Agisoft PhotoScan
Photogrammetry software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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$179 one-time
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
Small
Medium
Large
- Healthcare and life sciences
- Education and training
- Retail and wholesale
What is Agisoft PhotoScan
Agisoft PhotoScan is desktop photogrammetry software used to process overlapping photos into 3D models, dense point clouds, textured meshes, and georeferenced orthomosaics/DEMs. It is used by surveyors, GIS teams, archaeologists, and visual effects or cultural heritage groups for drone and terrestrial capture workflows. The product is best known for an offline, workstation-based pipeline with options for camera calibration, ground control points, and export to common 3D/GIS formats. PhotoScan is the former product name; Agisoft now sells the same product line under the name Metashape.
End-to-end offline processing
The software runs locally on Windows, macOS, and Linux, which suits organizations that need offline processing or have data-governance constraints. It covers alignment, dense reconstruction, meshing, texturing, and map products in one application. This reduces reliance on separate tools for core photogrammetry steps compared with more modular workflows.
Strong geospatial deliverables
PhotoScan supports georeferencing via EXIF/GNSS, ground control points, and coordinate system selection for survey-style outputs. It produces orthomosaics, DEM/DSM surfaces, and exports to common GIS and CAD-friendly formats. These capabilities make it suitable for mapping and inspection projects where spatial accuracy and deliverable interoperability matter.
Configurable reconstruction workflow
Users can tune quality settings, depth filtering, and reconstruction parameters to balance speed, detail, and noise. It includes tools for masking, camera calibration, and gradual selection/cleanup that help improve results on challenging datasets. This level of control is useful for advanced users who need repeatable processing across varied capture conditions.
Legacy naming and licensing
PhotoScan is a legacy name and has been replaced by Metashape in Agisoft’s current portfolio. This can create confusion when comparing editions, documentation, and third-party tutorials. Buyers evaluating “PhotoScan” may need to confirm which Metashape version and license terms they are actually purchasing or supporting.
Compute-intensive on large projects
High-resolution drone or multi-camera datasets can require substantial CPU/GPU resources, RAM, and storage to process efficiently. Processing times can be long without a well-specified workstation, especially for dense clouds and high-quality meshes. Teams may need to plan for hardware investment or batch/overnight processing for larger jobs.
Steeper learning curve
While the workflow is guided, achieving consistent accuracy often requires understanding capture planning, ground control, and parameter tuning. Quality issues (e.g., poor alignment, noise, or holes) can require iterative troubleshooting and cleanup. Organizations without photogrammetry experience may need training and documented SOPs to standardize outputs.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition (node-locked) | $179 (one‑time perpetual) | Core photogrammetry features: triangulation, dense point cloud, 3D model generation & texturing; node‑locked (rehostable) license. Source: Agisoft online store. |
| Professional Edition (node-locked) | $3,499 (one‑time perpetual) | Full feature set (DEM/orthomosaic generation, ground control points, dense cloud classification, network processing options via floating licenses sold separately). Node‑locked (rehostable). |
| Educational — Standard (node-locked, rehostable) | $59 (one‑time perpetual) | Discounted educational license (requires proof of eligibility). |
| Educational — Professional (node-locked, rehostable) | $549 (one‑time perpetual) | Discounted educational Professional license (requires proof of eligibility). |
Service Provider / SaaS (usage-based / renting): Pricing model: Two options shown on Agisoft site — Annual renting (per-license per-year) and Pay‑Per‑Use (machine‑hours billed monthly). Annual renting (examples): 1 license = $6,736 per year; volume discounts listed down to ~ $4,577.30 per license/year for 20+ licenses (table on site). Pay‑Per‑Use (examples): Price per machine hour varies with monthly usage. Example rates given on site: 100 hrs/month → $1.559 per hour (bill = $155.90 min/month); 1,000 hrs → $1.542/hr; 10,000 hrs → $0.973/hr. The minimal monthly invoice total for pay‑per‑use is $155.90 (equivalent to 100 machine‑hours).
Seller details
Agisoft LLC
St. Petersburg, Russia
2006
Private
https://www.agisoft.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/agisoft-llc/
