CAD · head to head
Alibre Design vs Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
CAD
Photogrammetry engine formerly sold as ContextCapture, now inside Bentley's iTwin line
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Alibre Design perpetual licences do not include updates; maintenance is a separate yearly plan starting at $50 per year for CAD support and updates; Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler the rename from ContextCapture is more than cosmetic: licensing moved into Bentley's subscription and consumption model, and existing perpetual users should confirm what a renewal converts to before assuming continuity of cost.
- They diverge on capability: Alibre Design covers Parametric modeling, Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler covers Aerial triangulation.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Alibre Design and Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler actually diverge.
| Attribute | Alibre Design | Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | one-time | quote |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows, Cloud |
| Founded | 1997 | Unknown |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (CAD).
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 Alibre Design
- Parametric modeling
- Assemblies
- Sheet metal
- 2D drawings
- BOM
- Rendering
- CAM software
- PDM
Only in Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
- Aerial triangulation
- Dense mesh reconstruction
- Point cloud fusion
- Orthophoto and DSM output
- 3D Tiles and 3MX export
- Distributed processing
- Retouching and editing
- Georeferencing and control
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Alibre Design
- Parametric 3D solid modelling for mechanical partsnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
- Producing 2D manufacturing drawings from 3D modelsnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
- Designing parts for 3D printing and small shop machiningnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
- A highway authority reconstructing a corridor from drone imagery for design work in OpenRoadsnot Alibre Design
- A survey firm delivering city-scale textured meshes to a municipal client for planning and visualisationnot Alibre Design
- An engineering consultancy fusing terrestrial laser scans with drone photography of a bridge for condition assessmentnot Alibre Design
- A team publishing streamable 3D Tiles of a construction site so stakeholders can view it in a browsernot Alibre Design
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Alibre Design
- Perpetual licences do not include updates; maintenance is a separate yearly plan starting at $50 per year for CAD support and updates
- Sheet metal, PDM data management and rendering are Design Expert only at $1,999
- Scripting is excluded from the $199 Atom3D edition
- CAM capability is sold as separate EZ-Mill, EZ-Turn and EZ-EDM products costing up to $2,999
- A dedicated account manager is excluded from Atom3D
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
- The rename from ContextCapture is more than cosmetic: licensing moved into Bentley's subscription and consumption model, and existing perpetual users should confirm what a renewal converts to before assuming continuity of cost.
- Consumption-based entitlements make the cost of a large reconstruction hard to predict in advance, which is awkward when you are quoting a fixed-price deliverable to a client.
- The desktop engine is Windows only and reconstruction is compute-hungry, so meaningful throughput needs either serious workstation hardware or paid cloud processing.
- Bentley does not publish a plain rate card and pricing varies by region, reseller and existing agreement, so two firms buying the same thing can pay very different amounts.
- Value compounds inside the Bentley ecosystem, and a firm whose design work happens in Autodesk or Esri tools pays for a positioning it will not use while getting the same mesh a cheaper standalone photogrammetry package would produce.
Pricing, plan by plan
Alibre Design
On request- Atom3D Lifetime License$125/mo
- Design Pro Lifetime License$630/mo
- Design Expert Lifetime License$1260/mo
- Design Pro Monthly$99.9/month
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
On request- iTwin Capture Modeler$undefined/year
- Subscription entitlement through Bentley licensing
- Consumption charged against Bentley Keys on some agreements
- Reality Modeling WorkSuite bundles Modeler with reality data management
Which should you pick?
Choose Alibre Design if
- You need parametric modeling.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want assemblies.
Choose Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler if
- You need aerial triangulation.
- You work on Windows, Cloud.
- You also want dense mesh reconstruction.
Questions people ask
- Is Alibre Design or Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler better?
- Neither clearly leads. Alibre Design starts at On request and Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Alibre Design or Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler?
- Alibre Design starts at On request and Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler at On request.
- Does Alibre Design or Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler run on more platforms?
- Alibre Design runs on Windows. Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler runs on Windows, Cloud.
- What is Alibre Design best used for?
- Alibre Design is most often used for parametric 3d solid modelling for mechanical parts, producing 2d manufacturing drawings from 3d models, designing parts for 3d printing and small shop machining. Of those, parametric 3d solid modelling for mechanical parts and producing 2d manufacturing drawings from 3d models are not what Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler is typically brought in for.
- What can Alibre Design do that Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler cannot?
- Alibre Design covers Parametric modeling, Assemblies, Sheet metal, 2D drawings. Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler covers Aerial triangulation, Dense mesh reconstruction, Point cloud fusion, Orthophoto and DSM output.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Alibre Design: Does Alibre Design require a subscription or is it a one-time purchase?
Alibre Design offers one-time lifetime licenses or monthly payment plans. Atom3D lifetime is $125, Design Pro is $630, and Design Expert is $1,260. Monthly payment plans spread costs over 10 months.
SourceBentley iTwin Capture Modeler: Is ContextCapture discontinued?
The name is. The product continues as iTwin Capture Modeler within Bentley's iTwin family.
Alibre Design: What is the difference between Alibre Design Pro and Design Expert?
Design Expert ($1,260) is the complete design suite with advanced features, while Design Pro ($630) is the entry-level professional 3D/2D CAD software.
SourceBentley iTwin Capture Modeler: Does it still support a perpetual licence?
New buyers should expect subscription or consumption-based entitlements. Confirm the exact conversion path if you hold an older perpetual licence.
Alibre Design: Do I need to pay separately for software updates and support in Alibre?
Yes. Annual support and update plans cost $50 per year for CAD software and $100-$200 per year for mill and turn add-ons.
SourceBentley iTwin Capture Modeler: Can it process laser scan data as well as photographs?
Yes. It fuses point clouds with imagery in a single reconstruction.
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler: Do I need other Bentley software to use it?
No, output formats are usable elsewhere, but the commercial and workflow case is strongest if you already run MicroStation or OpenRoads.
Related pages
More on Alibre Design
More on Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
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