numbers. "Manual" means you can draw a rack in it, but nothing stops a 42 in (1,067 mm) frame from being drawn at 36 in, and nobody counts positions but you. RackCity AI's price cell: the Free plan is $0 (a limited number of AI requests, one cloud project, no exports); Solo is $29/mo and Warehouse Pro $99/mo. "Cloud projects" in the collaboration row means saved projects with versions you can reopen anywhere, not two people editing one drawing at once.
Tool-by-tool notes
RackCity AI
The only browser tool in the table built for pallet rack layout. Draw the building, columns and doors, sketch a zone, and it packs the racking: single-deep, back-to-back or double-deep rows, columns buried in the flue, speed bays, dead bays and tunnels, with a position count that updates on every change. Forky AI, the built-in chat, drafts the layout from a sentence or from an uploaded building flyer (a PDF or a photo of the plan). Metric mode paints metres, mm and kg with an EU catalog (900–1,200 mm frames; 2,700, 3,300 and 3,900 mm beams for three Euro pallets).
What it isn't: a permit-grade drawing tool. It is 2D today, with a 3D bay view in development and expected soon. Exports are a Layout PDF (floor plan plus an elevation per rack type), a Bill of Materials as CSV or Excel, and a Pricing Summary PDF; there is no .dwg. It doesn't build cantilever, drive-in, push-back, pallet-flow or mobile racking. It's free to start; exports need a paid plan (plans). To see the output across building shapes, browse the warehouse pallet rack layout examples.
AutoCAD
The file format everyone downstream wants: a steel fabricator, a permit office and an MEP engineer can all open a .dwg. Against that: $1,865 a year, weeks to get fluent, and no idea what a rack is. Every upright is a rectangle you drew, every position count is a calculator. Treat it as the deliverable tool, not the design tool.
SketchUp Pro
The best 3D in the table for the money, with a large component library (3D Warehouse) that includes some rack frames if you dig. It won't count positions or hold an aisle width. Use it for the client walkthrough, not the layout. The SketchUp vs RackCity AI page goes through this in detail.
RackPlanner
An older Windows desktop tool that does understand racks: frame depth, beam length and aisle clearances are real inputs, and it counts positions. The interface is dated and there is no browser or collaboration, but a one-time license and a workflow you already know count for a lot if you work alone. See RackCity AI vs RackPlanner for the full comparison.
Microsoft Visio
Fine for a warehouse diagram in a slide deck, especially when your team already pays for M365. It isn't CAD: nothing enforces scale, and the rack stencils are pictures, not geometry. Good for showing an idea, wrong for sizing a steel order.
SmartDraw
Browser diagramming with warehouse templates, cheap and learned in an hour. The templates are clipart: a rack shape has no frame depth or beam length behind it and nothing counts. Reasonable for an early sketch, nothing more.
Bluebeam Revu
The standard for marking up PDFs. When an architect sends a drawing set and you need to dimension, red-line and coordinate on top of it, Revu is the tool. It can't lay out a warehouse from a blank page, and it doesn't claim to.
Floorplanner
A 2D/3D floor plan tool aimed at real estate listings; the free tier stops at one project. Small operators sometimes use it for a warehouse mockup. Clean visuals, no engineering behind them.
Decision tree: which one is right for you?
Few teams run one tool. Pick a primary by where your hours go, then add one deliverable tool:
- Most of your time goes to pallet rack layouts and quotes → RackCity AI, with AutoCAD or SketchUp for the deliverable
- Most of your time goes to engineering drawings for permits → AutoCAD, with RackCity AI for the layout phase
- Most of your time goes to 3D for client pitches → SketchUp Pro, with RackCity AI for the 2D layout underneath
- Most of your time goes to marking up architect PDFs → Bluebeam Revu
- You work alone on Windows and want no subscription → RackPlanner (one-time license), or RackCity AI's Free plan if you don't need exports
- You need one diagram for one slide → SmartDraw, Visio or Floorplanner, whichever you already have
What's not on this list
Left out on purpose:
- WMS platforms (SAP EWM, Manhattan, Mecalux Easy WMS): they run a warehouse after it's built; they don't lay one out.
- BIM tools (Revit, Archicad): built for the building, used by architects; far more than racking needs.
- Slotting software (Slot3D and the like): decides which SKU goes in which position once the racking exists. Not a layout tool.
- Mechanical CAD (Fusion 360, SolidWorks): can draw a building, but aimed at parts and products.
If a tool you expected is missing, it's probably in one of those groups. If it isn't, tell us and we'll run it on the same building.
Warehouse design software FAQ
What is the best warehouse design software?
It depends on the deliverable. For laying out pallet racking and getting a position count on every change, a rack-specific tool (RackCity AI, RackPlanner) beats general CAD. For stamped permit drawings, AutoCAD is still the standard. For a 3D walkthrough, SketchUp. Most teams pair a rack-layout tool with one deliverable tool rather than forcing one tool to do both. The ranked list argues each placing.
Is there free warehouse design software?
Partly. RackCity AI is free to start: the Free plan gives a limited number of AI requests and one cloud project, and exports need a paid plan. Floorplanner and SketchUp have limited free tiers, and most vendors offer a trial. The catch with generic free tools is that none of them understand rack geometry, so you draw rectangles and count positions by hand. What "free" gets you in each tool is broken down in the free warehouse design software guide.
Can I design a warehouse layout in Excel or Visio?
You can, and plenty of dealers have for years. Three things go wrong: nothing holds the drawing to scale (a 9 ft aisle drawn at 6 ft looks fine on screen), nothing knows a frame depth from a beam length or a flue space, and the position count is a hand calculation you redo on every revision. For a one-off sketch that's acceptable. The third or fourth revision usually costs more than a tool would have.
What software do pallet racking dealers use?
Usually two tools: something fast for layout and quoting while the deal is live, then AutoCAD for the final engineering drawings once the design is locked. The pallet rack dealer sales process guide shows where the design step sits between the site visit and the signed quote.
Each tool wins some cells and loses others. The question is which cells your work lives in. For pallet rack layout with a live position count, RackCity AI wins. For the stamped drawing, AutoCAD. For the 3D pitch, SketchUp. For everything else the answer is whichever deliverable you're producing.