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StruCalc alternative

StructSuite vs StruCalc

StructSuite is free structural design software for US engineers: wood and steel members, joists and rafters, shear walls, footings, retaining walls and ASCE 7-22 loads, in the browser, with no account. Here it is next to StruCalc, row by row.

Verified 7 November 2026. Every StruCalc row comes from StruCalc's own published pages, and every StructSuite row from the StructSuite code. Written and checked by StructSuite's licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.).

The short answer

StructSuite is the free, browser-based choice: every design module runs in full with no account and nothing to install, on Windows, Mac or a tablet. It models shear walls on the building plan with collector forces, names the smallest adequate joist, rafter or header from the 2024 IBC and TJI tables, checks Simpson hangers, hold-downs, SABR anchors, clips and post caps, builds dead and live loads from ASCE 7-22, and designs steel to AISC 360-22. Pro is $100/month or $50 for a week. StruCalc is a Windows program (per its help center) at $99.97/month after a 30-day trial, with no free plan; it adds ASD and LRFD, concrete beams and columns, masonry walls, snow loads and load linking between members.

At a glance

Free use

StructSuite
Every design module, no account
StruCalc
30-day free trial; no free plan

Price

StructSuite
Free · Pro $100/mo · $50 week
StruCalc
$99.97/mo or $1,079.67/yr (CORE)

Runs on

StructSuite
Any web browser (Windows, Mac, tablet)
StruCalc
Windows app (per its help center)

Steel edition

StructSuite
AISC 360-22
StruCalc
AISC 360-16

Why engineers choose StructSuite

  • Free in full, no account

    Every design module runs in the browser with the complete calculation on screen. No trial, no sign-up.

  • Shear walls on the plan

    Model every wall line on the building plan at once. Forces distribute automatically and collector forces are drawn along each line.

  • Simpson Strong-Tie built in

    Hangers, hold-downs, SABR anchor bolts, framing clips and post caps, checked against the loads the module computed and drawn as connection details.

  • Framing sized fast

    Floor joists, ceiling joists, rafters and headers from the 2024 IBC and TJI tables, every candidate charted against the span (or the load, for TJ-9000 headers).

  • Loads from ASCE 7-22

    Dead loads from Table C3.1-1a, live loads from Table 4.3-1, wind (Ch. 27, 28, 30) and seismic, in the same project.

  • The code text, quoted

    A book icon beside a governing input opens the provision word for word: 2024 IBC, ASCE 7-22, NDS 2024, SDPWS 2021, ACI 318-25, AISC 360-22.

  • The whole package, one project

    Cover sheet with your logo, stamp and signature, loads, every member, footings and walls, a table of contents and page numbers, printed as one PDF with a plan-check link. Revise a module and the contents and page numbers follow.

  • Guided, step by step

    Every module walks through numbered steps: geometry sketches draw as you type, a step summary stays red until its inputs are filled, and every check is written out. A filled-in sample project, videos and worked examples show the way.

Built for the job site and the plan-check counter

  • On a phone or tablet

    Size a joist, rafter or header at the job site: the modules lay out for small screens in any mobile browser, with nothing to install.

  • On a locked-down office computer

    No installation and no administrator rights, so it runs on city and agency computers where installing software is not allowed.

  • Code text for the correction list

    The governing provision is quoted word for word beside the input it governs, so a plan checker can check the value and copy the section into a correction comment.

  • Code and catalog in one place

    The code sections and the Simpson Strong-Tie catalog data sit inside the module that uses them, so you are not jumping between code books and catalogs.

StructSuite vs StruCalc, feature by feature

How to read it. A check mark means the product does it, with the note saying how. For StruCalc, “Not stated” means its published material does not claim the feature, which is not proof it is missing. For StructSuite, “No” means it doesn't do it today.

What it designs

What it designs: StructSuite and StruCalc compared
FeatureStructSuiteStruCalc
Wood shear wallsYesEvery wall line modeled on the building plan at once; force distributed automatically; hold-downs, anchor bolts, end posts, two-sided sheathing (SDPWS 2021)Single wall segment calculator with hold-down forces; links to roof beams, stud walls and footings
Collector (drag strut) forcesForce along a wall line between its shear wallsYesDrawn along each wall line, with the diaphragm and wall unit shears, per ASCE 7-22Not stated
Framing clips for base shear transferSimpson A35, LTP4, LTP5YesRequired clip spacing worked out from the wall line’s shear, capacity tabled from 8 to 48 in, and the clips drawn in the connection detailNot stated
Joists, rafters and headers sized from span tablesFloor joists, ceiling joists, rafters, headersYesSmallest adequate size named as soon as the table inputs are in, every candidate charted against the span (or the load, for TJ-9000 headers): sawn lumber from the 2024 IBC tables, TJI joists and TJ-9000 headers from the Trus Joist tablesSized by calculation; no IBC/IRC span-table lookup stated
ConnectorsYesSimpson Strong-Tie hangers, hold-downs, SABR anchor bolts, framing clips and post caps, picked from the catalog and checked against the computed loadsSimpson connectors (2019–2020 catalog per its help center) filtered to those that carry the beam loads; “automated connector selection” on its site; hold-downs as a force calculation
Wood beams and joistsYesSawn, glulam, LVL, LSL, PSL, I-joists (TJI, BCI, LPI); multi-span and cantileverYesSawn, glulam (incl. curved), LVL, I-joists; ASD and LRFD (NDS 2024 / 2018)
Wood columns and postsYesSawn, glulam, round timber; NDS Table G1 effective length, §3.9.2 combined loadingYesNDS 2024 posts, axial and bending
Steel beams and columnsYesLRFD (AISC 360-22); W, HSS and pipe shapesYesAISC 360-16, ASD and LRFD
Spread and strip footingsYesBearing, overturning, sliding, uplift, punching and one-way shear, flexure, dowels; ACI 318-25 or 318-19YesSquare, rectangular and round footings
Cantilever retaining wallsYesConcrete or CMU stem; Mononobe-Okabe or Seed-Whitman seismic pressure; groundwater, surchargesYesCantilever and gravity walls
Restrained (basement) retaining wallsAt-rest pressure option; no top-support modelNot stated
Masonry wallsCMU retaining-wall stem only (TMS 402-22)YesCMU walls, TMS 402/602-16
Combined and pier footingsNoEmbedded posts (rotation, pull-out, bearing); combined and pier footings not stated
Steel connections, base plates, joistsNoNot stated
Cold-formed steelNoNot stated
Concrete beams, columns and slabsNoYesBeams and columns, ACI 318-19
Frame, truss or 3D analysisNoNot stated

The loads it builds for you

The loads it builds for you: StructSuite and StruCalc compared
FeatureStructSuiteStruCalc
Dead loads from material weightsASCE 7-22 Table C3.1-1aYesAssembly builder with presetsLive and dead loads listed among its features; source table not stated
Live loads by occupancyASCE 7-22 Table 4.3-1YesListed among its features; occupancy table not stated
Wind, main wind-force resisting systemYesASCE 7-22 Ch. 27 directional and Ch. 28 envelopeYesBuilt-in wind calculator (ASCE 7-22); procedure not stated
Wind, components and claddingYesASCE 7-22 Ch. 30Not stated
SeismicYesASCE 7-22 equivalent lateral force: base shear, story, overturning and diaphragm forcesYesBuilt-in seismic calculator (ASCE 7-22); procedure not stated
Live-load pattern arrangementsWorst-case arrangements of live load on multi-span beamsOpt-in box per ASCE 7-22 §4.3.3; wood and steel beams, including overhangs; each arrangement drawn with a note on why it can governNot stated
Site values from a project addressSeismic values (USGS); wind speed you enterBuilt-in ASCE hazard loads with a map interface, applied automatically
SnowNot generated; you enter the snow loadYesBuilt-in snow calculator
TornadoNoNot stated

Codes and design methods

Codes and design methods: StructSuite and StruCalc compared
FeatureStructSuiteStruCalc
US code editionsNDS 2024 · SDPWS 2021 · AISC 360-22 · ACI 318-25 or ACI 318-19 · TMS 402-22 · ASCE 7-22 · 2024 IBCIBC 2024 / 2021 / 2018 · NDS 2024 / 2018 · ASCE 7-22 · ACI 318-19 · TMS 402-16 · AISC 360-16
Design methodWood ASD · steel LRFDASD and LRFD
Other countriesUS codes onlyUS codes; metric units and Spanish per its blog (CORE lists imperial units)

Reports and review

Reports and review: StructSuite and StruCalc compared
FeatureStructSuiteStruCalc
Code referencesClause cited, and the provision quoted word for word beside the governing inputReports described as code-referenced
Working shownEvery check written out on screen with the numbers substitutedNot stated
Drawn connection detailsYesSill anchor bolts and framing clips, Simpson hangers and post caps, drawn with the catalog’s key dimensionsNot stated
Link for the plan checkerReviewer opens the live calculation, no accountYesPro; the printed report links to a read-only page that flags any change made after printingNot stated
PDF calculation reportYesPro; one US Letter package from one project: cover sheet with your logo, engineer of record, stamp and signature, then a table of contents, every module and page numbers that update as modules are added, removed or reorderedYesExportable, code-referenced documentation for plan review

Workflow

Workflow: StructSuite and StruCalc compared
FeatureStructSuiteStruCalc
AutosizeSpan tables name the smallest adequate size; beams and columns are sized by handYesSizes beams, footings and more
Load linking between membersA beam reaction feeds the column or footingNoYesMulti-level load linking with 3D visuals, roof to footing
Member scheduleNoNot stated
Team workspaceNoYesConcurrent licenses with sub-users
API and AINoAI planned for its FUSION plan (coming soon)
Custom calculatorsNoCustom templates (stated on its engineers page)

Price and access

Price and access: StructSuite and StruCalc compared
FeatureStructSuiteStruCalc
Using it for freeEvery design module runs in full with no account and no time limit. A free account saves one project.30-day free trial (its EULA limits it to some monthly subscriptions); no free plan
PlatformAny web browser, including phones and tablets; nothing to install and no administrator rights neededWindows app per its help center (Windows 10 64-bit recommended; no Mac or Linux app); CORE pages don’t state a platform
Paid plans (US$)Pro $100/mo ($1,000/yr) · $50 one-week passCORE $99.97/mo or $1,079.67/yr
What paying addsPrinting the PDF report, unlimited cloud projects and the plan-check link. Every calculation is already free.Any use: CORE covers every module that is live today
RefundNo refunds; cancel any time and Pro runs to the end of the period paid forSubscriptions non-refundable once payment is processed (EULA)

Where StructSuite leads

  • Free in full: every design module runs without an account or a time limit, and the complete calculation shows on screen. Paying is only needed to print, save more than one project or share a plan-check link.
  • Runs in any web browser on any computer, with nothing to install or license per machine.
  • Shear walls modeled on the building plan all at once: wall lines drawn on the plan, the force distributed automatically, collector (drag strut) forces drawn along each line, then hold-downs, anchor bolts and end posts.
  • Fast framing: for floor joists, ceiling joists, rafters and headers the smallest adequate size is named as soon as the table inputs are in, sawn lumber from the 2024 IBC tables or TJI from the Trus Joist tables, with every candidate charted against the span (or the load, for TJ-9000 headers).
  • Simpson Strong-Tie beyond hangers and hold-downs: SABR anchor bolts, framing clips for base shear transfer and post caps are checked against the computed loads, and hangers, post caps, clips and sill anchorage are drawn as details.
  • Dead and live loads built from the ASCE 7-22 tables (Table C3.1-1a material weights, Table 4.3-1 occupancies), so the gravity loads start from a cited table.
  • The newest US editions throughout (NDS 2024, AISC 360-22, ASCE 7-22, 2024 IBC), with ACI 318-25 as well as 318-19 for footings and retaining walls.
  • US code text at the point of use: a book icon beside a governing input opens the provision word for word, from 2024 IBC, ASCE 7-22, NDS 2024, SDPWS 2021, ACI 318-25 and AISC 360-22.
  • A plan-check link printed in the report: the reviewer opens the calculation read-only, and the page flags any change made after printing.
  • Live-load arrangements per ASCE 7-22 §4.3.3 on wood and steel beams, each drawn with its load placement and a note on why it can govern.
  • Pay only when you print: Pro is $100/month or $1,000/year, or $50 for a one-week pass, against StruCalc CORE at $99.97/month or $1,079.67/year for any use.

Where StruCalc fits

  • ASD and LRFD, concrete beams and columns, CMU walls, and embedded posts.
  • Load linking from roof to footing with 3D visuals, and autosize.
  • Snow loads, and residential extras such as hip and valley beams, flitch beams, decks and curved glulam.

Which to choose

Choose StructSuite if…

  • Most of your work is US residential and light commercial: wood beams, posts, joists, rafters, headers and shear walls, steel beams and columns, spread and strip footings, and concrete or CMU retaining walls.
  • You want the whole calculation package from one project: a cover sheet with your logo, stamp and signature, the loads, every member, footings and walls, a table of contents and page numbers, printed as one PDF and renumbered for you when you revise.
  • You want the tool free to use, or you need it for a week rather than a year.
  • You want dead, live, wind and seismic loads built from ASCE 7-22 in the same place you size the members.
  • You or your reviewer want to read the code text and every substituted step, not just the result.
  • You want a tool a new engineer can pick up quickly: guided numbered steps, a filled-in sample project, step-by-step videos and worked-example guides.
  • You size joists, rafters and headers at the job site, on a phone or tablet instead of a desktop computer.
  • You review other engineers’ calculations: StructSuite is free, runs in the browser with nothing to install (so it works on locked-down city and agency computers) and needs no account, so a plan checker can rerun a beam, post, footing, shear wall or wind load from another program’s calc package, within StructSuite’s scope (US codes, wood ASD, steel LRFD), and copy the quoted code section into a correction comment.

Choose StruCalc if…

  • You need ASD steel, LRFD wood, concrete beams and columns or CMU walls in the same tool.
  • You want member-to-member load linking with a 3D view, on a Windows desktop.
  • You need snow loads generated for you.

Already on StruCalc? A free StructSuite run is a quick second check on a member you've designed there, with every step written out.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free alternative to StruCalc?

Yes. StructSuite runs every design module free in the web browser with no account and no time limit: wood and steel beams and columns, joists, rafters and headers, wood shear walls, footings, retaining walls, and dead, live, wind and seismic loads to ASCE 7-22. StruCalc offers a 30-day free trial and no free plan; its CORE plan is $99.97/month or $1,079.67/year.

Does StruCalc run on a Mac or in a browser?

StruCalc’s help center describes a Windows application (Windows 10 64-bit recommended) and says there are no native apps for Apple or Linux; its current CORE pages don’t state a platform. StructSuite runs in any modern web browser, so it works on Windows, Mac, Linux and tablets with nothing to install.

Which is cheaper, StructSuite or StruCalc?

StructSuite. Every calculation is free; Pro ($100/month, $1,000/year, or $50 for one week) is only needed to print the report, keep unlimited cloud projects or share the plan-check link. StruCalc CORE is $99.97/month or $1,079.67/year for any use, and its EULA says subscriptions are non-refundable once paid.

Which one is better for wood shear walls?

StructSuite models every wall line on the building plan at once: the lateral force is distributed to the lines automatically, collector (drag strut) forces are drawn along each line, and each wall is checked to SDPWS 2021 with hold-downs, anchor bolts and end posts, with Simpson products checked against the loads. StruCalc describes a shear wall calculator for a single wall segment, with hold-down forces, that can be linked to roof beams, stud walls and footings.

Which code editions do they use?

StructSuite uses NDS 2024, SDPWS 2021, AISC 360-22, ACI 318-25 (or ACI 318-19), TMS 402-22, ASCE 7-22 and the 2024 IBC. StruCalc’s site lists IBC 2024, 2021 and 2018, NDS 2024 and 2018, ASCE 7-22, ACI 318-19, TMS 402/602-16 and AISC 360-16.

Does StructSuite do load linking or autosize like StruCalc?

Not between members: StructSuite designs each member in its own module, and its span tables name the smallest adequate joist, rafter or header while beams and columns are sized by hand. StruCalc offers load linking from roof to footing and sizes beams and footings automatically.

How fast can StructSuite size floor joists, rafters and headers?

As soon as the table inputs are in: pick the member, live and dead load, spacing, and species and grade, and StructSuite names the smallest adequate size from the 2024 IBC span tables for sawn lumber, or the Trus Joist tables for TJI joists and TJ-9000 headers, with every candidate charted against your span (or against the load, for TJ-9000 headers).

Can a plan checker use StructSuite to check calculations made in other software?

Yes. StructSuite is free to use in full, runs in any web browser and needs no account, so a plan-check engineer can rerun a member from a calc package produced in another program and compare the results, within StructSuite’s scope (US codes, wood ASD, steel LRFD), with every check written out and the governing code text quoted beside the inputs.

Does StructSuite work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. StructSuite runs in the phone or tablet browser with nothing to install, and its modules lay out for small screens, so an engineer or contractor can size a joist, rafter or header at the job site without a desktop computer.

Can plan checkers use StructSuite on city or agency computers?

Yes. It runs in the web browser with no installation and no administrator rights, which suits locked-down government computers, and a plan checker needs no account to calculate. Each governing provision is quoted word for word beside its input, so a reviewer can check a value against the code and copy the section text into a correction comment.

Does StructSuite include Simpson Strong-Tie connectors?

Yes. Simpson Strong-Tie products are built into the modules: joist and beam hangers, shear wall hold-downs and SABR anchor bolts, framing clips for base shear transfer, and post caps. You pick the product from the catalog list and StructSuite checks it against the loads the module computed; hangers, post caps, clips and sill anchorage are also drawn as details with the catalog’s key dimensions.

Does StructSuite produce a complete calculation package?

Yes. One StructSuite project holds every module of a typical residential or light-commercial job: the cover sheet (firm logo, engineer of record, professional stamp and signature), dead and live, wind and seismic loads, beams, joists, rafters and headers, columns, shear walls, footings and retaining walls. Printing (Pro) assembles them into one US Letter PDF with a table of contents and page numbers, and the contents and page numbers follow when a module is added, removed or reordered. The report links to a read-only verification page for the plan checker.

Is StructSuite free?

Yes, to use: every design module runs in full in the browser with no account and no time limit, and a free account saves one project. Pro ($100/month, $1,000/year, or $50 for one week) adds printing the PDF report, unlimited cloud projects and the plan-check link.

Try StructSuite on your next project

Every design module runs free in the browser, with no account.

How we checked

Every StruCalc row was read from StruCalc's own public website and documentation on 7 November 2026, listed below. Nothing comes from inside a trial account, from third-party reviews or from memory. Every StructSuite row was read from the StructSuite code on the same day. Prices are in US dollars, as each vendor publishes them.

Software changes. If a row about StruCalc is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll correct it and update the date at the top.

More comparisons

The software directory lines up the main tools on what they design, the loads they build and what they cost. All comparisons.