TLDR (Summary)
The best all-in-one CRM for interior designers is Plutio ($19/month).
Plutio replaces the fragmented stack of client management tools, project software, proposal tools, and accounting systems. When a client signs your proposal, project phases are ready, milestones are set, and payment schedules are in place.
Design firms lose significant billable hours every week to administrative toggling between disconnected tools, which costs around ~9% of time.
Explore the Freelancer Magazine for in-depth guides on project management, pricing, proposals, and more.
What is all-in-one software for interior designers?
All-in-one software for interior designers combines client management, proposals, contracts, project phases, time tracking, invoicing, and client portals in one connected platform.
When proposals, projects, time, and billing live in one place, scope changes flow through to invoicing automatically.
Why interior designers need an all-in-one platform
Interior Designers who grow beyond a handful of clients face a compounding problem: administrative overhead scales with every new engagement.
What works for 5 clients breaks down at 15. Each new client means another set of proposals, contracts, project timelines, invoices, and follow-ups, all managed across disconnected tools.
The context-switching cost
Every time you switch between apps, you lose focus. Research shows knowledge workers lose significant productive time to app-switching throughout the day. For interior designers, this translates to billable hours spent on coordination instead of client work.
The tool fragmentation problem
When scheduling lives in one app, projects in another, invoicing in a third, and contracts in a fourth, nothing connects. Tracked time doesn't automatically appear on invoices. Signed contracts don't trigger project setup. You become the bridge between all your tools.
The scaling tipping point
Most interior designers hit a threshold where the manual approach becomes the primary bottleneck to growth. Connected software lets you push past this ceiling by automating repetitive coordination tasks.
An all-in-one platform absorbs administrative work that would otherwise scale linearly with your client count.
Key features interior designers need
The essential features for interior designers connect client management with project delivery, billing, and communication in one platform.
How do interior designers create proposals?
Interior design proposals often include phased pricing: concept development, design development, procurement, installation. Plutio proposals support phases with separate pricing that connects to project setup.
Proposal templates save hours of repetitive work. Standard residential proposal with your phase structure. Commercial proposal template with different phase breakdowns. Each template includes your standard terms, fee structure, and deliverables. Customize each proposal per client, but start from your standard language.
Phased pricing structures match interior design workflows. Concept development phase might be 25% of total fee. Design development phase might be 35% of total fee. Procurement phase might be 20% of total fee. Installation phase might be 20% of total fee. Each phase connects to project setup and milestone billing automatically.
Design fee proposals outline scope clearly. Design services: $15,000. Procurement services: 20% markup on furnishings. Installation coordination: $5,000. Each line item connects to project phases and billing schedules. Clients see exactly what they're paying for and when.
How do interior designers manage project phases?
Interior design projects naturally divide into phases. Plutio project management supports phases with tasks, deadlines, and dependencies.
Phase organization matches standard interior design workflows. Concept development phase includes space planning, mood boards, and initial design concepts. Design development phase includes detailed drawings, material selections, and furniture specifications. Procurement phase includes vendor coordination, purchase orders, and delivery scheduling. Installation phase includes on-site coordination, styling, and final walkthrough.
Task dependencies ensure proper sequencing. Space planning must complete before mood boards develop. Mood boards must complete before material selections begin. Material selections must complete before purchase orders issue. Plutio prevents missed steps that delay project timelines.
Phase progress tracking shows clients where projects stand. Concept development phase: 90% complete. Design development phase: 60% complete. Procurement phase: 30% complete. Installation phase: Not started. Clients see progress through their portals without status update calls.
Milestone gates control phase transitions. Concept development phase completes when client approves design direction. Design development phase completes when client approves material selections. Procurement phase completes when all furnishings order. Installation phase completes when final walkthrough finishes. Each milestone triggers phase completion and billing events.
How do interior designers handle invoicing?
Design billing often follows project milestones. Plutio supports milestone invoicing with payment schedules tied to project phases.
Milestone payment schedules automate billing. When concept development phase completes and client approves, invoice generates automatically for 25% of design fee. When design development phase completes, invoice generates for 35% of design fee. When procurement phase completes, invoice generates for procurement markup. When installation phase completes, invoice generates for remaining fees.
Payment schedules connect to project phases. Concept approval milestone triggers first invoice. Design approval milestone triggers second invoice. Procurement completion triggers third invoice. Installation completion triggers final invoice. Each milestone connects to phase completion, so billing happens automatically when phases complete.
Procurement invoicing handles markup separately. Design fees bill on milestone schedule. Procurement markup bills when furnishings purchase. Installation fees bill when installation completes. Separate invoicing tracks design services versus procurement services clearly.
Milestone tracking shows payment status. First milestone: Paid. Second milestone: Invoiced, payment pending. Third milestone: Not yet reached. Clients see payment status through their portals. The visibility reduces payment delays and keeps cash flow consistent.
The deciding factor for interior designers is integration depth. Features that connect with each other eliminate duplicate effort across your workflow.
Software pricing for interior designers
The typical interior designer tool stack costs $100-200/month across 5-7 separate subscriptions that don't connect to each other.
What interior designers typically pay
- Scheduling (Calendly): $10-12/month
- Project Management (Asana/Trello): $10-25/month
- Time Tracking (Toggl/Harvest): $10-20/month
- Invoicing (FreshBooks/Wave): $17-33/month
- Contracts (DocuSign): $15-25/month
Beyond the subscription costs, disconnected tools create manual work, copying client details, calculating time totals, searching for signed contracts.
Plutio pricing (February 2026)
- Core: $19/month: All features, up to 9 active clients. Perfect for solo interior designers.
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited clients, up to 30 contributors, advanced permissions.
- Max: $199/month: Unlimited team, full white-label branding, custom domain.
The ROI calculation
- Tool consolidation: Save $60-150/month by replacing 5-7 separate subscriptions.
- Time recovery: Save 3-5 hours/week of admin work, at $50-100/hour, that's $750-2,000/month in billable time.
- Faster payments: Connected invoicing with auto-reminders reduces average payment time.
Plutio pays for itself in the first month through tool consolidation alone. Every hour saved after that is pure margin.
Why Plutio is the best platform for interior designers
Plutio handles business management as a complete, connected workflow. Data flows from the proposal to the final invoice with no manual copying.
Complete workflow integration
When a client accepts a proposal, the project is ready with tasks, timeline, and payment schedule. Time tracked against tasks feeds directly into invoices. Everything stays connected to the client record.
White-label everything
Clients log into a portal branded with your logo, colors, and domain. Every automated email, invoice, and notification carries your brand, not some third-party tool. On the Max plan, use your own domain for a fully branded experience.
Unified client communication
All messages, file shares, and updates live in one timeline per client. Any team member can pick up context instantly. No more "I didn't get that email" or searching through separate tools for conversation history.
Granular permissions
Control visibility at every level, which team members see which clients, what clients see in their portal, who can edit versus view. Security and clarity in one system.
No-code automations
Create rules that handle repetitive tasks: proposal accepted → create project, due date approaching → send reminder, invoice overdue → escalate notification. Set up once, runs continuously.
Native integrations
Connect Stripe, PayPal, Google Calendar, Outlook, QuickBooks, Xero, and 5,000+ apps through Zapier. Your financial data syncs automatically.
Everything runs from one app with your branding, your workflow logic, and your client experience.
How to set up Plutio for your interior designer business
Setting up Plutio takes 2-4 hours for initial configuration, with immediate benefits for all clients from day one.
Step 1: Configure your brand (30 mins)
Upload your logo, set brand colors, and connect your custom domain if on the Max plan. Link your Stripe or PayPal account for payments. Set your business details for invoices.
Step 2: Build your templates (1-2 hours)
Create project and proposal templates for your most common services. Start with 2-3 core templates:
- Standard engagement: Your most common project type with milestones, tasks, and deliverables pre-configured.
- Quick project: A streamlined template for smaller, faster engagements.
- Retainer/recurring: Template for ongoing monthly clients with recurring tasks and billing.
Step 3: Connect integrations (20-30 mins)
Sync your Google Calendar or Outlook. Connect Stripe or PayPal for payments. Link QuickBooks or Xero if you use them. Test each connection before going live.
Step 4: Import existing clients (30 mins)
Export your client list from your current tool as CSV and import into Plutio. Map fields, verify data, then invite clients to their new portals.
Step 5: Test with one real project
Send your next proposal through Plutio. Let it create the project automatically, track time, and invoice the client. One real project will show you exactly where to refine your templates.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Over-customizing too early: Start minimal and refine based on actual use.
- Migrating everything at once: Focus on new clients first, migrate active ones second.
- Skipping the test project: One real engagement reveals more than hours of configuration.
Build templates for the 80% cases. Customize edge cases individually as they come up.
Organizing your interior designer workflows
Structured organization is the difference between a business that scales smoothly and one that drowns in admin as it grows.
Organize by service type
- Core service: Your primary offering with detailed project templates and milestone tracking.
- Secondary services: Additional offerings with their own templates and pricing structures.
- Retainer work: Recurring engagements with automated billing and repeating task lists.
- One-off projects: Quick-turn engagements with streamlined templates.
Organize by client stage
- Prospect: Initial inquiry received, proposal being prepared.
- Active: Contract signed, project in progress.
- Delivered: Work complete, final invoice sent.
- Recurring: Ongoing relationship with scheduled touchpoints.
Template best practices
- Start with 3 templates maximum, expand as patterns emerge.
- Include task estimates so you can track actual vs. budgeted time.
- Build in review milestones where clients approve before you proceed.
- Add automation triggers: proposal signed → project created → client notified.
Consistent structures mean consistent delivery. Templates ensure every client gets the same quality regardless of how busy you are.
What do client portals look like?
Client portals give each client access to project status, documents, and communication history. Everything in one branded location.
Interior design clients access portals to see project progress, review design concepts, approve material selections, and track payment status. Portals organize information by project phase, making it easy for clients to understand where things stand.
Design review workflows happen through portals. Clients view mood boards, material samples, and furniture selections. They provide feedback directly in the portal, which attaches to the project timeline. Approval gates ensure clients sign off before phases proceed.
Document access keeps everything organized. Space plans, material specifications, purchase orders, and invoices all stored in one place. Clients download documents when needed without requesting copies through email. The organization reduces back-and-forth communication.
How to migrate to Plutio
Migration typically takes 3-5 hours of active work spread over a weekend. The best time to switch is between projects rather than mid-delivery.
Step 1: Export from your current tools
Most tools provide CSV export. Export your client list, active project details, and any template content you want to recreate in Plutio.
Step 2: Build templates in Plutio (2-3 hours)
Don't try to replicate your old system exactly. Use this as an opportunity to build cleaner workflows. Focus on your 3 most common project types.
Step 3: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect payment processing (Stripe/PayPal), calendar sync (Google/Outlook), and accounting (QuickBooks/Xero). Test each one before going live.
Step 4: Import client data (30 mins)
Upload your client CSV. Map fields to Plutio's structure. Run a small test batch first to verify everything looks right.
Step 5: Run parallel for new work
Use Plutio for all new clients and projects immediately. Keep your old system running for in-progress work only. Don't try to migrate active projects mid-stream.
Step 6: Phase out the old tool
Once all in-progress work completes in the old system, cancel that subscription. Keep your exports as archives.
Common migration pitfalls
- Trying to migrate everything: Focus on active clients and forward-looking workflows.
- Switching mid-project: Finish in-progress work on the old system.
- Not testing integrations: Verify payment processing works before relying on it.
Migration pays back in time saved on every future client interaction.
