In view of a reference for the selection of pull rod scaffold and cantilever beam scaffolds, a mechanical performance analysis and an economic benefit analysis have been carried out of the two kinds of scaffolds by adopting the method of modeling them with different cantilever lengths. The results show that, compared with the cantilever beam scaffold, the stress of the cantilever main beam tends to be smaller, with a more uniform distribution, and a smaller deflection. The results show that, compared with the cantilever-beam scaffold, the stress of the main beam of the cantilever is smaller and more evenly distributed with a smaller deflection. Considering the economic benefits, construction process and construction period, the average cost saving of the pull-rod cantilever scaffold is 54.03% with a shortened construction period. Setting the tensioned steel wire rope helps to greatly improve the bearing capacity of the cantilever-beam scaffold, while a regular check should be taken of the tensioning degree of the steel wire rope.