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Maps · head to head

Agisoft Metashape vs Global Mapper

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
Global Mapper logo

Global Mapper

Maps

A GIS and lidar desktop that still sells a genuine perpetual licence with published prices

From
$700/one-time
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.; Global Mapper it is Windows only with no macOS or Linux build, so mixed-platform teams end up running a virtual machine and lose graphics performance on large point clouds
  • They diverge on capability: Agisoft Metashape covers Structure-from-motion alignment, Global Mapper covers Format breadth.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Agisoft Metashape and Global Mapper actually diverge.

Attributes where Agisoft Metashape and Global Mapper differ
AttributeAgisoft MetashapeGlobal Mapper
Starting price$179/one-time$700/one-time
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows

Identical on both: pricing model (One-time purchase), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

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 Global Mapper

  • Format breadth
  • Lidar processing
  • Pixels to Points
  • Coordinate transformation
  • Terrain analysis
  • Scripting
  • Mobile companion

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 Global Mapper
  • A quarry or mine measuring stockpile volumes monthly, where the same flight is reprocessed repeatedly and cloud pricing by area is punitivenot Global Mapper
  • An archaeology or heritage team documenting sites on a capital grant with no recurring software budget to renew a subscriptionnot Global Mapper
  • A VFX or games studio scanning props and environments, where Standard at $179 covers the whole requirement because georeferencing is irrelevantnot Global Mapper

Global Mapper

  • A survey office that receives lidar in a different format from every client and needs reliable conversion without writing scriptsnot Agisoft Metashape
  • A consultancy that wants to classify ground points and extract building footprints from a drone survey without an Esri enterprise agreementnot Agisoft Metashape
  • An organisation with an irregular workload that wants to buy the licence outright and skip maintenance in quiet yearsnot Agisoft Metashape
  • A geologist producing volumes, contours and cross sections from terrain data on a standalone office workstationnot 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.

Global Mapper

  • It is Windows only with no macOS or Linux build, so mixed-platform teams end up running a virtual machine and lose graphics performance on large point clouds
  • The interface has grown by accretion over two decades and features are scattered across menus, so new users are slow to find capabilities that are already installed
  • Node-locked perpetual licences are tied to the machine identifier, so a hardware refresh or a failed workstation means a support request rather than a login on a new device
  • Multi-user and web publishing are weak relative to Esri or QGIS with a server stack, so it is a desktop analysis tool and not a platform for sharing data across an organisation
  • Published prices apply to North America and differ elsewhere, so buyers outside that market must go through a reseller and cannot rely on the listed figures for budgeting

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

Global Mapper

$700/one-time
  • Global Mapper Standard, node-locked$700/one-time
    • Perpetual licence tied to one machine
    • First year of maintenance and support included
    • Renewal 245 USD per year, optional
  • Global Mapper Standard, floating or dongle$1050/one-time
    • Shared between users or carried on a USB dongle
    • Maintenance renewal 365 USD per year
    • Network licence 2,100 USD with a two-seat minimum
  • Global Mapper Pro, node-locked$1750/one-time
    • Adds lidar classification, feature extraction and Pixels to Points
    • Maintenance renewal 610 USD per year
    • Upgrade from Standard version 26 costs 1,050 USD
  • Global Mapper Pro, floating or dongle$2625/one-time
    • Shared or dongle licence
    • Maintenance renewal 915 USD per year
    • Network licence 5,250 USD with a two-seat minimum

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 Global Mapper if

  • You need format breadth.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want lidar processing.
Global Mapper review

Questions people ask

Is Agisoft Metashape or Global Mapper better?
Neither clearly leads. Agisoft Metashape starts at $179/one-time and Global Mapper at $700/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Agisoft Metashape or Global Mapper?
Agisoft Metashape starts at $179/one-time and Global Mapper at $700/one-time.
Does Agisoft Metashape or Global Mapper run on more platforms?
Agisoft Metashape runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Global Mapper runs on Windows.
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 Global Mapper is typically brought in for.
What can Agisoft Metashape do that Global Mapper cannot?
Agisoft Metashape covers Structure-from-motion alignment, Dense point cloud generation, Mesh and texture, Orthomosaic and DEM. Global Mapper covers Format breadth, Lidar processing, Pixels to Points, Coordinate transformation.

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.

Global Mapper: Is there still a perpetual licence?

Yes. Blue Marble sells perpetual node-locked, floating, dongle and network licences that keep working after maintenance lapses.

Agisoft Metashape: Is it a subscription?

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

Global Mapper: What is the difference between Standard and Pro?

Pro is an add-on to a matching Standard licence and carries the lidar classification, feature extraction, Pixels to Points photogrammetry and advanced terrain tools.

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.

Global Mapper: Do I have to pay maintenance?

Only for the first year, which is included. After that it is optional; without it the software continues to run but you receive no upgrades or support.

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.

Global Mapper: Can it replace ArcGIS?

For desktop format conversion, lidar and terrain analysis, often yes. For enterprise data management, web services and organisation-wide sharing, no.

Agisoft Metashape: Are there educational licences?

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

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