There are fewer cabinet folks on this forum than once were. There may be more over at Facebook where I don't go.   The short answer: 2020 is for you IF you are interested in high turnover/volume, low to mid range cabinet brands, don’t deal with much remodel of the space, consider a box store your competitor, don’t really want to invest much time in learning or setting up.   Chief is for you IF you handle upper middle to better brands (many don’t have 2020 catalogs), want to provide complete, better drawings (to get more referrals from allied pros), willing to invest time learning and setting up, want to outshine the competition, deal with the space/construction regularly, ever push the limit.   I used 2020 from version 5.1 to 9.1; exclusively for 9 yrs though supplemented it CAD, PDF, Envisioneer, hand drafting and spreadsheet to fix the dismal pricing. Once I got Chief is still used 2020 in a limited fashion to get item lists for a few years occasionally. My opinion is a bit harsh (and I drank CAs kool-aid:)  I can't speak to the current version of 2020 though I did keep track of it until a few years ago. Back when I dropped it: support was dismal, stability bad, cabinet pricing unreliably inaccurate, responsiveness to user requested improvements was almost non existent. AFAIK all this was the same as little as 5 yrs ago based on friends forced to use it.   All of those are far superior with Chief, with the exception of pricing.   What CA does NOT have.  In CA the Mfg do do NOT have any cabinets in them which also means they will not OOB match Mfg nomenclature. You set up in cabinets in your user library and/or make Style Palettes for them.  Setting up nomenclature often needs to be specific to a Mfg and can get complicated if you want to automate it but there are ways.  CA does not do any pricing. For me this has been a non issue. For years I was already exporting item lists from 2020 to spreadsheet template order forms I made. In Chief I use cabinet schedules to copy and "paste special" into a spreadsheet to do the same thing. In each case I was looking up pricing in a PDF price list. The only difference is that with Chief I had to enter it all (copy/paste). For some brands it eventually became possible to use the spreadsheet to copy line items into an online ordering system quickly as long as the nomenclature is set up properly. There is an advantage to this system though. You become more familiar with costs and then are better able to adjust a job to meet a budget. You can also more quickly compare total cost of variations once you figure out a system to do that with a couple of clicks. Things that CA has   A robust ability to import symbols, textures, create tile, use any countertop material you can find an image for, any appliance you can find a 3D file of.   Adjust textures, create door styles. I have not found anything I could not draw in Chief that can’t be built.   There are ways to check clearances of hood inserts into custom hood enclosures. Check clearnaces to part of a building, make sure you ductwork can actually be vented. Check clearance for drain pipes when changing locations of fixutres.   Far superior drawings and dimensioning abilities. Benefit below. NOTE- the national average closing rate for GCS (Glorified Cabinet Salesman/aka KD) is 33%. I had a closing rate over 80%. This was thanks to cultivating a stable of allied professionals for referrals where the closing rate ranked in the 90s. Supplying better drawings than the other 30 sources for cabinets within ½ hr drive of me had the best ones come back over and over.   A personal note: I was laid off by a Wood Mode Cabinet dealer at the end of 09 during a recession. Got a 2020 license to freelance then coupled it with Envisioneer. Then I picked up an upper middle cabinet line. A year later I got CA. At a time when the many local dealers were opting to sell Chinese cabinets or knock downs I became a QCCI dealer. I immediately ended up with a whole house reno job from a designer I'd worked with; 6 rooms of highly detailed cabinets and two closets all done in CA. CA became a major factor in getting my dealership running and going. A decade later I was drafting jobs for a hi-end cabinet company involving 15 to 30 rooms of cabinets; none of which could have been done with 2020.   Many thanks to the folks in Coeur d'Alene. Answer from MarkMc on chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com
🌐
2020 Spaces
2020spaces.com › home › 2020 products
All 2020 3D Design Software | 2020 Spaces
October 14, 2025 - Whether you are a professional designer, retailer or manufacturer in the interior design and furniture industries, 2020 has the right tools for you to capture ideas, inspire innovation and streamline processes. ... Design Flex kitchen & bathroom design software is a complete space planning and visualization solution with integrated manufacturer catalogs and 3D rendering capabilities that help interior designers create beautiful spaces.
🌐
Canada Kitchens
canadakitchens.ca › home › 2020 design catalog
2020 design catalog - Canada Kitchens
July 8, 2024 - Download our 2020 design catalog and create stunning 3D renders sure to amaze your clients and close the deal.
Discussions

2020 vrs CA
Hello all, My name is Richard and have been designing and selling kitchens and baths for the past 7 years. Love it! I have used 2020 design for the entire time, but this year have been looking to up my services. Have been researching several platforms and Chief Architect is one of those. Taking t... More on chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com
🌐 chieftalk.chiefarchitect.com
3
January 18, 2024
Anybody have experience with 2020 Design Kitchen? How would someone learn how to use it?
Not really a place for asking how to pirate a piece if software. As for the training, try a few google searches, or even the companies website? More on reddit.com
🌐 r/InteriorDesign
10
6
June 26, 2014
What are the 2019-2020 kitchen must haves?
  1. Cabinets with pull out drawers instead of shelves

  2. Softclose drawers.

  3. A rack to put pot lids in/on!

  4. Appliance garage in the pantry

  5. USB ports built into the electrical - maybe some kind of location specifically designed for charging devices

  6. Under cabinet lighting

  7. A built in spice rack - any real cook has LOTS of spices I think.

  8. Solid surface countertops. I prefer the "quartz" style over the granite because they're manufactures and typically require less care. Granite is supposed to be sealed regularly, last I checked.

  9. A LARGE pantry. It's never a bad thing to have a space to put your gadgets.

  10. Wood or tile flooring in a neutral shade. I would avoid the greys, personally, and go with a medium brown. It's popular now and is never really out of style. Maybe not the most popular option

  11. BIG sink. Hard to clean large pots in a sink that's only 8 inches deep.

  12. LOTS of electrical outlets along the counter for plugging kitchen gadgets into

What I would NOT put in:

  1. Just my .02... but do NOT put one of those microwaves that are in a drawer style. They're a pain in the ass to use and they're a bunch of money that could be used so much better somewhere else...

  2. "natural" stone products - the maintenance is a pain in the ass and cleaning those tiny wall tiles that are similar to a ledgestone SUCKS if you're trying to get grease/cooked food off of them. Kitchens can be beautiful AND practical.

More on reddit.com
🌐 r/InteriorDesign
10
10
December 30, 2018
What are the kitchen options that are must have in luxury 2020 kitchens?
A faucet over the cooktop for filling pots. A high capacity vent hood that's actually vented outside and heated makeup air. I can't tell you how much it pisses me off to see an expensive kitchen with a vent hood that doesn't actually vent anywhere. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Cooking
342
611
January 13, 2018
🌐
2020 KITCHEN DESIGN
2020kitchendesign.com
Virtual 2020 Kitchen Design Service at Affordable Price
Affordable Virtual 2020 Kitchen design service starting at just $18 per design. Get a 3D Rendering, Floor Plans, Quote using Kitchen Design software.
Address   33624, Tampa, USA
🌐
Udemy
udemy.com › design › interior design › interior design
Kitchen Design 2020 Spaces Design Software-Amazing Kitchens | Udemy
2020 Kitchen Design Software basics to advanced-Designing from A to Z in 2020
Rating: 4 ​ - ​ 64 votes
🌐
2020 Spaces
2020spaces.com › home
End-to-end solutions for designers, manufacturers and retailers.
October 15, 2025 - 2020 provides end-to-end software solutions for designers, manufacturers and retailers · Bring spaces to life with our kitchen design software and bathroom design software for professional designers looking for robust solutions.
🌐
Coohom
coohom.com › article › 2020-kitchen-design-software-free-download-full-version
Download 2020 Kitchen Design Software for Free
September 2, 2025 - One of the most powerful tools in your interior design arsenal is kitchen design software. It allows you to visualize your space, experiment with layouts, and choose the perfect finishes and furnishings. In this article, we will dive into the world of 2020 kitchen design software and explore excellent free download options that can help you create a stunning kitchen on a budget.
Find elsewhere
🌐
Cyncly
cyncly.com › en-CA › products › spaces-flex
Spaces Flex: Kitchen remodelling software | Cyncly
Crafted by industry experts, Spaces Flex is a kitchen remodelling software that simplifies operations for kitchen and bathroom designers.
🌐
2020 Spaces
2020spaces.com › home › 2020 blog › best practices for kitchen design in 2020 design 3rd edition!
Best Practices for Kitchen Design in 2020 Design 3rd Edition | 2020
April 27, 2025 - Discover how to create visually stunning renderings with 2020 Design following tips & tricks from John Morgan, 2020 Design Expert.
Top answer
1 of 3
4
There are fewer cabinet folks on this forum than once were. There may be more over at Facebook where I don't go.   The short answer: 2020 is for you IF you are interested in high turnover/volume, low to mid range cabinet brands, don’t deal with much remodel of the space, consider a box store your competitor, don’t really want to invest much time in learning or setting up.   Chief is for you IF you handle upper middle to better brands (many don’t have 2020 catalogs), want to provide complete, better drawings (to get more referrals from allied pros), willing to invest time learning and setting up, want to outshine the competition, deal with the space/construction regularly, ever push the limit.   I used 2020 from version 5.1 to 9.1; exclusively for 9 yrs though supplemented it CAD, PDF, Envisioneer, hand drafting and spreadsheet to fix the dismal pricing. Once I got Chief is still used 2020 in a limited fashion to get item lists for a few years occasionally. My opinion is a bit harsh (and I drank CAs kool-aid:)  I can't speak to the current version of 2020 though I did keep track of it until a few years ago. Back when I dropped it: support was dismal, stability bad, cabinet pricing unreliably inaccurate, responsiveness to user requested improvements was almost non existent. AFAIK all this was the same as little as 5 yrs ago based on friends forced to use it.   All of those are far superior with Chief, with the exception of pricing.   What CA does NOT have.  In CA the Mfg do do NOT have any cabinets in them which also means they will not OOB match Mfg nomenclature. You set up in cabinets in your user library and/or make Style Palettes for them.  Setting up nomenclature often needs to be specific to a Mfg and can get complicated if you want to automate it but there are ways.  CA does not do any pricing. For me this has been a non issue. For years I was already exporting item lists from 2020 to spreadsheet template order forms I made. In Chief I use cabinet schedules to copy and "paste special" into a spreadsheet to do the same thing. In each case I was looking up pricing in a PDF price list. The only difference is that with Chief I had to enter it all (copy/paste). For some brands it eventually became possible to use the spreadsheet to copy line items into an online ordering system quickly as long as the nomenclature is set up properly. There is an advantage to this system though. You become more familiar with costs and then are better able to adjust a job to meet a budget. You can also more quickly compare total cost of variations once you figure out a system to do that with a couple of clicks. Things that CA has   A robust ability to import symbols, textures, create tile, use any countertop material you can find an image for, any appliance you can find a 3D file of.   Adjust textures, create door styles. I have not found anything I could not draw in Chief that can’t be built.   There are ways to check clearances of hood inserts into custom hood enclosures. Check clearnaces to part of a building, make sure you ductwork can actually be vented. Check clearance for drain pipes when changing locations of fixutres.   Far superior drawings and dimensioning abilities. Benefit below. NOTE- the national average closing rate for GCS (Glorified Cabinet Salesman/aka KD) is 33%. I had a closing rate over 80%. This was thanks to cultivating a stable of allied professionals for referrals where the closing rate ranked in the 90s. Supplying better drawings than the other 30 sources for cabinets within ½ hr drive of me had the best ones come back over and over.   A personal note: I was laid off by a Wood Mode Cabinet dealer at the end of 09 during a recession. Got a 2020 license to freelance then coupled it with Envisioneer. Then I picked up an upper middle cabinet line. A year later I got CA. At a time when the many local dealers were opting to sell Chinese cabinets or knock downs I became a QCCI dealer. I immediately ended up with a whole house reno job from a designer I'd worked with; 6 rooms of highly detailed cabinets and two closets all done in CA. CA became a major factor in getting my dealership running and going. A decade later I was drafting jobs for a hi-end cabinet company involving 15 to 30 rooms of cabinets; none of which could have been done with 2020.   Many thanks to the folks in Coeur d'Alene.
2 of 3
1
I think there are a bunch of former 2020 users around so they will probably be able to give you better info than I can.  From what I have heard, Chief will crash less often and will be way more flexible as far as any customization is concerned.  It will also allow you to design a whole house so if you are doing more extensive remodeling then this will be really helpful.  I believe Chief has a lot fewer manufacturer catalogs and it isn't going to be able to do pricing and ordering as easy as a program like 2020 though.
🌐
YouTube
youtube.com › playlist
2020 Design Tips - YouTube
Learn tips and tricks for 2020 Design, the kitchen and bath software for interior designers, kitchen dealers and remodelers. Join the 2020 Design Forum and c...
🌐
2020 Spaces
2020spaces.com › home › 2020 products › 2020 fusion live
2020 Fusion Live: Kitchen and Bathroom Design Software | Try it Free
July 20, 2024 - Discover 2020 Fusion Live kitchen & bath design software. 2020 helps creatives to bring ideas to life, inspire innovation & streamline processes. Free trial
🌐
Cyncly
cyncly.com › en-CA › products › design-flex
Design Flex: Kitchen & Bath design software | Cyncly
Design Flex brings the power of 2020 Design Live to the cloud as advanced kitchen and bath design software. Enjoy faster access, smart dashboards, and seamless collaboration.
🌐
kitchen365
kitchen365.com › home › kitchen design
2020 Kitchen Design Services at Affordable Rate | Kitchen365
June 2, 2025 - Explore affordable 2020 kitchen design services with Kitchen365. Transform your space with innovative design solutions that suit your budget.
🌐
2020 Spaces
2020spaces.com › home › 2020 products › 2020 fusion live › 2020 interactive panoramas
2020 Fusion: Kitchen and Bathroom design 360° Panorama | 2020 Spaces
January 5, 2024 - Get the latest version of 2020 Fusion Live bathroom and kitchen planning software and provide your clients with an immersive 3D experience that makes them feel like they are right inside their new design—while sitting at home!
🌐
ELLE Decor
elledecor.com › design + decorate › trends › 17 kitchen trends that reign supreme in 2020
17 Top Kitchen Trends 2020 - What Kitchen Design Styles Are In
June 12, 2020 - While white kitchens will always be in style, people seem to be taking more risks with color and design these days.” —Christine Markatos Lowe of Christine Markatos Design ... “Expanding a kitchen’s function and maintaining traffic flow, double islands in the kitchen are an integral feature. They’re a convenient way to divide the area between meal preparation and serving or gathering. With the addition of dual sinks, cleaning up is a breeze!” —Courtney Hill Fertitta of Courtney Hill Interiors ... “We think steel hoods are the new trend of 2020.
🌐
2020 Spaces
2020spaces.com › home › 2020 blog › kitchen design 101: a guide on how to design a kitchen
Kitchen Design 101: A Guide on How to Design a Kitchen | 2020 Spaces
April 28, 2025 - Design a kitchen like a pro: Five tips from kitchen design professionals on how to design the perfect kitchen.
🌐
Kitchenandbathclassics
blog.kitchenandbathclassics.com › 2020-kitchen-design-trends
2020 Kitchen Design Trends
Designing with blue kitchen cabinets is a growing design trend and shows longevity in the industry. You can skew to a darker shade of blue for a more subtle look or brighten up the blue for a refreshing pop of colour. If you can’t commit to blue kitchen cabinets, you can always use the 2020 Pantone Colour Of The Year in your kitchen textiles, backsplash or dinnerware.
🌐
Canvas
canvas.io › home › features › 2020 design
Bring real-world kitchens and bathrooms into 2020 Design Live
April 25, 2025 - Your .kit file will open right up in 2020 Design Live, design-ready, and organized as if you built it from scratch. “Our whole process is about service, speed, and making it easier for our clients. Canvas helps us do all three better.” · Paul McManus · President and Owner, McManus Kitchen & Bath ·
🌐
Cabinets.com
cabinets.com › create-a-kitchen
Create-a-Kitchen by Cabinets.com
Choose your kitchen’s color palette, draw and perfect your floor plan, specify appliances, auto-design your 3D kitchen.
🌐
Software Advice
softwareadvice.com › home › architecture software › design flex
Design Flex Software Reviews, Demo & Pricing - 2025
It offers a large selection of manufacturer catalogs for kitchens and bathrooms, including cloud-configurable cabinets, appliances, and plumbing. The software provides advanced design tools that allow designers to create stunning spaces through space planning, photorealistic renderings, 360-degree panoramas, and a lighting wizard. 2020 ...