US WoodWorks alternative
StructSuite vs US WoodWorks
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 US WoodWorks, row by row.
Verified 7 November 2026. Every US WoodWorks row comes from US WoodWorks'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 alternative to WoodWorks Sizer and Shearwalls: every design module runs in full with no account and nothing to install, and one project covers wood and steel members, joists, rafters and headers from the 2024 IBC and TJI tables, shear walls on the building plan, footings, retaining walls, and dead, live, wind and seismic loads to ASCE 7-22. It checks Simpson hangers, hold-downs, SABR anchors, clips and post caps and quotes the governing code text beside the inputs. Pro is $100/month or $50 for a week. US WoodWorks is a set of Windows wood design programs from the Canadian Wood Council, at $210/year for Sizer and $275/year for Shearwalls; Shearwalls models multi-story wood buildings with flexible or rigid diaphragms.
At a glance
Free use
- StructSuite
- Every design module, no account
- US WoodWorks
- 10-day trial from installation
Price
- StructSuite
- Free · Pro $100/mo · $50 week
- US WoodWorks
- Sizer $210/yr · Shearwalls $275/yr · Connections $60/yr
Scope
- StructSuite
- Wood, steel, footings, walls, ASCE 7-22 loads
- US WoodWorks
- Wood members, shear walls and connections
Runs on
- StructSuite
- Any web browser
- US WoodWorks
- Windows desktop
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 US WoodWorks, feature by feature
How to read it. A check mark means the product does it, with the note saying how. For US WoodWorks, “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
| Feature | StructSuite | US WoodWorks |
|---|---|---|
| Wood shear walls | YesEvery wall line modeled on the building plan at once; force distributed automatically; hold-downs, anchor bolts, end posts, two-sided sheathing (SDPWS 2021) | YesWhole-building model up to 6 stories; flexible, rigid or worst-case diaphragm distribution; force-transfer walls (Shearwalls) |
| Collector (drag strut) forcesForce along a wall line between its shear walls | YesDrawn along each wall line, with the diaphragm and wall unit shears, per ASCE 7-22 | Collector forces tabulated per level, with the ASCE 7-22 §12.3.3.5 increase; collector member design not stated |
| Framing clips for base shear transferSimpson A35, LTP4, LTP5 | YesRequired clip spacing worked out from the wall line’s shear, capacity tabled from 8 to 48 in, and the clips drawn in the connection detail | Not stated |
| Joists, rafters and headers sized from span tablesFloor joists, ceiling joists, rafters, headers | YesSmallest 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 tables | Sized by calculation; no IBC/IRC span-table lookup stated |
| Connectors | YesSimpson Strong-Tie hangers, hold-downs, SABR anchor bolts, framing clips and post caps, picked from the catalog and checked against the computed loads | Sizer selects a Simpson hanger automatically; Shearwalls hold-downs picked from an editable Simpson-based database; Connections designs nails, screws and bolts |
| Wood beams and joists | YesSawn, glulam, LVL, LSL, PSL, I-joists (TJI, BCI, LPI); multi-span and cantilever | YesSawn, glulam, SCL, I-joists, CLT; ASD and LRFD (NDS 2024) |
| Wood columns and posts | YesSawn, glulam, round timber; NDS Table G1 effective length, §3.9.2 combined loading | YesColumns and studs, combined axial and bending |
| Steel beams and columns | YesLRFD (AISC 360-22); W, HSS and pipe shapes | Some steel sections in Sizer’s member list; no steel design standard stated |
| Spread and strip footings | YesBearing, overturning, sliding, uplift, punching and one-way shear, flexure, dowels; ACI 318-25 or 318-19 | Not stated |
| Cantilever retaining walls | YesConcrete or CMU stem; Mononobe-Okabe or Seed-Whitman seismic pressure; groundwater, surcharges | Not stated |
| Restrained (basement) retaining walls | At-rest pressure option; no top-support model | Not stated |
| Masonry walls | CMU retaining-wall stem only (TMS 402-22) | Not stated |
| Combined and pier footings | No | Not stated |
| Steel connections, base plates, joists | No | Wood-to-steel connections with steel plates (Connections, AISC 360-10) |
| Cold-formed steel | No | Not stated |
| Concrete beams, columns and slabs | No | Not stated |
| Frame, truss or 3D analysis | No | Not stated |
The loads it builds for you
| Feature | StructSuite | US WoodWorks |
|---|---|---|
| Dead loads from material weightsASCE 7-22 Table C3.1-1a | YesAssembly builder with presets | Not stated |
| Live loads by occupancyASCE 7-22 Table 4.3-1 | Yes | Not stated |
| Wind, main wind-force resisting system | YesASCE 7-22 Ch. 27 directional and Ch. 28 envelope | YesASCE 7-22 Ch. 27 directional and Ch. 28 envelope (Shearwalls) |
| Wind, components and cladding | YesASCE 7-22 Ch. 30 | On wall faces, for sheathing and nail withdrawal; none on roofs |
| Seismic | YesASCE 7-22 equivalent lateral force: base shear, story, overturning and diaphragm forces | YesASCE 7-22 equivalent lateral force (Shearwalls) |
| Live-load pattern arrangementsWorst-case arrangements of live load on multi-span beams | Opt-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 govern | YesAutomatic for live and snow loads on multi-span beams (Sizer) |
| Site values from a project address | Seismic values (USGS); wind speed you enter | Links out to the USGS maps and the ASCE Hazard Tool |
| Snow | Not generated; you enter the snow load | Entered by you; patterned on multi-span beams (Sizer) |
| Tornado | No | Not stated |
Codes and design methods
| Feature | StructSuite | US WoodWorks |
|---|---|---|
| US code editions | NDS 2024 · SDPWS 2021 · AISC 360-22 · ACI 318-25 or ACI 318-19 · TMS 402-22 · ASCE 7-22 · 2024 IBC | Sizer: NDS 2024 (or 2018) · Shearwalls: IBC 2024, ASCE 7-22, SDPWS 2021 · Connections: IBC 2021, NDS 2018, AISC 360-10 |
| Design method | Wood ASD · steel LRFD | Wood ASD and LRFD |
| Other countries | US codes only | Separate Canadian edition (CSA O86, NBC) |
Reports and review
| Feature | StructSuite | US WoodWorks |
|---|---|---|
| Code references | Clause cited, and the provision quoted word for word beside the governing input | Not stated |
| Working shown | Every check written out on screen with the numbers substituted | Not stated |
| Drawn connection details | YesSill anchor bolts and framing clips, Simpson hangers and post caps, drawn with the catalog’s key dimensions | YesDimensioned connection drawings with DXF export (Connections) |
| Link for the plan checkerReviewer opens the live calculation, no account | YesPro; the printed report links to a read-only page that flags any change made after printing | Not stated |
| PDF calculation report | YesPro; 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 reordered | YesPrinted design reports (sample Sizer and Shearwalls reports on cwc.ca) |
Workflow
| Feature | StructSuite | US WoodWorks |
|---|---|---|
| Autosize | Span tables name the smallest adequate size; beams and columns are sized by hand | YesLightest section per design group (Sizer) |
| Load linking between membersA beam reaction feeds the column or footing | No | Concept Mode passes gravity reactions to supporting beams and columns; footing link not stated |
| Member schedule | No | Not stated |
| Team workspace | No | YesConcurrent licenses |
| API and AI | No | Not stated |
| Custom calculators | No | Not stated |
Price and access
| Feature | StructSuite | US WoodWorks |
|---|---|---|
| Using it for free | Every design module runs in full with no account and no time limit. A free account saves one project. | 10-day trial from installation; no free plan stated |
| Platform | Any web browser, including phones and tablets; nothing to install and no administrator rights needed | Windows desktop; internet needed to start unless a license is reserved |
| Paid plans (US$) | Pro $100/mo ($1,000/yr) · $50 one-week pass | Sizer $210/yr · Shearwalls $275/yr · Connections $60/yr (USD, per concurrent license) |
| What paying adds | Printing the PDF report, unlimited cloud projects and the plan-check link. Every calculation is already free. | Any use after the trial; each program bought separately |
| Refund | No refunds; cancel any time and Pro runs to the end of the period paid for | Not stated |
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.
- One tool beyond wood: steel beams and columns to AISC 360-22, spread and strip footings and cantilever retaining walls to ACI 318-25 or 318-19, and dead, live, wind and seismic loads, in the same project as the wood members and shear walls.
- 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).
- 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.
- Collector forces drawn on the plan along each wall line, plus SABR anchor bolts, framing clips and post caps checked against the loads.
- 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.
Where US WoodWorks fits
- Whole-building shear wall design up to six stories, with flexible, rigid or worst-case diaphragm distribution and force-transfer walls.
- Deep wood coverage: CLT, fire design, LRFD wood, automatic pattern loading and autosize, and automatic Simpson hanger selection.
- Low annual prices with concurrent licenses, dimensioned connection drawings with DXF export, and cadwork and (third-party) Revit interfaces.
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 US WoodWorks if…
- You design multi-story wood buildings and want rigid or flexible diaphragm analysis and force-transfer walls.
- You need CLT, fire design or LRFD wood.
- You work on Windows and want dimensioned connection drawings exported to CAD.
Already on US WoodWorks? 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 WoodWorks Sizer and Shearwalls?
Yes. StructSuite runs every design module free in the web browser with no account and no time limit, including wood beams, joists, rafters, headers and columns, and wood shear walls modeled on the building plan, plus steel members, footings, retaining walls and ASCE 7-22 loads. WoodWorks programs have a 10-day trial; Sizer is $210/year and Shearwalls $275/year.
Which one is better for wood shear walls?
Both model the whole building. WoodWorks Shearwalls handles buildings up to six stories with flexible, rigid or worst-case diaphragm distribution and force-transfer walls, and generates ASCE 7-22 wind and seismic loads. StructSuite models every wall line on the building plan, distributes the force automatically, draws the collector (drag strut) forces along each line, checks Simpson hold-downs, SABR anchor bolts and framing clips against the loads, runs in the browser for free and keeps the shear walls in the same project as the rest of the building.
Does US WoodWorks design steel or concrete?
WoodWorks is wood design software: Sizer, Shearwalls and Connections design wood members, shear walls and connections (Connections also covers wood-to-steel plate connections). StructSuite designs steel beams and columns to AISC 360-22, spread and strip footings and cantilever retaining walls to ACI 318-25 or 318-19, alongside the wood design.
Does WoodWorks run on a Mac or in a browser?
WoodWorks programs are Windows desktop software and, per their help, need an internet connection to start unless a license is reserved. StructSuite runs in any modern web browser on Windows, Mac or Linux.
Which is cheaper, StructSuite or US WoodWorks?
Using StructSuite costs nothing: every calculation is free. Pro ($100/month, $1,000/year, or $50 for one week) adds printing, unlimited cloud projects and the plan-check link. WoodWorks Sizer is $210/year, Shearwalls $275/year and Connections $60/year per concurrent license, which is less than StructSuite Pro for a full year of printing.
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 US WoodWorks row was read from US WoodWorks'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 US WoodWorks is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll correct it and update the date at the top.
- WoodWorks Sizer, US version (price, editions)
- WoodWorks Shearwalls, US version
- WoodWorks Connections, US version
- Help: Sizer overview
- Help: Sizer design groups (autosize)
- Help: Sizer load patterns
- Help: Sizer hangers
- Help: licensing
- Help: Shearwalls load distribution
- Help: Shearwalls C&C loads
- Help: Shearwalls hold-downs
- Shearwalls US change history
- Sizer US change history
- Connections US change history
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The software directory lines up the main tools on what they design, the loads they build and what they cost. All comparisons.