Comparison · Tekla 2026 released with AI drawing tools
Lift vs Tekla Structures
How Lift compares to Tekla Structures on detection breadth, integrations, customer outcomes, and what an estimator should buy in 2026.
01 · In short
Tekla is the dominant detailing platform, not a takeoff product. Its 2026 release added AI Cloud Fabrication Drawings, which builds fabrication drawings from a user-defined library. That edges Trimble closer to AI-aided detailing, but it does not turn Tekla into a takeoff product. Lift exports into Tekla, and that is the right relationship.
This page lays out how the two line up on detection, maturity, integrations, usability, pricing clarity, and stack independence. Then it covers where each has the real edge and where each falls short. The one-paragraph call is at the bottom. Both are real options for a steel shop. Which one fits depends on the specifics below, not on a single headline number.
02 · Head-to-head score
Editorial scoring, 0 to 100, based on public claims, product surface area, field reports, and 2026 positioning. It is not a benchmark. Neither product leads on every axis, and where Tekla Structures is ahead, the bar shows it.
03 · Spec comparison
| Attribute | Lift | Tekla Structures |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | SketchDeck.ai | Trimble |
| Status | Generally available · paying customers since 2021 | Established · Tekla 2026 released with AI drawing tools |
| Pricing | By quote · no per-month takeoff cap | Per-seat license; enterprise quote |
| Detects | Beams, Columns, Braces, Joists, Plates | Full detailing surface: beams, columns, plates, connections |
| Member attributes | Shape, Size, Length, Stud counts, Camber, Framing conditions, Moments, Copes, Holes | Not publicly itemized at this depth |
| Elevations | Yes, plans and elevations | Not applicable |
| Integrations | Tekla, Strumis, Fabtrol, E.J.E., Excel | Tekla PowerFab, Tekla Structural Designer, Trimble Connect |
| Headline metric | 95–99% accuracy · 50–80% time savings | Not publicly quantified |
| Named results |
King Steel · 50% bid takeoff time reduction FabArc Steel · 91% time reduction per sheet Metals Fabrication · 40% more bids completed |
Not published |
04 · Where each has the edge
In Lift's favour
- Lift owns the estimating phase. Tekla owns the detailing phase.
- Lift exports into Tekla, so the two stack rather than overlap.
- Lift does not require a Tekla seat to deliver a BOM.
In Tekla Structures's favour
- Industry-standard detailing platform, entrenched and mature.
- AI Cloud Fabrication Drawings (2026) adds inferenced drawing generation.
- Deep model surface, with BIM-grade outputs across the workflow.
- Strong third-party integration ecosystem.
05 · Limitations on both sides
Lift's limitations
- Priced at the higher end of the category, and quoted rather than published, which makes it harder to weigh against a public number.
- The interface is not the fastest in head-to-head demos. Newer entrants like Ferra switch pages with less lag.
- Column workflows are still maturing. Some rivals ship a dedicated column scanner today.
- Feature pace is steady rather than flashy. Parametric assemblies and base-plate schedules are on the roadmap, not shipped.
Tekla Structures's limitations
- Not a takeoff product. The estimating phase still needs a separate pipeline.
- Per-seat license model gates estimator access.
- The 2026 AI feature set is drawing generation, not member detection from a PDF.
The take
Tekla is the detailing standard, not a takeoff product, and Lift exports into it. The 2026 release added AI drawing generation, but that's a detailing aid, not member detection from a PDF. There's no real either/or here. Most Lift customers run Tekla downstream. Compare the two only to see where the estimating workflow hands off to the detailing one.