Direct comparison · Structural FEA & steel design

FrameAI vs SCIA Engineer — autonomous steel design at €41/mo vs €3,500+/seat

SCIA Engineer sets the Eurocode benchmark in Continental EU. FrameAI wins on speed and automation for standard connection and member workflows.

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€41/mo
FrameAI — all plans
~30s
FrameAI first calc
~€3,500+
SCIA Engineer/seat module stack

Pricing overview

FrameAI SCIA Engineer
Entry price €41/mo (≈ €393/yr) €3,500 perpetual + €1,000/yr maintenance
5-seat total (5yr TCO) ~€2,000 ~€22,500+
Free tier 1 PDF/discipline lifetime No free tier

Feature comparison — 24 capabilities assessed

Feature FrameAI SCIA Engineer
Eurocode EN 1993-1-1 compliance Member design, section classification, buckling, LTB ✓ Full — EN 1993-1-1 member design, section class, buckling, LTB ✓ Full — EN 1993-1-1, comprehensive
National Annexes (NEN-EN, DIN-EN) DE, NL covered ✓ DE, NL covered ✓ Deep — 20+ national annexes, NEN/DIN manager
FEM analysis (linear) Frame + surface FEM ✗ Not a FEM tool ✓ Frame + surface FEM, full modeler
FEM analysis (non-linear) Advanced material + geometric non-linearity ✗ Not a FEM tool ✓ Advanced material + geometric non-linearity
3D modeler Parametric model creation ✗ PDF/IFC → geometry extraction ✓ Full 3D parametric modeler
Connection design (EN 1993-1-8) Component method, rigid/semi-rigid ✓ AI-native component method, traceable calcs ✓ SCIA sensd.10 — rigid/semi-rigid/per EN 1993-1-8 Annex J
Connection library (DSTV/SPRINT) Standard connection templates ✓ DSTV NC1 export built-in ✓ Extended library with DSTV, SPRINT, user-defined
Steel connection drawings Fabrication sketches with bolt schedules ✓ Auto-generated fabrication sketches ✓ Auto-generated detail drawings
Buckling analysis (EN 1993-1-5) Column buckling + LTB tools ✓ Column buckling + LTB tools ✓ Full buckling + LTB (7DOF warping)
Seismic per EN 1998 Response spectra, q-factor, lateral force ✗ Not available ✓ EN 1998 response spectra, q-factor, equivalent lateral force
Composite beam (EN 1994) Steel + concrete composite design ✓ EN 1994-1-1 composite beam design ✓ sensd.03 composite beam design
Steel detailing / shop drawings DXF export, material schedules ✓ DXF export, material schedules ✓ ChapterMaker for report sections
DSTV NC1 export (CNC) 7th edition ASCII per part mark ✓ Built-in — DSTV v7 ASCII per part mark ✗ Not native — requires external (Graitec CMS)
BIM/IFC import Import from other tools ✓ IFC 4.3 import ✓ IFC/SAF import, Revit/Tekla links
BIM/IFC export Export for downstream tools ✓ IFC 4.3 export ✓ SAF export for SDS2 roundtrip
Batch PDF intake PDF → geometry → model ✓ PDF → geometry extraction → model ✗ No PDF intake — model from scratch or IFC
AI automation PDF → 3D model → calc → drawings ✓ PDF → 3D model → calc → drawings (autonomous) ⚠ Scripting + parametric, no AI-native pipeline
Cloud/web UI No install required ✓ Browser-native, no install ⚠ SCIA Cloud (new) — limited vs full desktop
Deployment model Operating system requirements ✓ SaaS, any OS ✗ Windows desktop + optional cloud
Cold-formed steel (EN 1993-1-3) Light-gauge steel design ⚠ On roadmap ✓ sensd.02 cold-formed steel design
Staged construction analysis Construction stages, incremental loading ✗ Not available ✓ Construction stages (sens.20)
Moving loads (bridges/cranes) Moving load analysis ✗ Not available ✓ Moving loads (sens.16, sens.18)
Footfall/vibration analysis Human-induced vibration, RWIND CFD ⚠ LTB tool covers beam vibration ✓ Footfall analysis (sens.13), RWIND CFD
Multi-material (steel + concrete + timber) All materials in one model ✗ Not available ✓ Steel, concrete, timber, masonry all supported

5-Year TCO (EUR) — 5 seats, Professional tier

Cost Item SCIA Engineer (5 seats, Professional) FrameAI Studio (5 seats)
Year 1 ~€4,500/seat = €22,500
€3,500 perpetual + €1,000 maintenance		 ~€1,200
€150/yr × 5 seats
Year 2–5 maintenance ~€1,000/seat/yr × 4 = €20,000 ~€1,200
5-Year Total ~€42,500+ ~€2,400

Note: SCIA Edition pricing: Concept ~€1,500, Professional ~€2,500–€4,000, Ultimate ~€5,000–€8,000 per seat. Maintenance ~20%/yr of perpetual cost.

When to choose each tool — honest guidance

When to choose SCIA Engineer
Complex 3D FEM and non-standard structures
  • Complex 3D FEM for irregular geometries and non-standard structures
  • Non-linear staged construction (bridges, industrial plants)
  • Deep SCIA Conceptor users with established DSTV/SPRINT connection libraries
  • Multi-material: steel + concrete + timber in one model
  • Projects requiring EN 1998 seismic analysis, moving loads, or bridge codes
  • Firms already invested in SCIA module stack
When to choose FrameAI
High-volume standard workflows and cloud-first teams
  • High-volume standard member and connection design (portal frames, warehouses, repetition structures)
  • EU export work needing quick EN 1993-1-1 checks without FEM complexity
  • AI shop drawing automation — PDF → fabrication-ready output in minutes
  • Cloud-first, browser-native, no install — especially for APAC or mixed-OS teams
  • DSTV NC1 output for fabrication without external CAD software
  • Multi-code coverage: EN 1993 + AISC 360 + GB 50017 + IS 800

Frequently asked questions

Is FrameAI a SCIA alternative?
FrameAI is an alternative for connection and member design workflows. SCIA wins on FEM depth; FrameAI wins on speed, automation, and cloud deployment. Use both: SCIA for global FEM analysis, FrameAI for connection design and shop drawings. FrameAI accepts IFC imports from SCIA.
SCIA Engineer prijs — what does it cost?
SCIA Engineer Professional starts at ~€2,500/seat with ~€700–€1,600/yr maintenance. Ultimate editions reach €5,000–€8,000/seat. FrameAI Professional is €41/mo (≈ €393/yr) with all connection design included. SCIA Edition tiers: Concept ~€1,500 (frame + surface FEM, steel/concrete/timber, no connection design), Professional ~€2,500–€4,000 (adds advanced non-linear, parametric modeling, connection design sensd.10, composite beams, construction stages), Ultimate ~€5,000–€8,000 (adds 3D freeform, BIMPLUS, moving loads, advanced dynamics, vibration, prestressing).
Eurocode connection design automation — how does FrameAI compare?
FrameAI runs EN 1993-1-8 connection design autonomously from PDF input, generates fabrication sketches with bolt schedules, and exports DSTV NC1. SCIA's sensd.10 module handles the same code checks but requires manual model setup. Both tools cover the component method (EN 1993-1-8 Annex J); FrameAI automates the PDF-to-calculation pipeline, while SCIA requires the engineer to build the model first.
DSTV NC1 export — which tool does it better?
Both tools support DSTV NC1, but FrameAI includes it natively in all plans. SCIA exports via sensd.10; Graitec CMS is commonly used for DSTV post-processing in fabrication workflows. FrameAI's DSTV NC1 is 7th edition ASCII per part mark with hole blocks derived from connection geometry — no external post-processor needed.
Can I use FrameAI alongside SCIA Engineer?
Yes. SCIA for global FEM analysis, FrameAI for connection design and shop drawings. FrameAI accepts IFC 4 imports from SCIA. You can also drop a structural PDF drawing set directly into FrameAI — GPT-4o extracts members, connections, and loads automatically without any modeling. FrameAI's DSTV NC1 and DXF exports are compatible with downstream fabrication workflows.
Does FrameAI support DIN and NEN national annexes?
Yes. FrameAI covers DE (DIN-EN) and NL (NEN-EN) for EN 1993-1-1 and EN 1993-1-8. SCIA has a broader annex library with 20+ national annexes; FrameAI is expanding coverage. Both tools support the major continental EU markets (DE, NL, BE, FR, IT, PT, RO, SI, HR).

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13 free calculators, no install, no credit card. EN 1993/1992/1997/1998 calculations, DXF/IFC4/DSTV NC1 export.

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Column buckling (EN 1993-1-1) → LTB tool (EN 1993-1-1) → Weld capacity → FrameAI vs Dlubal RFEM → Compare all competitors →