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CAD · head to head

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler vs Buildots

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler logo

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

CAD

Photogrammetry engine formerly sold as ContextCapture, now inside Bentley's iTwin line

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Buildots logo

Buildots

Construction

Hard hat mounted 360 cameras and computer vision that score build progress against the BIM model

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Buildots tracking depends on a BIM model maintained at construction level of detail; on a job where the model is stale or was never built for coordination, the comparison degrades and much of the value disappears.
  • They diverge on capability: Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler covers Aerial triangulation, Buildots covers Hard hat 360 capture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler and Buildots actually diverge.

Attributes where Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler and Buildots differ
AttributeBentley iTwin Capture ModelerBuildots
PlatformsWindows, CloudWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryCADConstruction

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 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

Only in Buildots

  • Hard hat 360 capture
  • Model to as-built comparison
  • Per activity progress scoring
  • Programme deviation alerts
  • Delay forecasting
  • Visual evidence trail
  • Subcontractor performance reporting

What people use each for

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

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

  • A highway authority reconstructing a corridor from drone imagery for design work in OpenRoadsnot Buildots
  • A survey firm delivering city-scale textured meshes to a municipal client for planning and visualisationnot Buildots
  • An engineering consultancy fusing terrestrial laser scans with drone photography of a bridge for condition assessmentnot Buildots
  • A team publishing streamable 3D Tiles of a construction site so stakeholders can view it in a browsernot Buildots

Buildots

  • A residential tower where the same fit-out sequence repeats on forty floors and the contractor wants an objective read on cycle timenot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
  • A hospital or data centre fit-out where MEP first fix progress is disputed between the main contractor and trades every monthnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
  • A developer that wants independent progress evidence before certifying an interim payment applicationnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
  • A contractor building a production rate history across projects so future programmes are based on measured output rather than assumptionnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Buildots

  • Tracking depends on a BIM model maintained at construction level of detail; on a job where the model is stale or was never built for coordination, the comparison degrades and much of the value disappears.
  • The data only arrives if someone walks the site every week with the camera, so coverage decays quietly when the site team is under pressure, exactly when the reporting is most needed.
  • Pricing is per project rather than per seat and includes hardware, so a contractor cannot roll it out cheaply across a portfolio of small jobs and it is uneconomic below a certain project value.
  • It reads interior fit-out and repetitive vertical work far better than structure, groundworks or external envelope, so a large fraction of a project's programme is outside what it can score.
  • Making progress objective creates commercial friction with subcontractors whose valuations have historically been negotiated, and contractors who deploy it without addressing that in the subcontract get pushback rather than adoption.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Buildots

On request
  • Buildots$undefined/year
    • Priced per project by size and duration
    • Camera hardware included in the engagement
    • Model onboarding and setup quoted separately

Which should you pick?

Choose Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler if

  • You need aerial triangulation.
  • You work on Windows, Cloud.
  • You also want dense mesh reconstruction.
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler review

Choose Buildots if

  • You need hard hat 360 capture.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want model to as-built comparison.
Buildots review

Questions people ask

Is Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler or Buildots better?
Neither clearly leads. Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler starts at On request and Buildots at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler or Buildots?
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler starts at On request and Buildots at On request.
Does Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler or Buildots run on more platforms?
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler runs on Windows, Cloud. Buildots runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler best used for?
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler is most often used for a highway authority reconstructing a corridor from drone imagery for design work in openroads, a survey firm delivering city-scale textured meshes to a municipal client for planning and visualisation, an engineering consultancy fusing terrestrial laser scans with drone photography of a bridge for condition assessment, a team publishing streamable 3d tiles of a construction site so stakeholders can view it in a browser. Of those, a highway authority reconstructing a corridor from drone imagery for design work in openroads and a survey firm delivering city-scale textured meshes to a municipal client for planning and visualisation are not what Buildots is typically brought in for.
What can Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler do that Buildots cannot?
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler covers Aerial triangulation, Dense mesh reconstruction, Point cloud fusion, Orthophoto and DSM output. Buildots covers Hard hat 360 capture, Model to as-built comparison, Per activity progress scoring, Programme deviation alerts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler: Is ContextCapture discontinued?

The name is. The product continues as iTwin Capture Modeler within Bentley's iTwin family.

Buildots: What does Buildots cost?

It is quoted per project based on size, duration and scope, with camera hardware included. Nothing is published.

Bentley 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.

Buildots: Do I need a BIM model?

Yes. The system scores progress by comparing captured conditions against model objects, so the model quality sets the ceiling on accuracy.

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler: Can it process laser scan data as well as photographs?

Yes. It fuses point clouds with imagery in a single reconstruction.

Buildots: What kind of projects suit it?

Repetitive vertical work with heavy interior fit-out. Civil, groundworks and external envelope are poorly covered.

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.

Buildots: Who does the site walks?

Your own site team, typically once or twice a week. There is no Buildots operator on site.

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