[lstodd]

If screws snap from shear - you undersized the screw diameter.

If nails are in a joint so that they experience pulling-out forces - use barbed nails (and encourage them to rust).

It's all about choosing the right fastener for the job.

[woofie11]

If screws snap from shear, you used the wrong fastener. A bigger screw isn't the right solution. It costs more, makes a bigger hole, and doesn't work as well as the right fastener.

Screws are generally harder steel so that the threads can cut into the substrate. That makes them brittle. Try bending a screw; it won't bend. It will snap.

There are engineered screws designed for high shear strength which I use quite often. They're much more expensive, but I find them worthwhile.

Nails are made of softer, tougher steel. If you try to bend one, it will bend. It won't break.

Conversely, from the video linked, you can see that even a basic screw will handle several times more tension loading than a barbed nail.

[lstodd]

Well, I won't argue. If it snapped, bent or RUDded, engineering is the one to blame :) which is typically me.

[brixon]

Going down that road, the YouTuber ProjectFarm has a good video on the holding power of screws and nails. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAxGAIFbqu4