IMSI Design
IMSI Design is a privately-held software publisher founded in 1983 that develops retail-oriented TurboCAD, DesignCAD, and FloorPlan 2D/3D CAD and home design software for Windows, Mac, and mobile, serving professional architects, engineers, builders, makers, students, and DIY consumers through perpetual and subscription licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersNovato, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What IMSI Design does
IMSI Design, LLC is a privately-held software publisher founded in 1983 and headquartered in Novato, California, that develops and sells retail-oriented 2D/3D CAD and home design software under three core product brands: TurboCAD (Windows and Mac, each in four tiers from Designer through Platinum), DesignCAD (Windows, beginner-oriented 2D/2D-3D), and FloorPlan / TurboFloorPlan (Windows and Mac, four home and landscape design tiers). The portfolio is extended by a broad add-on ecosystem including vertical plug-ins (Civil Design Suite, CAM, Furniture Maker, Animation Lab), rendering engines (LightWorks, RedSDK), an AI-powered Copilot plug-in, the TurboApps mobile platform (iOS and Android) with TurboSite field reporting and TurboViewer, and CAD companion tools (TurboPDF, TurboDraw, PDF2CAD, SectionCalc, TurboProject). The technology stack combines proprietary code developed by an in-house engineering team based in Russia since 1992 with licensed third-party kernels including Spatial Corp's ACIS solid modeling, Siemens PLM's D-Cubed 2D DCM geometric constraint solver, Lightworks and Redway3D rendering engines, and Open Design Alliance DWG compatibility (IMSI is a Founding Member of ODA).
The company serves a heterogeneous customer base spanning professional architects and engineers (drawn by affordable DWG-compatible CAD), mechanical designers and sheet-metal fabricators, builders and contractors, furniture/woodworking makers, students and educators, and consumer homeowners and DIY users. Revenue is generated through a dual perpetual-and-subscription licensing model: one-time purchases ranging from $49.99 (FloorPlan Express) to $1,499.99 (TurboCAD Platinum) plus annual/triennial subscriptions ($99.99-$599.99/year for TurboCAD tiered offerings), augmented by plug-ins, add-ons, affiliate referrals (15% commission), and aggressive educational discounts of up to 85% for accredited institutions. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via the imsidesign.com e-commerce storefront with phone-based sales support (1-800-833-8082), supplemented by an affiliate network and historically maintained international reseller offices; no enterprise field sales team is evident. IMSI has cumulatively distributed products to more than 16 million users over four decades and holds registered trademarks across all major product brands, with recent strategic emphasis on TurboCAD 2026 (released May 2026), TurboCAD Mac 17 (released June 2026), and the AI Copilot product line launched in 2025.
IMSI Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- IMSI Design
- Legal name
- IMSI Design, LLC
- Website
- https://imsidesign.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- IMSI Design is a privately-held software publisher founded in 1983 that develops retail-oriented TurboCAD, DesignCAD, and FloorPlan 2D/3D CAD and home design software for Windows, Mac, and mobile, serving professional architects, engineers, builders, makers, students, and DIY consumers through perpetual and subscription licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
IMSI Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- CAD and home design software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing (IMAAACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Digital Inventory, Part Libraries & Secure File Management (IMAAACAH)
Keywords
Where IMSI Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Novato
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
IMSI Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Perpetual Software Licenses: Traditional one-time purchase model where customers buy software licenses upfront. Prices range from $99.99 for DesignCAD 2D to $1,499.99 for TurboCAD Platinum 2026. Includes free updates within the same version.
- Term/Subscription Licenses: Annual or triennial subscription licenses providing continuous access to updates throughout the active term. Available for all TurboCAD Windows and Mac products. Prices range from $99.99/year for Designer to $599.99/year for Platinum.
- Plug-ins and Add-ons: Additional software modules including TurboCAD Copilot Professional (Help and Professional tiers), LightWorks rendering plugin, RedSDK plug-in, Animation Lab, CAM plug-in, Furniture Maker, Civil Design Suite, and training guides.
- Educational Sales: Special academic pricing up to 85% off standard retail for students, homeschoolers, teachers, and administrators at accredited institutions. Perpetual licenses with full functionality.
- Affiliate Commissions: 15% commission on sales originating from affiliate links, with 45-day cookie duration. Average order size approximately $125, minimum payment threshold $25.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | TurboCAD 2026 Designer - Entry-level 2D CAD |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | TurboCAD 2026 Deluxe - 2D/3D Drafting and Modeling |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | TurboCAD 2026 Professional - Advanced 2D/3D CAD |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | TurboCAD 2026 Platinum - Premium Professional CAD |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | DesignCAD 2D Express - Easy 2D CAD for Beginners |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | DesignCAD 3D Max - Easy 2D/3D CAD |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | FloorPlan 2025 Express - Basic Home Design |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | FloorPlan 2025 Instant Architect - Home Design and Remodel |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | FloorPlan 2025 Deluxe - Complete Home and Landscape Design |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | FloorPlan 2025 Pro - Professional Home and Landscape Design |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | TurboCAD Mac 17 Designer - 2D CAD for Mac |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | TurboCAD Copilot Professional Plug-in |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Educational Pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
IMSI Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
IMSI Design develops and publishes retail CAD and home design software for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Its three flagship product families — TurboCAD (professional 2D/3D CAD with ACIS solid modeling, D-Cubed parametric sketching, LightWorks/RedSDK rendering, and TurboCAD Copilot AI), DesignCAD (beginner-friendly 2D/3D CAD), and FloorPlan/TurboFloorPlan (drag-and-drop home and landscape design) — are sold via perpetual licenses and subscription term licenses, supported by plug-ins, CAD companion utilities, training, and the TurboApps mobile platform.
Product overview
IMSI Design is a CAD and home design software company offering three main product families: TurboCAD (Windows and Mac), DesignCAD (Windows), and FloorPlan (Windows and Mac). TurboCAD is the flagship brand available in four Windows tiers (Designer, Deluxe, Professional, Platinum) ranging from entry-level 2D to advanced 2D/3D CAD with ACIS solid modeling, and four Mac tiers (Designer, Deluxe, Pro, Platinum). DesignCAD provides beginner-friendly 2D and 2D/3D CAD for Windows. FloorPlan offers home and landscape design with four tiers from Express to Pro. Add-on modules include AI-powered Copilot, rendering plugins (LightWorks, RedSDK), vertical tools (Civil Design Suite, CAM, Furniture Maker), mobile apps (TurboSite, TurboViewer), CAD companions (TurboPDF, TurboDraw, SectionCalc), and training products. TurboApps mobile platform extends the portfolio to iOS and Android. Licensing includes perpetual purchases and subscription term licenses (1-year and 3-year).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TurboCAD: All-Purpose 2D/3D CAD Software Solutions for Windows and Mac users
- DesignCAD
- FloorPlan (TurboFloorPlan)
- TurboApps
- TurboProject
- TurboPDF
Products and services
- TurboCAD 2026 (Windows) All-purpose 2D/3D CAD software for Windows offered in four tiers from entry-level drafting (Designer) to professional 3D with ACIS solid modeling (Platinum); targets architects, mechanical designers and makers who need DWG-compatible CAD at lower cost than enterprise suites.
- TurboCAD Mac 17 2D/3D CAD solution for macOS in four tiers from entry-level drafting (Designer) to professional 3D CAD (Platinum), designed for architects, engineers, builders, makers and Mac-based professionals needing DWG/DXF/SketchUp/STEP interoperability and AI-assisted workflows.
- TurboCAD Term License (Subscription) Annual and triennial subscription licensing for all TurboCAD Windows and Mac editions, providing continuous updates throughout the active term as an alternative to one-time perpetual licenses.
- TurboCAD Copilot AI-powered design assistant plug-in for TurboCAD sold as 1-year or 3-year term licenses; Copilot Help provides RAG-based answers from the User Guide, FAQs, YouTube tutorials and forums, while Copilot Professional adds Talk to Your CAD Data, General AI access and Copilot Render text-to-image generation.
- DesignCAD 3D Max Easy-to-use 2D/3D CAD software for Windows targeting beginners, hobbyists, makers and DIY enthusiasts; includes 3D modeling, surface modeling, STL support for 3D printing, OpenGL rendering, animation, and SketchUp 2024/3MF/FBX interoperability.
- DesignCAD 2D Express Entry-level 2D CAD software for Windows with an intuitive interface, hundreds of drafting tools, AutoCAD DWG/DXF compatibility, PDF import and layer management; aimed at beginners learning CAD.
- FloorPlan Home & Landscape Home and landscape design software for Windows and Mac in four tiers (Express, Instant Architect, Deluxe, Pro) with drag-and-drop design, 2D/3D views, 4,000+ plant library, photorealistic rendering, cost estimation and SmartWand material application; intended for homeowners, remodelers and DIY enthusiasts.
- TurboApps Mobile Platform Mobile application platform for iOS and Android devices that hosts TurboSite field reporting, TurboReview, and TurboViewer (Standard and Pro) CAD viewing, with a licensable SDK for partners; targets AEC field workflows.
- STEM Solutions (Educational Product Line) Educational product line that combines CAD and home design software with plugins, tutorials, videos and training into six complete solutions for 2D drafting, 3D design, home landscape, mechanical engineering, woodworking and other STEM subjects; eligible for educational pricing up to 85% off and multi-user perpetual licensing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Products distributed to over 16 million users worldwide since 1983
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use IMSI Design
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
IMSI Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
AI capability7 records
Feature12 records
IMSI Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Lightworks DesigncoreLightworks is a leading supplier of integrated photorealistic rendering for advanced 3D graphics applications, embedded in over 80 software applications and used by more than 2 million people. TurboCAD 3D applications for Windows can purchase a plugin to add the Lightworks Rendering Engine and Materials library.
- Redway3DcoreRedway3D S.A.S. is an independent software development company based in Paris, France. Redway3d was the first and still the sole company to offer a single API covering all visualization needs from 2D to real-time 3D and photorealistic rendering, with a run-time/royalty-free business model.
- Siemens PLM SoftwarecoreSiemens PLM Software provides world-class PLM Components for integration into modeling, simulation, and manufacturing applications. TurboCAD Pro Platinum uses the D-Cubed 2D DCM, the industry standard geometric constraint solver for parametric sketching.
- Spatial CorpcoreSpatial Corp is a market-leading provider of 3D software components for application developers. IMSI uses Spatial's ACIS solid modeling engine for 3D CAD operations in TurboCAD.
- Open Design Alliance (ODA)coreThe Open Design Alliance is a non-profit technology consortium of 1200 member companies working together to develop solutions for complex engineering design problems. IMSI Design is a Founding Member of ODA. ODA-based technology provides .dwg compatibility that extends beyond AutoCAD's native capability.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
IMSI Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- PTC (Onshape): Onshape is a cloud-native, SaaS-only professional CAD platform from PTC that targets the same mechanical engineering and SMB segments IMSI serves, with collaborative features TurboCAD does not offer. It represents the architectural direction (cloud, subscription) the broader CAD market is moving toward.
- FreeCAD: FreeCAD is an open-source, free 3D parametric modeler that increasingly meets the needs of hobbyists, makers, and budget-constrained users who might otherwise buy DesignCAD or FloorPlan. It exerts constant downward pricing pressure on IMSI's lower tiers.
Direct peers
- Bricsys (BricsCAD): Bricsys sells BricsCAD, a DWG-native 2D/3D CAD for Windows, Mac, and Linux at price points directly comparable to TurboCAD. It pursues the same value-conscious professional and prosumer segment and competes head-to-head on DWG compatibility, perpetual licensing, and Mac support.
- ZWSOFT (ZWCAD): ZWCAD is an affordable, DWG-compatible 2D/3D CAD available on Windows, Mac, and mobile, positioned almost identically to TurboCAD on price ($300–$1,000+ tiering) and feature parity. It is one of the closest direct substitutes for TurboCAD in the retail and SMB CAD market.
- Chief Architect Software: Chief Architect produces home design software for residential architects, builders, and homeowners — directly overlapping with IMSI's FloorPlan / TurboFloorPlan line. It is one of the most established specialty competitors in the home and landscape design category.
- CorelCAD: CorelCAD is an affordable DWG-compatible 2D/3D CAD for Windows and Mac sold by Alludo/Corel. It competes with TurboCAD on price, file compatibility, and platform support, targeting the same SMB and prosumer buyers.
- Trimble (SketchUp): SketchUp is a 3D modeling tool widely used by architects, makers, and DIY users — the same prosumer and home design segments IMSI targets with DesignCAD 3D Max and FloorPlan. TurboCAD explicitly supports SketchUp file import/export, underscoring the direct competitive overlap.
Broad incumbents
- Nemetschek Group (Vectorworks): Vectorworks is a professional CAD/BIM platform focused on architecture, landscape, and entertainment design — directly competitive with TurboCAD's architectural use cases while also serving as a comparison point for FloorPlan Pro in the landscape design segment.
- Dassault Systèmes (DraftSight / SolidWorks): Dassault's DraftSight is a direct DWG-based 2D/3D CAD alternative to TurboCAD for SMBs, while SolidWorks is the dominant mechanical CAD in IMSI's mechanical engineering and sheet metal customer segments. Together they bracket IMSI from below (price) and above (mechanical depth).
- Autodesk (AutoCAD / Fusion 360): Autodesk is the dominant CAD incumbent whose AutoCAD is the de facto industry standard for 2D/3D drafting and DWG compatibility — the exact compatibility IMSI's TurboCAD is built around. Autodesk's Fusion 360 also targets the SMB/maker segment IMSI serves, making it the most consequential competitor across nearly every IMSI product line.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
IMSI Design social profiles
Digital presenceIMSI Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
IMSI Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
IMSI Design subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
IMSI Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
IMSI Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about IMSI Design
What does IMSI Design do?
IMSI Design develops and publishes retail CAD and home design software for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. Its three flagship product families — TurboCAD (professional 2D/3D CAD with ACIS solid modeling, D-Cubed parametric sketching, LightWorks/RedSDK rendering, and TurboCAD Copilot AI), DesignCAD (beginner-friendly 2D/3D CAD), and FloorPlan/TurboFloorPlan (drag-and-drop home and landscape design) — are sold via perpetual licenses and subscription term licenses, supported by plug-ins, CAD companion utilities, training, and the TurboApps mobile platform.
Is IMSI Design a public or private company?
IMSI Design is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was IMSI Design founded?
IMSI Design was founded in 1983. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is IMSI Design based?
IMSI Design is headquartered in Novato, United States, in the North America region.
How does IMSI Design make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Perpetual Software Licenses are the primary driver. The others are term/Subscription Licenses, plug-ins and Add-ons, educational Sales and affiliate Commissions.
Who are IMSI Design's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are PTC (Onshape) and FreeCAD. Direct peers are Bricsys (BricsCAD), ZWSOFT (ZWCAD), Chief Architect Software, CorelCAD and Trimble (SketchUp). Broad incumbents are Nemetschek Group (Vectorworks), Dassault Systèmes (DraftSight / SolidWorks) and Autodesk (AutoCAD / Fusion 360).
Does IMSI Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for IMSI Design.
What industry is IMSI Design in?
IMSI Design's product category is CAD and home design software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAAACAA, 3D Design & CAD for Additive Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMAAACAH, Digital Inventory, Part Libraries & Secure File Management. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.