FrameAI vs SAP2000

AISC fabrication workflow in 4 minutes vs. days of manual drafting — FrameAI ships DSTV NC1 and shop drawings from PDF drawings, no CAD required

Upload a structural steel PDF. FrameAI extracts every member, runs AISC 360-22 member + §J connection design, and exports DSTV NC1 and shop drawing PDFs — no CAD modeling, no manual drafting.

Try the live demo → Calculate your savings
4 min
to DSTV NC1 + shop drawings
11+ hrs
manual drafting for fab output
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Feature comparison

Feature FrameAI SAP2000
PDF intake (drawing upload) ✓ ✗ Manual model entry
3D model auto-built from drawings ✓ ✗ Manual FEM model required
AISC 360-22 member checks ✓ ✓ Full FEM analysis
AISC 360-22 §J connection design ✓ ✗ Manual design required
DSTV NC1 export ✓ ✗ Not supported
Shop drawing PDFs ✓ ✗ Manual drafting required
IFC export ✓ ✓ Older schema
Nonlinear / dynamic analysis ✗ ✓ SAP2000 core capability
Price See /pricing Cloud-only from July 2025 — contact CSI (old standalone ~$6,500/yr)
Time to fabrication drawings 4 min Manual — day+ workflow
Free tier ✓ Free tier — see /pricing ✗ No free tier

Workflow comparison

Traditional workflow
SAP2000
  • Install SAP2000 (Windows desktop)
  • Build full structural FEM model — nodes, elements, loads
  • Run analysis (hours for large models)
  • Manually design connections using analysis results
  • Draft fabrication drawings manually in AutoCAD or Tekla
  • Export DSTV / shop drawings manually
Total time per project Days per project for full fabrication package
FrameAI workflow
AI-powered steel design
  • Upload structural PDF drawings
  • AI extracts BIM model and member geometry
  • AISC 360-22 member + §J connection design auto-runs
  • DSTV NC1 and AISC shop drawing PDFs download immediately
Total time per project 4 minutes to fabrication-ready output

When to use SAP2000

SAP2000's FEA engine is industry-standard for complex structures: nonlinear static and dynamic analysis, seismic pushover, time-history analysis, bridge models, and critical infrastructure. If your project requires nonlinear behavior modeling, plastic hinging, response spectrum analysis, or complex load combinations that go beyond standard LRFD — SAP2000 is the right tool. FrameAI does not compete here. Use SAP2000 when the structure's complexity demands nonlinear FEA.

Pricing

Traditional
SAP2000
Contact vendor
Per seat per year.<br>Annual contract required.<br>Implementation + training extra.
FrameAI
Pro
See /pricing
Total price, all inclusive.<br>No seat limit. No training cost.<br>Browser-based, instant access.

Pricing from public sources as of June 2026. Contact competitor for current quotes.

Frequently asked questions

Does FrameAI compete with SAP2000 for nonlinear analysis?
No — and we won’t pretend it does. SAP2000’s FEA engine is industry-standard for nonlinear static/dynamic analysis, seismic pushover, time-history, and bridge models. FrameAI is designed for routine LRFD steel buildings where the output is fabrication-ready DSTV and shop drawings. Use SAP2000 when the structure’s complexity demands nonlinear FEA.
What steel connection types does FrameAI design?
FrameAI designs AISC 360-22 Chapter J connection types including shear tab connections, moment end plate connections, split beam connections, brace gusset plate connections, column base plates, and column splices. All calcs are code-verified and included in the DSTV NC1 export.
Can I export DSTV files and shop drawings from FrameAI?
Yes. Every FrameAI project delivers a DSTV NC1 file ready for NC manufacturing, plus AISC-formatted shop drawing PDFs with member marks, cut lengths, hole locations, and connection details. Both outputs are production-ready — no post-processing required.
What is FrameAI’s pricing compared to SAP2000?
FrameAI pricing is at frameai-engineering.com/pricing. SAP2000 moved to cloud-only licensing as of July 2025 — pricing requires contacting CSI directly. FrameAI is significantly cheaper with no CAD modeling required and a direct path to fabrication output.
Does FrameAI support AISC 360-22?
Yes. FrameAI implements AISC 360-22 in full: member checks for tension, compression, bending, shear, and combined loading (ASD and LRFD), plus AISC 360-22 Section J connection design. Both member and connection calcs are code-verified and included in every project export.
See the Eurocode hand-calc validation report →

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No install. No sales call. Upload your first drawing and see the difference.

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