Lookups or a feasibility study: RunEnvelope vs. NYC Zoning AI
NYC Zoning AI is a subscription tool that returns the key zoning values for a NYC lot as an Excel workbook, with a free address check, an ADU eligibility checker, and drawn-area property search. RunEnvelope runs a single lot to a feasibility-grade report: every development scenario, per-floor sketch plans, 3D massing, and Building Code analysis. Both start with a free check and both have a $149 entry point, and that $149 buys very different things.
NYC Zoning AI is built for volume: hundreds of searches and a dozen or more tabular reports per month, delivered as Excel, for a monthly fee. RunEnvelope is built for depth: one lot, every legal path modeled as an actual building with drawings, citations, and code analysis, for a per-report price with no subscription. If you need to look up FAR and height limits on many lots quickly, the subscription model fits. If you need to know what can actually be built on one lot before you bid, design, or lend, that is what RunEnvelope is for.
Who each tool is for.
RunEnvelope
- ■Developers and brokers underwriting an acquisition or an assemblage who need every scenario (as-of-right, UAP / City of Yes, MIH, Tower-on-Base, SRO, Shared Housing) modeled, not just the base numbers.
- ■Architects who want a per-edge yard diagram, sky-exposure plane in 3D, dormer and PBA logic, and a Building Code (Chapter 5) pass before schematic design.
- ■Lenders, appraisers, and attorneys who need a citable web report and PDF with a full ZR section table behind every number.
- ■Anyone whose lot sits in a special district, is split-zoned, or depends on bonus FAR, where a tabular lookup stops short.
NYC Zoning AI
- ■Homeowners checking ADU eligibility on their own property.
- ■Brokers, researchers, and analysts who run many addresses a month and want the answers in Excel.
- ■Site-finders who want to draw an area on a map and export a list of underbuilt or vacant lots.
- ■Users who prefer a monthly subscription with a predictable search and report allowance.
Feature by feature.
| Capability | RunEnvelope | NYC Zoning AI |
|---|---|---|
| Free address check, no sign-up | RunEnvelopeFree preview at /start | NYC Zoning AIFree address check |
| Output format | RunEnvelopeLive web report + PDF | NYC Zoning AIExcel workbook |
| ZR section citations | RunEnvelopeYES | NYC Zoning AIYES |
| Development scenarios modeled | RunEnvelope8 paths, each massed: as-of-right, UAP, MIH, CF, SRO, Tower-on-Base, Shared Housing, mixed use | NYC Zoning AIAs-of-right values by tab |
| Bonus FAR (UAP, MIH, IH) | RunEnvelopeYES | NYC Zoning AINot yet included (per FAQ) |
| Per-floor sketch plans | RunEnvelopeYES | NYC Zoning AINO |
| 3D massing | RunEnvelopeYes, with cross-sections | NYC Zoning AIYES |
| Building Code (Chapter 5) analysis | RunEnvelopeYES | NYC Zoning AINot listed |
| Special districts | RunEnvelopeYES | NYC Zoning AINot yet supported (per FAQ) |
| Split-zoned lots | RunEnvelopeWeighted envelope across districts | NYC Zoning AISeparate results per district (per FAQ) |
| Yard requirements | RunEnvelopeResolved per lot edge | NYC Zoning AIPossible conditions listed; user excludes those that do not apply (per FAQ) |
| Sky-exposure plane | RunEnvelopeModeled in 3D | NYC Zoning AINot listed |
| Parking, including non-residential | RunEnvelopeYes, with waivers | NYC Zoning AIResidential only for now (per FAQ) |
| Flood zone | RunEnvelopeIdentified and analyzed | NYC Zoning AIIdentified, not yet analyzed (per FAQ) |
| Tax programs (485-x, 421-a, ICAP, J-51) | RunEnvelopeYES | NYC Zoning AINot listed |
| Air rights analysis | RunEnvelopeYES | NYC Zoning AIYES |
| Lot combination / assemblage | RunEnvelopeYES | NYC Zoning AIYES |
| ADU eligibility checker | RunEnvelopeNO | NYC Zoning AIYES |
| Drawn-area property search → lot list | RunEnvelopeNot in the report | NYC Zoning AIYes, exported to Excel |
| White-label reports | RunEnvelopeYES | NYC Zoning AIEnterprise tier |
| Pricing model | RunEnvelopePer report, or unlimited annual | NYC Zoning AIMonthly subscription, 7-day trial |
Sources Based on publicly available information as of September 16, 2026. Features change; verify current capabilities with each vendor.
Same entry price, different products.
Both tools have a $149 line on their pricing page. Compare what it actually gets you rather than the number.
RunEnvelope: $149, one report
- ■One complete feasibility report on a lot up to 6,999 buildable SF ($349 to 69,999 SF, $499 above that).
- ■Every development scenario, per-floor sketch plans, 3D massing with cross-sections, full ZR citation table, and Building Code analysis, in one deliverable.
- ■Live web report plus PDF. No subscription, no expiry.
- ■Need many? Pro is 10 full reports a month for $4,990 a year, or $1,950 a quarter.
NYC Zoning AI: $149, one month of Starter
- ■1,000 searches and 12 Excel reports, renewing monthly. Professional is $399 a month for 10,000 searches and 50 reports; Enterprise is custom.
- ■Free 7-day trial with 3 reports and 500 searches (email sign-up, no credit card).
- ■ADU and QRS lot lists per ZIP as an add-on, $0.25 to $1.00 per address.
- ■No annual plan listed.
Per report, NYC Zoning AI is far cheaper if what you need is a dozen tabular lookups a month. Per lot decided, RunEnvelope is the one that produces a study you can design, underwrite, or lend against. Pick by what you need to do with the output, not by the headline number.
Where each one wins.
Where RunEnvelope wins
- ■Every legal path modeled as a building: as-of-right, UAP / City of Yes, IH/MIH, CF, SRO, Tower-on-Base, Shared Housing, and mixed use, each with sketch plans and 3D massing.
- ■Resolves the conditions instead of listing them: per-edge yards, sky-exposure plane, dormers, PBA detection, and parking waivers are computed for the lot rather than left for you to pick through.
- ■Handles the cases NYC Zoning AI's FAQ lists as still under development: special districts, split-zoned lots, bonus FAR, non-residential parking, flood analysis.
- ■Building Code (Chapter 5) and tax programs (485-x, 421-a, ICAP, J-51) in the same report, so zoning and economics are read together.
- ■Buy one report for $149 with no subscription, or subscribe to Pro for $4,990 a year and get 10 full reports a month. White-label available.
Where NYC Zoning AI is stronger
- ■Volume pricing: 1,000 searches and 12 reports for $149 a month is a low per-lookup cost if you run many addresses.
- ■Excel output that drops straight into a spreadsheet workflow.
- ■A dedicated ADU eligibility checker aimed at homeowners.
- ■Drawn-area property search with an exportable underbuilt / vacant lot list, available on the standard plans rather than an enterprise tier.
- ■Reports structured to be inserted into DOB filing sets, per their FAQ, with ZR references throughout.
Frequently asked.
Is RunEnvelope an alternative to NYC Zoning AI?
For anyone who needs a feasibility-grade answer on a specific NYC lot, yes. NYC Zoning AI returns the key zoning values as an Excel workbook on a monthly subscription; RunEnvelope returns a full report with every development scenario, sketch plans, 3D massing, ZR citations, and Building Code analysis for a per-report price. If you only need quick tabular lookups across many lots, NYC Zoning AI's subscription is the more economical fit.
Which one handles special districts and split-zoned lots?
RunEnvelope does. NYC Zoning AI's FAQ lists special districts as still under development and states that split lots currently get separate results per district without an Article VII, Chapter 7 evaluation. RunEnvelope models special districts and overlays and builds a weighted envelope across a split-zoned lot.
Does either tool include City of Yes and other bonus FAR?
RunEnvelope models UAP / City of Yes, MIH and IH bonuses as separate scenarios with their own massing. NYC Zoning AI's FAQ lists bonus FAR among the items not yet included in its reports.
What do I actually receive from each?
NYC Zoning AI delivers an Excel workbook with tabs for site information, floor area, density, height, yards, parking, and use groups, with ZR citations. RunEnvelope delivers a live web report and a PDF: per-floor sketch plans, 3D massing with cross-sections, a full ZR citation table, Building Code analysis, tax programs, and air rights and assemblage where relevant.
Can I try both for free?
Yes. NYC Zoning AI offers a free address check with no sign-up and a 7-day trial (3 reports, 500 searches) with an email. RunEnvelope offers a free preview of any NYC lot at /start with no account; you only pay when you generate the full report.
Which is cheaper?
It depends on what you count. NYC Zoning AI's Starter plan is $149 a month for 1,000 searches and 12 reports, which is much cheaper per lookup. RunEnvelope is $149 to $499 for one full report priced by buildable SF, with no subscription, or $4,990 a year (or $1,950 a quarter) for Pro, which includes 10 full reports every month. If you need one lot resolved to a decision, a single RunEnvelope report is usually the cheaper path; if you need many quick lookups a month, the subscription is.
Check any NYC lot free, then decide.
Put a real address into RunEnvelope and see the free preview before you pay for anything. Full reports start at $149 with no subscription.