An honest, factual side-by-side, itemized like everything else here. Structural analysis first; unlock the rest below.
The core decision most structural engineering firms face first. All four handle real projects — the difference is workflow fit, ecosystem, and local support.
| # | Product | Vendor | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | STAAD.Pro | Bentley Systems | General-purpose analysis — buildings, bridges, towers, offshore & industrial structures. 90+ codes including IS. |
| 02 | ETABS | CSI | Multi-story building analysis, seismic-heavy projects |
| 03 | SAP2000 | CSI | General-purpose FEA — buildings, bridges, stadiums, industrial structures |
| 04 | Robot Structural Analysis | Autodesk | Analysis inside a Revit/BIM-centric workflow |
We license and support STAAD.Pro directly — training, renewals, and a local team who picks up the phone.
RC detailing, water/wastewater modeling, pipe stress analysis, and CAD & drafting tools — enter your email to unlock the full page and get a copy sent to your inbox.
Where a lot of engineering-hours disappear on repetitive elements.
| # | Product | Vendor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | RCDC | Bentley Systems | Automated RC detailing directly from a STAAD.Pro model; cuts manual detailing time on repetitive elements |
| 02 | Manual detailing | — | No automated link back to the analysis model; every revision is manual |
For utility, municipal, and civil infrastructure work.
| # | Product | Vendor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | WaterGEMS / SewerGEMS | Bentley Systems | GIS-integrated, scales to utility-sized networks |
| 02 | EPANET | U.S. EPA (free) | No official commercial support, GIS integration, or vendor training |
| 03 | InfoWater | Autodesk (Innovyze) | Comparable scope, ArcGIS-native, different vendor ecosystem |
Process and power piping systems.
| # | Product | Vendor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | AutoPIPE | Bentley Systems | Process & power piping stress analysis |
| 02 | CAESAR II | Hexagon | Widely used alternative in oil & gas / process piping |
We license all three below ourselves — this is a genuine buyer's guide, not us-vs-them.
| # | Product | Vendor | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | AutoCAD | Autodesk | Firms standardized on Autodesk/DWG workflows; broadest plugin ecosystem |
| 02 | ARES Commander | Graebert | Budget-conscious teams needing true DWG compatibility; native macOS/Linux |
| 03 | SketchUp Studio | Trimble | Fast 3D conceptual modeling & visualization, not precision drafting |
Tell us your workflow and budget — we'll point to the right one, not the most expensive one.