App comparison
Fixie vs TimberLab
Fixie and TimberLab are both iPhone apps that turn a furniture idea, written down or photographed, into a 3D model and a cut list. They differ in what the plan contains once the model is done: the hardware, how the build steps are written, and how structures with walls and a roof are framed. We make Fixie. For TimberLab, this page repeats what its App Store listing and website say and what we saw using the app, and links to both.
Updated
The short answer
Pick Fixie if you want a plan you can build from start to finish: every board, the screws and hardware, and steps written for the tools you own, whether it is your first build or you already have a shop. It also frames backyard builds like a small shed the way a builder would. Pick TimberLab if you want an AI helper you can ask about each step, or a large catalog of furniture templates to start from.
Side by side
| Feature | Fixie | TimberLab |
|---|---|---|
| Start from | A description in plain words, up to six reference photos, or a free catalog project | A description, a photo, or a build-ready project from its catalog |
| Missing details | Asks a few questions before it designs, when your description leaves something out | Not mentioned on its listing or website |
| 3D model | Yes, with AR placement in your room for supported designs | Yes, interactive; AR is not mentioned |
| Changes | Ask for a change and get a new version of your plans | Describe the change; the model, cut list and shopping list update together |
| Cut list | Every part and every board, in the lumber sizes you can buy | A checkable cut list with a suggested cut layout |
| Screws and hardware | On the shopping list, with quantities | None in the plans we opened: the shopping list is lumber only |
| Shopping list | Materials and hardware with store links; skips the tools you already own | Boards by length, with checkboxes; no store links |
| Build steps | Illustrated steps written for the tools you said you own, with 3D views; check them off as you go | An animated 3D view and a short paragraph per step; the steps we read place and clamp parts without saying how to fasten them |
| Framed builds | Framed the way a builder frames: studs and headers, pressure-treated lumber where wood meets the ground, sheet goods cut to fit as installed | A sauna we designed in it came out as wall panels on four corner posts, with no wall studs |
| Help inside a plan | Written steps and 3D views for every step | Timbo, an AI helper that answers questions about a step and accepts photos |
| Devices | iPhone; also runs on iPad | iPhone and iPad |
| Free on the web | Free project plans and a cut list calculator on fixie.help | Not mentioned |
Where they are alike
Both apps start from the same place: tell the app what you want to build, or show it a photo, and get a 3D model you can turn around before you buy any lumber. Both give you a cut list in real board sizes and a shopping list, both let you ask for changes, and both have a catalog of projects if you would rather not start from scratch.
Both also say the same thing about AI: the plan is a starting point you check before you cut. TimberLab's FAQ says it is not a replacement for shop drawings or experience, and Fixie asks you to review measurements, materials and steps before cutting.
What we saw in TimberLab
On September 29, 2026 we opened two TimberLab plans on an iPhone: its catalog Entryway Shoe Bench and a sauna we had designed in the app. Both shopping lists listed lumber only, with no screws, glue or other hardware. The bench's five assembly steps position the parts and clamp them, but none says how the parts are fastened.
The sauna, 73 1/2 by 60 3/4 by 80 3/4 inches, is four 4x4 corner posts on 2x4 sills, with tongue-and-groove wall panels set against the posts and a single 60 by 72 inch roof panel. Its shopping list has no wall studs, sheathing, insulation or vapor barrier.
A complete plan, for the tools you own
Every Fixie plan lists the screws and hardware with the lumber, and the steps say where they go. Fixie asks which tools you own before it designs, writes the steps for them, and leaves those tools off the shopping list.
For a first build, that means steps you can follow with the saw and drill in your garage. If you already have a shop, it means a complete plan in minutes: the cut list, the hardware and the order of assembly, without drawing it yourself.
Framed builds, drawn like a builder would
Fixie designs more than furniture. It has planned small storage sheds with framed roofs, a four-person backyard sauna, a skate ramp and picnic tables for Fixie users. Walls are framed flat with studs and headers, lumber that touches the ground is pressure-treated, and sheathing is cut to fit as it goes on, the way a builder would do it.
TimberLab's website describes a catalog of hundreds of ready-to-build projects, from bunk beds and dining tables to garden benches and planters.
Which one should you try?
If you want a plan you can build without filling gaps yourself, from the screws to the order of assembly, or you want to build something with walls and a roof, start with Fixie. That holds for a first build and for experienced builders who want a plan fast. Your first custom design is free, and every catalog project is free.
If you want to ask an AI questions from inside each step, or browse a large furniture template library, TimberLab is worth a look.
FAQ
Is Fixie an alternative to TimberLab?
Yes. Both are iPhone apps that design furniture from a description or a photo and give you a 3D model and a cut list. Fixie adds the screws and hardware to the shopping list, writes its build steps for the tools you own, and frames builds like small sheds with studs and headers.
Can Fixie design a shed or other framed structure?
Yes. Fixie has planned small storage sheds, a backyard sauna and a skate ramp, framed with studs, headers and pressure-treated lumber where wood meets the ground.
Is Fixie only for beginners?
No. First-time builders get steps written for the tools they have, with 3D views of every step. Experienced builders who already have a shop use it to get a complete plan fast: a cut list for every board, the hardware, and a shopping list that leaves out the tools they own.
Does Fixie work on Android?
Not yet. Fixie is on iPhone, and it also runs on iPad. Its project plans and cut list calculator are free on fixie.help in any browser.
Turn your idea into a build plan
Describe the piece you want or add a photo, and Fixie designs it with a 3D preview, cut list, materials, and step-by-step instructions. Your first design is free.
Download Fixie on the App StoreSources
- TimberLab: Woodworking Modeler on the App Store
- TimberLab website
- Our use of the TimberLab iPhone app on September 29, 2026: the Entryway Shoe Bench and a sauna designed in the app
- Fixie 2.0: Design Your Own Build
- Fixie home page and FAQ