Modsy Vs. Havenly Comparison Review

I tried both Modsy and Havenly to get a design for the same room with the exact same requests and needs. Here’s how the two e-design services performed and which one I liked better. Updated July 6, 2022

I have tried Modsy for my bedroom remodel and Havenly for my living room update, and I got a lot of questions about which one I would recommend when the two companies are put head to head. The two projects were very different and I had very different needs so I didn’t feel like I had an accurate gauge of how they stack up to each other. So I decided to buy another package from Modsy and Havenly and give them the exact same room and requests to see how they differ. Here’s the most fair and accurate comparison I can provide, along with my honest opinions of which company I liked the best.

UPDATE JULY 6, 2022: Modsy is no longer in business according to this article. After checking out Modsy’s website, it is still online but all packages, pricing, and signup options have been removed. It appears Modsy is closed. Feel free to keep reading the comparison below, or check out my Havenly review here. I do have a Havenly discount code LELA25 that gets you 25% off a design package. My Modsy discount code is no longer active.

The Project I Submitted To Modsy And Havenly

I have plans to upgrade my craft room/blog studio to more of a functioning office for not just myself but also my team. It’s a big room with a kitchenette and is connected to my husband and son’s man cave, and currently it’s stashed with mostly cheap organizers from Ikea. While it works well for my needs, I am a person that doesn’t work well with clutter.

The room is as organized as it can possibly be, but I can still see everything which really overwhelms me. And when my team is working in-studio, there really isn’t a place for us to work together. So I asked both Havenly and Modsy for a team-oriented workspace with a craft zone, a lounge area, and lots of storage. I specified that I wanted it to feel more like a living/dining room and less like an office. I also mentioned that I like muted neutrals and was interested in dark green.

My only other request was to ensure wheelchair accessibility and ADA-compliant pathways for my brother, Brad, who is my longest-term team member. Aside from those requests, I left the rest up to the designers. I wanted to give them enough freedom for the designs to differ.

Get 25% off your own Havenly design package here with code LELA25

The Setup Process

The setup process for Modsy involves walking around the room with your phone facing the middle to capture a video of the whole space to save you from having to take pictures and measurements. You also choose some inspo photos to define your style, answer questions, and have a video chat with your assigned designer. Read about the full Modsy process here.

The process to get started with Havenly is pretty different. For Havenly, you submit photos from all angles of the room, measure the lengths yourself, and hand-draw a layout sketch of your space. Instead of choosing inspo photos from the app, you have to upload ones you’ve found yourself. You then complete a fun little quiz, and wait for your designer to send you a message. Read about the full Havenly process here.

Setup Process Winner:

While the video scan of the room with Modsy is frustrating and I had to do it three times to get the app to accept it, I think Modsy wins the setup phase. I don’t like having to find and upload my own inspiration photos with Havenly, especially if I’m not sure what I want. And measuring such a big room was a pain. Modsy was much easier to get my room info submitted.

The Designers

Havenly allows you to browse through their designers based on your preferred style and view their portfolios before starting your project. I think this was really fun to see what they have done for other clients, and it helped me find my design soulmate who was into exactly the same style I am.

Modsy does not allow you to choose your own designer at this time. Instead, you complete a style quiz that tells Modsy what you’re into and they pair you with a designer they think is a good fit. I have worked with two different designers with Modsy so far and both of them were great, so obviously the style quiz is accurate. The only thing I can ding the Modsy Designers for is their direct messages. They seem very copy-paste and not very personal. I can’t tell if it’s a real person or a generated response.

Designer Winner:

I’ve got to give this category to Havenly if you’re a bit of a control freak like me. I much prefer to choose the person I’m working with and being paired with someone I know nothing about made me anxious. If you don’t want to take the time finding a designer, Modsy would be a better choice for you.

The Design Process

Modsy starts by providing you with two 2D layout options in which you choose your favorite. Once they layout is chosen, you then receive two different 3D design plans. Both plans are the exact same layout, but the styles are quite different so you get a good variety of options. After seeing both design plans, you can ask for revisions on either of them to nail down exactly what you want. You can also use their 3D software for free to make unlimited changes yourself.

Havenly starts with three concept ideas in the form of a mood board, then provides one design plan, also a mood board. You can ask for revisions until you’re happy with it, then you’ll receive one 2D layout of two wall views. You can submit additional photos and have Havenly make you a 3D layout on request only.

Design Process Winner:

I’ve got to give this one to Modsy by a long shot. The fact that you get two layouts and two complete 3D design plans is a clear winner. I was not a fan of how Havenly provides mostly just mocked-up mood boards and I felt like they were a little sparse. And I really didn’t like how Havenly does the product selection before the layout, because some items didn’t even fit in the room to scale. Modsy’s design process runs laps around Havenly all day long.

The Product Selections

Both companies offer actual products you can buy straight from your design plans, and both allow you to shop through their site which makes it really easy to order from multiple retailers at once. The designers receive commission from any purchases you make through the site, and I do recommend doing that. It’s like giving your designer a tip without actually tipping them. The prices aren’t marked up, and both companies apply any retailer discounts and coupons to your purchases.

The only difference I noticed in the products were that a lot of the “brands” on Modsy are ones I’ve never heard of. And when I Googled the brands, no results came up. I assume maybe they’re house brands or wholesale providers. But that doesn’t give me any way to read reviews. And a lot of Modsy’s suggested items are ridiculously expensive. I would suggest using their selections as a guide for shopping for alternatives.

Product Selections Winner:

Havenly takes the cake on the product offerings, simply due to the fact that they suggest reputable brands that can be found online, researched, and have public reviews. I just can’t shop from Modsy because I don’t trust the ghost brands they market.

The Timeframe To Completion

From filling out the setup questionnaires to receiving a completed revised plan, Modsy and Havenly differ by a lot when it comes to timing. Modsy finished the whole process in one week. Havenly took three weeks. There’s a long wait time on most designers for Havenly. My first time using Havenly was a wait time of a month and a half. But all three times I used Modsy resulted in a week or so consistently.

Timeframe Winner:

Modsy has the best turnaround for sure. Whether you’re impatient like I am or you’re not in a hurry at all, Modsy has proved to have timings. They are never late, always deliver when they say they will, and exceeded my expectations when it comes to keeping their word.

Pricing

At the time of writing this blog post, the packages I chose were $129 for the Full with Havenly and $159 for the Premium with Modsy. Havenly offers a Mini package for $79, and Modsy does not offer a smaller package. But Modsy does offer a discounted rate when you buy multiple rooms. Havenly does not offer this. There really isn’t a pricing winner since the companies are so similar, and I think both options are fair.

Get 25% off your own Havenly design package here with code LELA25

Overall Personal Opinions

Ok, so here’s my final opinions on Modsy and Havenly. Given that the pricing is very similar and the offerings are similar, too, I would rank Modsy a little higher than Havenly on most aspects. Modsy’s quality of designs, the amount of products in each design, the choice of two layouts and designs, and the ability to use the 3D Planner software edges out Havenly.

I feel like when the two are compared apples to apples, Modsy offers better and faster service and their entire service offering is just a little more high-tech. The only thing I think Havenly really wins with is the fact that the retailers they promote are reputable and searchable. But I couldn’t really afford the things Modsy suggested anyway so I would be shopping for alternatives like I did for the bedroom in this post.

Which design did I choose for the studio?

I know you’re dying to see which option I chose to go with for my studio, but honestly I loved bits and pieces of both Havenly’s and Modsy’s designs. So I’m going to pull them both together and create a combo. The Havenly design was not wheelchair-friendly at all, and the Modsy design didn’t work measurement-wise. But I got some great ideas from both design plans and I’ll be using them both as inspiration for a functional layout. Long story short, neither option worked for me so I’m still left trying to figure it out on my own.

Read The Full Reviews Of Modsy And Havenly

If you want a more in-depth look at each service and how they work, you can read my individual reviews. Neither company compensated me for these posts and they’re completely sponsor-free. Here’s the Modsy review and here’s the Havenly review.

Special Discounts For Havenly And Modsy

I reached out to both companies, and Modsy offered my readers this affiliate link. Havenly offered a 25% discount with promo code LELA25.

Get 25% off your own Havenly design package here with code LELA25