Honest comparisonPricing checked
SofaBrain vs BoxBrownie (2026): Virtual Staging Pricing Compared
BoxBrownie: Pay-per-image virtual staging by professional editors
Verdict
SofaBrain stages a room in under a minute for about $0.50–$0.59 a photo on a monthly plan, against US$24–$30 per image and up to 48 hours at BoxBrownie, and the same plan makes listing videos. BoxBrownie suits agents who want a human editor on every photo.
- 3 free credits, no card
- 1 credit per staged photo
- 5 staging styles to pick from
- Studio is $59/mo for 100 credits
Prices side by side
| Plan | SofaBrain | BoxBrownie |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | SofaBrain3 free credits, no credit card | BoxBrownieFree account with 3 image enhancements and 1 day-to-dusk edit; staging is paid |
| Entry monthly plan | SofaBrain$59/mo (Studio, 100 credits) ≈ $0.59/image | BoxBrownieUS$24–$30 per image, pay as you goStudio = 100 monthly credits: 1 per staged photo, 30 per listing video. BoxBrownie charges per image with no subscription. |
| Mid tier | SofaBrain$129/mo (Pro, 250 credits) ≈ $0.52/image | BoxBrownieUS$24–$30 per image |
| High-volume | SofaBrain$299/mo (Business, 600 credits) ≈ $0.50/image | BoxBrownieThe same per-image price for every customer |
BoxBrownie pricing checked at www.boxbrownie.com on . SofaBrain prices are the current plans.
Features side by side
| Feature | SofaBrain | BoxBrownie | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnaround timeSofaBrain wins | SofaBrainUsually under a minute | BoxBrownieUnder 48 hours | SofaBrain wins |
| Effective per-image costSofaBrain wins | SofaBrain$0.50–$0.59 on monthly plans | BoxBrownieUS$24–$30 | SofaBrain wins |
| Free trialSofaBrain wins | SofaBrain3 free credits, no card | BoxBrownieFree enhancements, no free staging | SofaBrain wins |
| Changes and re-renders | SofaBrain1 credit per re-render; failed renders refunded | BoxBrownieUnlimited changes free within 2 months | |
| Human editors | SofaBrainNo | BoxBrownieYes, staged to scale by editors | |
| Style options | SofaBrain5 staging styles in the Virtual Staging tool; 20+ design styles in the design studio | BoxBrownieSeveral styles; send reference furniture photos | |
| Disclosure labelSofaBrain wins | SofaBrainLabeled download option (disclosure plus original) | BoxBrownieAdvises disclosure; no label option on its staging page | SofaBrain wins |
| Item removal / declutteringSofaBrain wins | SofaBrainYes, 1 credit per photo | BoxBrownieUS$5–$10 per photo (less in some regions) | SofaBrain wins |
When to choose which
Choose SofaBrain when
High-volume realtors and photographers shooting 5+ listings per month
Per-image cost difference compounds fast. 30 images a month at BoxBrownie cost US$720–$900; on SofaBrain they are 30 of the 100 credits in Studio ($59/mo).
Agents in states with AI-disclosure rules, such as California (AB 723)
A labeled download with the disclosure burned in and the original photo attached is one click away.
Listings on tight deadlines (open house tomorrow, listing live next week)
Under a minute per photo vs up to 48 hours.
DIY-comfortable realtors who want to experiment with styles
Style variants and regenerations come out of your monthly credit allocation rather than per-photo fees — easier to try modern → farmhouse → bohemian on a single listing.
You also want a listing video
The same credits make a listing video (30 credits) with narration, captions, music and the unbranded MLS version.
Choose BoxBrownie when
Luxury listings ($2M+) where every render needs editorial polish
Professional editors scale the furniture to the room and catch subtle off-scale pieces and lighting mismatches that pure AI sometimes misses.
Realtors who explicitly do not want to handle any of the staging workflow themselves
BoxBrownie is a service — upload, wait up to 48 hours, receive finished photos, and ask for changes free for two months.
Markets where buyers are highly skeptical of AI-generated imagery
Human-edited outputs read as more "authentic" to a small subset of buyers — usually not a meaningful factor in 2026, but might matter in specific demographics.
Try virtual staging on your own photo
Pick from 5 staging styles. New accounts get 3 free credits, no credit card. After that a staged photo is 1 credit, and the same plan makes listing videos.
FAQ
How much does BoxBrownie cost?
On 7 Oct 2026 its virtual staging page listed US$24–$30 per image, depending on the region it detects, pay as you go with no subscription. Item removal was US$5–$10 per photo (less in some regions), and changes are free when you ask within two months of the order.
Is SofaBrain output really as good as BoxBrownie?
For straightforward room types (living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms in vacant homes with good photos), the outputs are hard to tell apart. BoxBrownie still wins on edge cases — unusual room shapes, tricky lighting, luxury listings where the buyer expects editorial polish.
What about pricing for low-volume realtors?
New accounts get 3 free credits with no card, enough to try 3 staged photos. For 1-3 listings a month (10-25 photos), Studio at $59/mo gives 100 credits — room for re-renders — and still costs less than staging the same photos at US$24–$30 each.
Can I use both?
Plenty of realtors do. Use SofaBrain for fast iteration and routine listings. Use BoxBrownie when you want an editor’s eye on a $3M+ luxury listing where buyer expectations are highest.
How does the disclosure work?
At download, choose the labeled file: the disclosure phrase is burned into the bottom of the image and the original photo comes with it. The universal disclosure guide linked below covers the wording for CA AB 723, the major MLS rules and NAR Article 12.
Can the same SofaBrain plan make listing videos?
Yes. A listing video is 30 credits from the same balance and includes narration, captions, music, your brand kit, every export format, the unbranded MLS version, thumbnails and the listing page.
How each one works
BoxBrownie sells virtual staging as a service: you upload photos, its professional editors stage them to scale, and the images come back in under 48 hours. Its staging page lists US$24–$30 per image depending on the region it detects, pay as you go with no subscription, and unlimited changes at no extra cost when you ask within two months of the order.
With SofaBrain, self-serve AI replaces the editor: a staged photo usually comes back in under a minute and costs 1 credit. New accounts get 3 free credits with no credit card; plans start at $59/mo (Studio, 100 credits ≈ $0.59/image) and go up to $299/mo (Business, 600 credits ≈ $0.50/image). The same credits also make listing videos (30 credits each). The trade-off vs BoxBrownie: no human editor on ambiguous rooms, in exchange for speed and a far lower cost per image.
Speed
SofaBrain: a staged photo usually comes back in under a minute, so a 7-photo listing takes a few minutes including style picks. BoxBrownie: under 48 hours, with editors working around the clock. The speed gap is the single biggest difference between the two tools.
MLS compliance
SofaBrain’s download options include a labeled file: a disclosure such as “Virtually staged — digitally altered image” or the California AB 723 wording is burned into the image, with the original photo alongside. The label is a choice at download, not automatic, so pick it whenever your MLS or state requires disclosure. BoxBrownie advises disclosing virtual staging to buyers; its staging page lists no built-in label. If you operate in California, Wisconsin, New York or any treble-damages state (MA / NJ), this matters.
Related reading
More comparisons
SofaBrain vs VirtualStagingAI.app
SofaBrain costs less per photo on monthly billing ($0.50–$0.59 vs $0.93–$4.17), and the same credits cover listing videos, day to dusk, decluttering and every other photo edit. VirtualStagingAI.app is a staging-only tool for agents who need nothing else.
SofaBrain vs PadStyler
Choose SofaBrain for AI staging at $0.50–$0.59 a photo on monthly billing, with listing videos and every other photo edit on the same plan. PadStyler’s designer staging, at $23–$34 a photo, fits when a designer should stage the hero photos.
SofaBrain vs Apply Design
Choose SofaBrain for one predictable monthly plan that covers staging, every photo edit and listing videos across all your listings. Apply Design fits one-off per-image purchases in a drag-and-drop editor.
Reviewed by SofaBrain Staging Design Team
Staging design review · Last reviewed 2026-10-07
Sources
- BoxBrownie virtual staging (opens in a new tab)
- BoxBrownie pricing (opens in a new tab)
- SofaBrain pricing (opens in a new tab)
- CRMLS Rule 11.5.2 (opens in a new tab)
Pricing and feature claims checked .