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Construction · head to head

Tekla Structures vs Trunk Tools

Tekla Structures logo

Tekla Structures

Construction

BIM software for structural engineering and construction

From
$400/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trunk Tools logo

Trunk Tools

Construction

Answers questions from a project document set with citations, so field staff stop hunting drawings

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Tekla Structures no specific pricing published; three subscription options available but require sales contact; Trunk Tools nothing about pricing is published, and because it is quoted by project rather than by seat, the cost of standardising it across a portfolio of jobs is hard to model before a sales process
  • They diverge on capability: Tekla Structures covers 3D structural modeling, Trunk Tools covers Question answering with citations.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tekla Structures and Trunk Tools actually diverge.

Attributes where Tekla Structures and Trunk Tools differ
AttributeTekla StructuresTrunk Tools
Starting price$400/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindowsWeb, iOS, Android
Founded1978Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Tekla Structures

  • 3D structural modeling
  • Steel detailing
  • Concrete detailing
  • Drawing production
  • Fabrication support
  • Trimble Connect
  • Revit
  • AutoCAD

Only in Trunk Tools

  • Question answering with citations
  • Text message interface
  • Submittal review
  • RFI drafting
  • Schedule agent
  • Drawing and specification ingestion
  • Change awareness

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Tekla Structures

  • Structural designnot Trunk Tools
  • Steel detailingnot Trunk Tools
  • Rebar detailingnot Trunk Tools
  • Fabrication managementnot Trunk Tools

Trunk Tools

  • A superintendent on a data centre project who needs to know the required fire rating of a specific partition type without leaving the decknot Tekla Structures
  • A project engineer reviewing 300 submittals who wants conflicts against the specification flagged before the architect sees themnot Tekla Structures
  • A contractor whose RFIs are being rejected as already answered in the specification and wants the document checked firstnot Tekla Structures
  • A team that has just received a revised drawing set and needs to know which in-progress work is now affectednot Tekla Structures

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Tekla Structures

  • No specific pricing published; three subscription options available but require sales contact
  • Flexible licensing that adjusts as company develops and grows, but specific rates not disclosed

Trunk Tools

  • Nothing about pricing is published, and because it is quoted by project rather than by seat, the cost of standardising it across a portfolio of jobs is hard to model before a sales process
  • Answer quality is bounded entirely by the discipline of the underlying document control, and on a project with stale drawing revisions it will cite superseded sheets with the same confidence as current ones
  • It is an overlay on Procore or Autodesk rather than a system of record, so a contractor is now paying two vendors for the same document set and depends on the integration continuing to be maintained
  • The company is young and the product category is new, so there is little independent long-run evidence on accuracy, and a contractor putting field decisions on it should build its own verification sampling rather than trust vendor claims
  • Answers with citations do not carry contractual weight; an RFI response or a specification still governs, so the tool reduces search time without reducing the contractual review burden

Pricing, plan by plan

Tekla Structures

$400/month
  • Tekla Structures$400/month
    • 3D modeling
    • Detailing
    • Drawing production
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Multi-user
    • Advanced features
    • Custom configurations

Trunk Tools

On request
  • Trunk Tools$undefined/year
    • Quoted by project, user count and modules taken
    • Pilot projects commonly priced separately from an enterprise agreement
    • Document ingestion and integration setup scoped per customer

Which should you pick?

Choose Tekla Structures if

  • You need 3d structural modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want steel detailing.
Tekla Structures review

Choose Trunk Tools if

  • You need question answering with citations.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want text message interface.
Trunk Tools review

Questions people ask

Is Tekla Structures or Trunk Tools better?
Neither clearly leads. Tekla Structures starts at $400/month and Trunk Tools at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tekla Structures or Trunk Tools?
Tekla Structures starts at $400/month and Trunk Tools at On request.
Does Tekla Structures or Trunk Tools run on more platforms?
Tekla Structures runs on Windows. Trunk Tools runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Tekla Structures best used for?
Tekla Structures is most often used for structural design, steel detailing, rebar detailing, fabrication management. Of those, structural design and steel detailing are not what Trunk Tools is typically brought in for.
What can Tekla Structures do that Trunk Tools cannot?
Tekla Structures covers 3D structural modeling, Steel detailing, Concrete detailing, Drawing production. Trunk Tools covers Question answering with citations, Text message interface, Submittal review, RFI drafting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Tekla Structures: Is there a free trial for Tekla Structures?

Yes, a 30-day free trial is available at https://download.trimble.com/tekla-structures/free-trial

Source
Trunk Tools: Does it replace Procore?

No. It reads from Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud and adds retrieval and review on top. You still pay for the document platform.

Tekla Structures: What subscription options are available?

Tekla Structures offers three material-independent subscription options designed for specific user needs. Each subscription includes Trimble Connect Business Premium and Tekla Model Sharing collaboration platform. Contact Tekla for specific pricing and plan details.

Source
Trunk Tools: What does it cost?

Trunk Tools does not publish pricing. Expect a quote scoped by project, users and which modules you take.

Trunk Tools: Can it be wrong?

Yes. It cites its source, which lets you check, but if the document set contains superseded drawings it will answer from them. Document control discipline is a prerequisite, not an optional extra.

Trunk Tools: Can field staff use it without the app?

Yes. TrunkText answers questions by text message, which is the main reason foremen adopt it.

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