LCA software comparison in 2025: best tools ranking

Key takeaways

• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software has evolved into a wide spectrum of solutions. Choosing the right one depends less on the features checklist and more on how well the tool fits your organization’s size, industry and data maturity. 

• Expert suites offer the deepest modeling, enterprise platforms bring automation across thousands of SKUs, and SMB-focused SaaS solutions are designed to make impact measurement affordable and accessible. 

• Among these, Devera stands out as the best option for small and mid-sized product companies in 2025 because it balances automation, affordability, compliance and consumer-facing transparency.

Automation-first SaaS platforms for SMBs and enterprises

Devera

Devera is an AI-powered LCA platform designed to democratize sustainability by making product carbon footprints fast, affordable and actionable. The workflow starts with automated data extraction from websites and documents, builds a “sandbox” of product category assumptions, integrates real product data, and calculates cradle-to-grave impacts across six stages. It benchmarks products against category averages and provides Impact-scores that can be displayed in e-commerce with a widget. Pricing is transparent by reference count: from €150 per product for small portfolios, dropping to €30 per product at 1,000 SKUs.

• Pros: Highly automated, ISO 14040/44 and 14067 aligned, affordable compared to consultancy (80% cheaper), integrates with e-commerce, clear reports with actionable improvements. Doesn’t require structured data input from the client.

• Cons: Less suitable for LCA experts who need to customize methods; EPD publishing not yet part of the offer.

• Best fit: Small and mid-sized consumer brands, especially in cosmetics, fashion, food and e-commerce, who must report product impact of a large portfolio with transparent product scores.

Vaayu

Retail-first carbon and LCA automation tool, integrates with retail systems and provides TÜV certified methods. Pricing is enterprise only.

• Pros: Retail native, real-time impact linked to transactions.

• Cons: Less relevant for manufacturers.

• Best fit: Fashion, retail, omnichannel brands.

Fairglow

Focused on cosmetics, with INCI database and formulation estimation.

• Pros: Tailored to beauty sector, useful when formulations are incomplete.

• Cons: Niche focus, early stage.

• Best fit: Cosmetics and personal care brands.

Ecochain Mobius & Helix

Mobius offers SMB product LCA from €275/month; Helix supports portfolio and factory PCFs with enterprise pricing.

• Pros: Accessible UI, PACT v3 aligned, ecoinvent included.

• Cons: Helix is complex and requires pilot validation.

• Best fit: SMBs scaling into enterprise LCA.

Arbor

Transparent SaaS pricing: pay-per-product (~$1000 each).

• Pros: Cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-grave, ISO 14067.

• Cons: Requires inputting product data manually or in structured forms, and is less clear about automated enrichment. Produces Product Carbon Footprint reports but doesn’t emphasize public-facing widgets, scores or benchmarking for e-commerce.

• Best fit: Small brands needing PCFs quickly and cheaply.

Expert LCA suites: depth, transparency and governance

SimaPro Craft & Synergy

SimaPro remains one of the most respected tools in academic and consulting environments. Craft 10.2 now includes ecoinvent v3.11, uncertainty analysis, and a library of LCIA methods including EF 3.1 and ReCiPe. It is priced from €6,100/year per license, with a Power plan at €7,800. Synergy adds a cloud layer for multi-user scalability and API integration.

• Pros: Extremely robust, peer-reviewed, transparent, ideal for custom scenarios and research.

• Cons: Steep learning curve and higher annual cost.

• Best fit: LCA consultants, researchers and sustainability teams that need defensible, auditor-ready models.

Sphera GaBi

GaBi combines a professional modeling tool with one of the most extensive commercial databases in the market: 20,000+ datasets and 1,000 pre-built models. LCA Automation lets large companies calculate footprints across entire portfolios with ERP and PLM integration.

• Pros: Enterprise grade, large data library, strong support for regulated industries.

• Cons: Closed ecosystem, expensive and not accessible for SMBs.

• Best fit: Automotive, chemicals, electronics and other sectors under heavy compliance regimes.

Umberto (iPoint)

Umberto is a graph-based tool designed for modeling material and energy flows. It adds cost modeling on top of environmental flows, useful for eco-efficiency analysis.

• Pros: Combines LCA and costing, integrates with major databases like ecoinvent and Carbon Minds.

• Cons: Requires expert training, less automation compared to SaaS newcomers.

• Best fit: Engineering teams in industrial manufacturing, chemical plants, resource-intensive industries.

OpenLCA

An open-source suite widely used in research and public institutions. The tool itself is free, but high-quality databases such as ecoinvent require paid licenses (from CHF 1,650/year).

• Pros: Free to use, transparent, supports many formats, extensible through plug-ins.

• Cons: Setup and QA are time-intensive, support is optional and billed separately.

• Best fit: Universities, NGOs, consultants starting with small budgets, and technically skilled SMBs.

Brightway + Activity Browser

A Python-based open-source framework, ideal for advanced researchers who want full flexibility and reproducibility. Activity Browser provides a graphical interface, but most users rely on Python scripting.

• Pros: Maximum transparency, customizable, research-grade, supports time-explicit modeling.

• Cons: Requires programming expertise, not suitable for non-technical business users.

• Best fit: Academic research groups, data science-driven consultancies, organizations piloting cutting-edge LCA methods.
  
  
  

Sector-specific tools: focused workflows and compliance

One Click LCA

Built for the construction industry, One Click LCA supports EN 15804 A2, ISO 14067 and TRACI. It enables manufacturers to generate verified EPDs and integrates with BIM platforms. It includes over 300,000 datasets, with optional Carbon Minds add-ons for chemicals.

• Pros: Market leader in AEC, seamless EPD generation, extensive dataset coverage.

• Cons: Custom pricing, requires trained staff for setup.

• Best fit: Construction firms, building product manufacturers, infrastructure projects.
  
  
  

TallyLCA

A plug-in for Autodesk Revit, Tally brings LCA into the early design stage of buildings. It is now compatible with Revit 2025 and 2026.

• Pros: Integrated in CAD workflow, quick comparative analysis for architects.

• Cons: Limited to Revit users, not a general LCA tool.

• Best fit: Architects and design firms focused on early-stage decisions.

Athena Impact Estimator

A free tool focused on North America. It allows architects and engineers to compare design alternatives and integrates operational energy.

• Pros: Free of charge, practical for quick studies.

• Cons: Coverage limited to North America, fewer datasets compared to commercial players.

• Best fit: Small design firms and academic institutions in North America.

Trayak EcoImpact COMPASS

A packaging-specific LCA tool, with a Lite plan at $2,100/year. It allows companies to compare packaging formats, materials and reuse scenarios.

• Pros: Quick screening, targeted at packaging developers, easy to learn.

• Cons: Limited to packaging, not a general LCA platform.

• Best fit: Packaging designers, FMCG brands with packaging-heavy portfolios.

Sustainable Minds

Provides a cloud-based ecodesign tool plus an EPD program. It is also the operator of the Transparency Catalog used by building product buyers.

• Pros: Combines design screening and verified EPD publishing.

• Cons: Pricing not transparent, UI less modern compared to newer SaaS.

• Best fit: Building product manufacturers that need to publish EPDs under LEED or BREEAM.

Makersite

A lifecycle intelligence platform that integrates cost, compliance and sustainability. It offers a Pro plan at €12,000/year and enterprise deployments by quote.

• Pros: AI-assisted BOM mapping, multi-criteria decision support.

• Cons: Expensive for SMBs, complex implementation.

• Best fit: Automotive, aerospace, electronics companies with complex supply chains.

CarbonCloud

Specialized in food and agriculture. Automates product carbon footprints across recipes and supply chains, with a public ClimateHub. Data plans start at €330/year.

• Pros: Strong food sector coverage, scalable across large portfolios.

• Cons: Food-specific, limited LCIA categories.

• Best fit: Food brands, CPG companies, retailers in F&B.
  
  
  

  

Full comparison of top LCA softwares in 2025

Ranking of the best tools for SMB product-based companies and non-experts LCA in 2025

1. Devera — best overall choice

Devera leads because it solves the two biggest SMB challenges: cost and speed. Traditional LCAs can take months and cost tens of thousands; Devera automates the process, delivering product footprints in days at a fraction of the price. It also integrates directly into e-commerce, giving brands a consumer-facing sustainability seal backed by ISO-aligned methodology. Importantly, Devera helps companies comply with the EU Green Claims Directive, which will make unverifiable claims illegal. This regulatory alignment, plus benchmarking, actionable recommendations and scalability across thousands of SKUs, makes it the most practical and future-proof tool for SMBs.

2. Ecochain Mobius — best for manufacturers

Ecochain is a strong alternative for small manufacturers who want affordable, ongoing product LCA and access to robust datasets. It is particularly appealing because it includes ecoinvent and offers a clear upgrade path to Helix if the company needs portfolio or corporate reporting. However, it requires some expertise to manage the LCA process.

3. Arbor Unlimited — best for simplicity and carbon-only focus

Arbor is a strong fit for small and mid-sized brands that need a clear, uncomplicated way to get ISO-aligned product carbon footprints. While its per-product pricing is high compared to other tools, the platform’s straightforward workflows and narrow focus on carbon make it appealing for teams that do not want to manage the complexity of full LCAs. It falls behind Devera in automation, benchmarking, consumer-facing integration and regulatory support, but for companies that just want carbon numbers quickly and simply, Arbor can still be a practical option.

4. Trayak EcoImpact COMPASS Lite — best for packaging-heavy portfolios

Trayak remains a reliable and cost-effective entry point for companies whose environmental impact is dominated by packaging decisions. At $2,100/year it is accessible, but limited outside packaging.

5. Fairglow — best for cosmetics enterprises

Fairglow deserves a place in the ranking because of its specialized INCI database and ability to model incomplete formulations, a unique need in beauty. For cosmetic brands, it provides fast insights tailored to their reality.

Ranking of the best LCA software for LCA experts in 2025

1. Sphera GaBi - LCA for Experts

Sphera sits at the top for enterprises because of its unrivaled database breadth and enterprise-level controls. The Managed LCA Content library offers over 20,000 process datasets and 1,000 prebuilt models, spanning chemicals, energy, automotive, packaging and electronics. The Automation module lets companies connect BOMs from ERP or PLM and generate PCFs at scale, which is critical when handling thousands of SKUs. GaBi has also invested in PACT v3 compatibility, which makes supplier data exchanges reliable.The combination of trusted datasets, automation at portfolio scale, and strong regulatory acceptance makes GaBi the most enterprise-ready choice.
Best for: Automotive, aerospace, heavy industry, electronics, chemicals.

2. SimaPro Craft + Synergy

SimaPro Craft remains the reference for expert modeling, uncertainty analysis and method flexibility. It now ships with ecoinvent 3.11, Agri-footprint and EF 3.1 methods. Synergy complements it with a cloud layer, enabling multi-user collaboration and integrations via APIs. Enterprises often combine Craft for expert teams with Synergy for scaling metrics across design and procurement teams. It offers the strongest transparency and methodological rigor, while Synergy provides the missing enterprise scalability.
Best for: FMCG, food and agriculture, consultancies serving multinationals, consumer product giants under CSRD pressure.

3. Makersite

Makersite brings a different value: AI-assisted BOM mapping across compliance, cost and sustainability. It integrates directly with CAD, PLM and ERP systems, which accelerates digital-twin style modeling. Pricing starts at €12,000/year for Pro but enterprise deployments are custom. Makersite is especially strong when organizations need to consider compliance (REACH, RoHS), cost and carbon simultaneously. Its strength lies in connecting impact to procurement and engineering decisions in real-time, making it highly valuable for complex supply chains.

Best for: Electronics, automotive, aerospace, complex supply chains with compliance needs.

4. Ecochain Helix

Helix is Ecochain’s enterprise platform, designed for portfolio and factory-wide LCAs. It is often used by manufacturers to generate hundreds of product carbon footprints and EPDs in one workflow. It is PACT v3 aligned, includes ecoinvent and EF databases, and provides implementation support. Pricing is by quote. Strong automation for manufacturers, but less breadth in industries compared to Sphera or SimaPro.
Best for: Mid to large manufacturing companies scaling PCFs across product lines, especially in Europe.

5. One Click LCA

One Click LCA dominates the construction segment, with direct EPD generation workflows, BIM integrations, and compliance with EN 15804 A2. It includes over 300,000 datasets and add-ons like Carbon Minds chemicals for construction products. It is also expanding into manufacturing footprints. Its focus is narrower, but in construction and building materials it is the unquestioned leader.
Best for: Construction firms, building product manufacturers, infrastructure developers.

Final thoughts

2025 is a turning point in LCA adoption. The market has matured into clear segments: research-grade suites like SimaPro and GaBi for expert users, sector-specific platforms like One Click LCA or CarbonCloud for compliance-heavy industries, and automation-first SaaS like Devera, Arbor and Ecochain that bring credible footprinting within reach of SMBs.

For most product-based small and mid-sized companies, Devera is the best choice this year. It offers the right mix of automation, affordability, compliance with the Green Claims directive, benchmarking power and consumer-facing transparency.