Mortar vs Houzz Pro for interior design projects
Both tools help interior designers run projects — but they're built for different priorities. Houzz Pro leans on its marketplace and broad business suite; Mortar focuses on a calm, visual workflow for budgets, selections, and the client experience.
Written by Darren Clark — Founder of Mortar — 25+ years building software
Last updated September 17, 2026
Quick verdict
Choose Houzz Pro if lead generation from the marketplace is your priority. Choose Mortar if you want a visual, client-friendly workflow that keeps projects on budget.
Side by side
How they stack up
Mortar
$59/user/mo
One plan — unlimited projects
Best for: Visual budgeting, selections, and client experience
- Visual, real-time budget tracking
- Per-room selections and approvals
- Branded client portals
- Built-in product sourcing
Houzz Pro
$99/mo
Design plan; Pro $199, Teams from $399
Best for: Lead generation and all-in-one business management
- Lead generation from the Houzz marketplace
- Marketing and website tools
- Estimates and invoicing
- Project management
Feature by feature
Mortar vs Houzz Pro: feature comparison
Feature | Mortar | Houzz Pro |
|---|---|---|
Visual budget tracking | ✓ | — |
Per-room selections & approvals | ✓ | — |
Branded client portals | ✓ | ✓ |
Marketplace lead generation | — | ✓ |
Product web scraping | ✓ | — |
Estimates & invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
A closer look at Houzz Pro
Houzz Pro is a broad all-in-one platform built around the Houzz marketplace, covering lead generation, marketing, and project management for home-pros.
What are our strengths?
Mortar
- Purpose-built for the way designers think
- Transparent, client-friendly budgets
- Simpler, calmer day-to-day workflow
Houzz Pro
- Large built-in marketplace audience
- Established brand recognition
Which one is for you?
When to choose each tool
When to choose Mortar
- You want budgets your clients can actually read
- Selections and approvals should live in one place
- You care about a calm, branded client experience
When to choose Houzz Pro
- Marketplace lead generation is your top priority
- You want marketing and website tools bundled in
- You already run your business on Houzz
The verdict
Both tools can run an interior design studio
Houzz Pro is a strong all-rounder if you live in the Houzz ecosystem. Mortar is the calmer, more visual choice when budgets, selections, and the client experience matter most — and it costs less to start ($59 vs $99), with pricing and payment fees published in full.
See Mortar
Add it once, everything else keeps up
Free template
Not ready for a trial? Take the budget template.
Per-room budgets with live totals, a client-safe view with no trade pricing or margin, and traffic lights that turn amber before they turn red. Excel and Google Sheets, free.
Want the full story first? See what’s inside the free budget template.
Run your next project on one list. Get your evenings back.
Load a real project into the trial. Paste a product link and watch it fill itself in, then open the portal your client would see. You'll know within a week.
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