PileCalc
All comparisons
PileCalc vs DeepFND

The all-in-one workflow — priced like software, not like a seat license.

Lateral, axial, groups, shafts and footings in your browser for $39.99/month — against a Windows subscription that runs $2,250/yr for single piles and $9,650/yr for the full suite, with browser access itself a paid add-on.

DeepFND shares PileCalc's core thesis — one tool for the whole foundation — and executes it with impressive breadth, including international codes, helical piles and optional FEM. The difference is the delivery: a Windows subscription that climbs from $2,250 to nearly $10,000 a year as modules stack, versus a browser tool priced like SaaS.

Platform
Windows desktop (cloud access is a paid add-on)
Pricing
≈ $2,250/yr (single piles) to $9,650/yr (full, with groups, FEM & cap design)
Scope
Axial + lateral + structural, single piles to groups & rafts

What DeepFND does well

  • Genuinely all-in-one: axial, lateral, structural and settlement design in one program
  • The broadest code coverage in the niche — AASHTO LRFD, Eurocode 7, Canadian, Chinese, Australian
  • Modern extras: helical piles, pile rafts, optional 3D FEM and AI-assisted capacity calibration

Where PileCalc is different

  • Browser-native at no extra charge — DeepFND's cloud access is a +$1,200/yr module
  • Transparent public pricing: free tier and $39.99/month vs a $2,250–$9,650/yr modular subscription
  • Groups and helical piles included, not modular edition upgrades
  • Validation numbers published openly against LPILE and RSPile

The numbers, published

PileCalc's engine is checked term-by-term against the reference codes. A representative sample of the benchmarks — every intermediate value is visible in the app so you can reproduce them yourself.

Free-head pile (EI 1.43×10⁶, D 1 m, L 24.4 m)Liang et al. (2014) exact solution / RSPile
Max moment
792.2 kN·m
792.1 kN·m (exact)
within 0.1%
Fixed-head pile (EI 1.43×10⁶, D 1 m, L 24.4 m)Liang et al. (2014) exact solution / RSPile
Head moment
−581.1 kN·m
−581.0 kN·m (exact)
within 0.1%
Cantilever pile (EI 320, D 0.1 m, L 5.25 m)Liang et al. (2014) exact solution / RSPile
Head deflection
8.75 mm
8.750 mm (exact)
within 0.1%
Cantilever pile (EI 320, D 0.1 m, L 5.25 m)Liang et al. (2014) exact solution / RSPile
Max moment
2.335 kN·m
2.334 kN·m (exact)
within 0.1%
Circular pile, API sand (D 0.5 m, L 10 m, H 100 kN)RSPile verification manual
Deflection & moment profile
RSPile 2018 problems #1/#2/#8/#15
chart-reading tolerance
within 1–3%
Steel pile, multi-layer slope stabilization (17 m)RSPile / TZPile / LPile
Lateral resistance
607 kN
582 kN
within ~4%
Read how we validate — and why against two independent codes

PileCalc vs DeepFND: common questions

Switching from DeepFND? See the DeepFND alternative guide

Run the comparison yourself

Open the same pile in PileCalc and see the result in your browser in under a minute.

Launch the app