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Maps · head to head

Agisoft Metashape vs DroneDeploy

Agisoft Metashape logo

Agisoft Metashape

Maps

Desktop photogrammetry that turns photographs into point clouds, meshes, orthomosaics and DEMs

From
$179/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DroneDeploy logo

DroneDeploy

Agriculture

Drone mapping and analytics for agriculture

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Agisoft Metashape processing is entirely local, so throughput is a function of your workstation, and a large project on modest hardware can take days where a cloud service would return results overnight.; DroneDeploy sold as annual subscriptions rather than monthly, at $1,908 a year for the agriculture plan
  • They diverge on capability: Agisoft Metashape covers Structure-from-motion alignment, DroneDeploy covers Automated flight planning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Agisoft Metashape and DroneDeploy actually diverge.

Attributes where Agisoft Metashape and DroneDeploy differ
AttributeAgisoft MetashapeDroneDeploy
Starting price$179/one-time$29/month
Pricing modelOne-time purchasesubscription
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryMapsAgriculture
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Agisoft Metashape

  • Structure-from-motion alignment
  • Dense point cloud generation
  • Mesh and texture
  • Orthomosaic and DEM
  • Ground control points
  • Point cloud classification
  • Multispectral processing
  • Python and Java scripting

Only in DroneDeploy

  • Automated flight planning
  • Orthomosaic maps
  • NDVI analysis
  • 3D modeling
  • Progress tracking
  • DJI
  • John Deere
  • Climate FieldView

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Agisoft Metashape

  • A survey or engineering firm processing high volumes of drone imagery that wants unlimited local processing instead of per-hectare cloud creditsnot DroneDeploy
  • A quarry or mine measuring stockpile volumes monthly, where the same flight is reprocessed repeatedly and cloud pricing by area is punitivenot DroneDeploy
  • An archaeology or heritage team documenting sites on a capital grant with no recurring software budget to renew a subscriptionnot DroneDeploy
  • A VFX or games studio scanning props and environments, where Standard at $179 covers the whole requirement because georeferencing is irrelevantnot DroneDeploy

DroneDeploy

  • Mapping fields with drone imagery for crop health analysisnot Agisoft Metashape
  • Producing stand counts and plant health indices from aerial surveysnot Agisoft Metashape

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Agisoft Metashape

  • Processing is entirely local, so throughput is a function of your workstation, and a large project on modest hardware can take days where a cloud service would return results overnight.
  • The vendor is a Russian company, and since 2022 payment is restricted to wire transfer, ACH and SEPA direct debit with no card payment, which some corporate and government procurement departments simply cannot process.
  • There is no collaboration layer: no shared projects, no web viewer, no permissions. Sharing results means sending files, which is a real limitation on multi-office teams.
  • Support is thin compared with commercial drone platforms, and the software assumes photogrammetric competence; users who do not understand overlap, ground control and residuals produce confidently wrong models.
  • A node-locked licence is tied to a machine, and moving it or covering a second workstation means either a reseller-quoted floating licence or buying twice, which erodes the cost advantage for teams rather than individuals.

DroneDeploy

  • Sold as annual subscriptions rather than monthly, at $1,908 a year for the agriculture plan
  • Images per map are capped by plan, at 1,000 on Ag Lite and 3,000 on the general individual plan
  • The Ag Lite plan is limited to the VARI index for RGB plant health rather than the full analysis set
  • Ground capture processing is excluded from every published individual plan
  • Team plans publish no price at all and require a custom quote

Pricing, plan by plan

Agisoft Metashape

$179/one-time
  • Standard$179/one-time
    • Photogrammetric alignment, dense cloud, mesh and texture
    • No georeferencing or coordinate systems
    • No ground control points
  • Professional$3499/one-time
    • Everything in Standard
    • Georeferencing, coordinate systems and ground control points
    • Orthomosaic, DEM and point cloud classification
  • Floating licence$undefined/one-time
    • Shared across machines rather than node-locked
    • Sold through authorised resellers only
    • Quoted rather than listed

DroneDeploy

$29/month
  • Individual$299/month
    • Unlimited maps
    • 3D models
    • Basic analytics
  • Business$599/month
    • Team features
    • NDVI analysis
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Agisoft Metashape if

  • You need structure-from-motion alignment.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want dense point cloud generation.
Agisoft Metashape review

Choose DroneDeploy if

  • You need automated flight planning.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want orthomosaic maps.
DroneDeploy review

Questions people ask

Is Agisoft Metashape or DroneDeploy better?
Neither clearly leads. Agisoft Metashape starts at $179/one-time and DroneDeploy at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Agisoft Metashape or DroneDeploy?
Agisoft Metashape starts at $179/one-time and DroneDeploy at $29/month.
Does Agisoft Metashape or DroneDeploy run on more platforms?
Agisoft Metashape runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. DroneDeploy runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Agisoft Metashape best used for?
Agisoft Metashape is most often used for a survey or engineering firm processing high volumes of drone imagery that wants unlimited local processing instead of per-hectare cloud credits, a quarry or mine measuring stockpile volumes monthly, where the same flight is reprocessed repeatedly and cloud pricing by area is punitive, an archaeology or heritage team documenting sites on a capital grant with no recurring software budget to renew a subscription, a vfx or games studio scanning props and environments, where standard at $179 covers the whole requirement because georeferencing is irrelevant. Of those, a survey or engineering firm processing high volumes of drone imagery that wants unlimited local processing instead of per-hectare cloud credits and a quarry or mine measuring stockpile volumes monthly, where the same flight is reprocessed repeatedly and cloud pricing by area is punitive are not what DroneDeploy is typically brought in for.
What can Agisoft Metashape do that DroneDeploy cannot?
Agisoft Metashape covers Structure-from-motion alignment, Dense point cloud generation, Mesh and texture, Orthomosaic and DEM. DroneDeploy covers Automated flight planning, Orthomosaic maps, NDVI analysis, 3D modeling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Agisoft Metashape: How much does Metashape cost?

Professional is $3,499 and Standard is $179, both node-locked. Floating licences are quoted through resellers.

DroneDeploy: What is the cost of DroneDeploy's Flight & Analysis plan for individual pilots?

The Flight & Analysis Plan costs $4,188/year billed annually for a single user license, with support for up to 3,000 images per map and email/live chat support.

Source
Agisoft Metashape: Is it a subscription?

No. These are perpetual node-locked licences. Major version upgrades are charged separately.

DroneDeploy: Does DroneDeploy have a specialized agriculture plan?

Yes. The Ag Lite Plan costs $1,908/year and is designed for agriculture pilots with up to 1,000 images per map, stand count analysis, and plant health tools.

Source
Agisoft Metashape: What is the difference between Standard and Professional?

Standard has no georeferencing, coordinate systems, ground control points, orthomosaic export or scripting. Anything survey or mapping related requires Professional.

DroneDeploy: How long is the DroneDeploy free trial?

DroneDeploy offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
Agisoft Metashape: Does it process in the cloud?

No. All processing is local on your own hardware, which is the main reason it is cheap at volume and slow on weak machines.

DroneDeploy: Can I cancel my DroneDeploy subscription early?

Yes. DroneDeploy billing is flexible with monthly or annual payment options (annual offers savings). Cancellations take effect at your billing cycle end. After cancellation, you retain basic data access for 30 days.

Source
Agisoft Metashape: Are there educational licences?

Yes, Agisoft offers reduced academic pricing on a separate page.

DroneDeploy: What is the image upload limit on DroneDeploy's Advanced Flight & Analysis plan?

The Advanced Flight & Analysis Plan has a 10,000 image upload limit and includes cut/fill analysis, thermal imaging, and unlimited Google Cloud Print mapping. This plan requires a custom quote.

Source
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