Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about platforms, privacy, scanning, engines and exporting.
General
What devices does Kaleidoscope Plan run on?
It runs natively on iPhone (iOS 18.6+), iPad (iPadOS 18.6+) and Mac (macOS 15.6+). The same drawing opens on all of them.
Do I need an internet connection?
No. Drawing, scanning, 3D and every engine run entirely on-device, so you can work offline.
Do I need to create an account?
No account is required. You can start drawing immediately.
Is the app free? What's the catch?
Kaleidoscope Plan is free to download and use. You can draw, scan, design in 3D and use all eight engines without paying. The free tier has just two limits: you can create up to 5 projects, and your rendered exports (PDF, PNG and JPEG) carry a watermark. Your native Kaleidoscope drawing file is always clean and yours, and 3D snapshots are free with a small app badge in the corner. To go further, you can buy an export credit or full access.
How much does it cost?
It's free to start. Full prices are on the App Store listing and our pricing page. An export credit is one clean export of anything, used up each time you export. When you export on the free tier you can take a free watermarked sample or spend a credit for a clean file. Packs start at £1.99 for 1, and any pack also lifts the 5-project cap for good. For everything at once, full access removes all limits and includes CAD and spreadsheet exports: Monthly £6.99, Yearly £39.99 or one-off Lifetime £49.99, each subscription with a 7-day free trial.
Privacy
Is my data private?
Yes. Your drawings, scans and exports stay on your device. There is no tracking and nothing is uploaded to us.
Does it use the cloud?
Only if you choose to keep files in your own iCloud Drive. Kaleidoscope Plan has no server of its own.
Capture
Do I need LiDAR to use the app?
No. LiDAR is only used for scanning real rooms. You can draw any plan from scratch on any supported device.
Which devices can scan a room?
Scanning uses Apple RoomPlan and needs a LiDAR sensor, found on iPhone Pro models and LiDAR-equipped iPad Pros. Scans can also be shared as .kalascan files, so a scan captured on one device can be imported into a project on any other.
Drawing & engines
Do engines change my drawing?
No. Engines are saved alongside the drawing and never modify it. Remove one and your plan is exactly as it was.
Which regions and standards are supported?
Engines are region-aware across the US, UK, EU and Australia, affecting symbols, colours, page sizes and compliance guidance. The region is set once in the app's Settings.
Does it support Apple Pencil?
Yes. You can draw with Apple Pencil on iPad, and the Marketing engine adds a Pencil annotation layer.
Export & sharing
What can I export?
Mostly multi-page PDF: every overlay engine exports a PDF with legends and inventories, and Network & IT also exports CSV. The Marketing engine builds a print-ready brochure PDF, and the 3D engine exports a PNG snapshot. Whole projects share as a .kaliarchive archive. On the free tier, rendered exports (PDF, PNG and JPEG) carry a watermark. When you export you can take a free watermarked sample or spend one export credit for a clean file, and full access makes every export clean. CAD (DXF) and data (CSV) exports need full access or one credit (there's no free watermarked sample for those). The 3D snapshot is free, carrying a small app badge in the corner on the free tier. Your native Kaleidoscope drawing file is always clean.
Can I share files with colleagues?
Yes. On iPhone and iPad, exports and project archives go through the standard share sheet, AirDrop, email, Messages, Files or iCloud Drive. On Mac they save through a standard Save dialog to wherever you choose.