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One Click LCA vs EC3

The two tools most often used for embodied carbon in construction: a commercial LCA and EPD platform and a nonprofit EPD database. Vendor-published facts only.

DESK RESEARCH, NOT TESTED. Compiled from vendors' public websites (accessed Oct 15, 2026). Vendor claims are not verified by Means & Methods Lab. No scores or rankings.

Side by side

One Click LCA vs EC3: vendor-published facts side by side
Sheet rowOne Click LCAEC3 (Building Transparency)
CategoryLife cycle assessment & EPDsEmbodied carbon & EPD database
AI role (our label)AI features added to established productNot AI-first
What it doesLife cycle assessment and EPD software for construction and manufacturing: run LCAs from BIM, Excel, or bills of quantities, compare design options, prove compliance, and generate EPDs. Its Powered by AI page describes AI-driven data integration and AI mapping that matches materials across synonyms, spelling differences, and languages (vendor claim of "ten times better data mapping"), plus AI-powered insights that verify results, suggest improvements, and compare designs against projected performance. Carbon Designer 3D supports early embodied-carbon LCAs without a BIM model; the Power Pack plan lists Generative Design in Carbon Designer 3D and other AI enhancements. Vendor cites 500,000+ LCA datasets, compliance with BREEAM, LEED, DGNB, and 140+ other schemes, 20+ BIM and simulation integrations (including Autodesk Construction Cloud, Takeoff, and Procore), and ISO 27001 / SOC 2 certification (vendor claims).Building Transparency, a nonprofit, provides EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator), described as a free and open-access embodied-carbon accounting tool and EPD database for finding and comparing materials, planning project embodied carbon, declaring products, and auditing digital EPDs. The EC3 program page cites 50,000+ valid EPDs hosted and users in 84 countries (vendor figures). Also lists tallyLCA, an EC3 API, Open Data for Climate, and EC3 2.0 in development. Integration notes on that page include One Click LCA, Procore, and others. No AI features described on the pages we read.
Who it's forArchitects, engineers, contractors, developers, consultants, and construction product manufacturers.Designers, specifiers, contractors, and owners working on embodied carbon.
Pricing (as publicly stated)Not publicly listed for Designer, Expert Pack, and Power Pack (each routes to request a quote). Power Pack is the tier One Click LCA lists with "AI enhancements" and Generative Design in Carbon Designer 3D. A separate Business License is sold online for standard compliance and certification LCAs (named or concurrent user licenses); no dollar prices appear on the design-and-construction pricing page. (Checked Oct 15, 2026.)EC3 tool access is described as free and open-access. Building Transparency also lists an "API Access & Pricing" page (our Oct 15 fetch of that page was blocked by the site's Cloudflare challenge, so we do not restate any API prices). Nonprofit accepts donations. (Checked Oct 15, 2026.)
Test statusNot tested. No scores.Not tested. No scores.
Vendor links
Sources

Facts last checked: Oct 15, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor page before relying on them.

Where the vendor descriptions differ

Paraphrased from the sources listed above. Vendor claims are reported as claims.

What we can't tell you yet

Which tool is better for your work. That needs testing on the same package with a verified answer key. Planned measures for this comparison:

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