Softwr

CAD · head to head

Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler vs DraftSight

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
DraftSight logo

DraftSight

CAD

Professional 2D CAD drafting

From
$29/month
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.; DraftSight specific pricing amounts not disclosed on website
  • They diverge on capability: Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler covers Aerial triangulation, DraftSight covers DWG/DXF support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler and DraftSight differ
AttributeBentley iTwin Capture ModelerDraftSight
Starting priceOn request$29/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindows, CloudWindows, MacOS, Linux
FoundedUnknown1981

Identical on both: 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 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 DraftSight

  • DWG/DXF support
  • 2D drafting
  • 3D modeling
  • Batch printing
  • PDF import
  • Layer management
  • SolidWorks
  • CATIA

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

DraftSight

  • 2D drafting and annotation on DWG filesnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
  • Opening and editing DWG drawings without AutoCADnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
  • Architectural and engineering drawing productionnot Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler
  • Working alongside SOLIDWORKS in a Dassault toolchainnot 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.

DraftSight

  • Specific pricing amounts not disclosed on website
  • Directs customers to contact sales or visit store for pricing
  • Three tiers available but feature differences not fully detailed

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

DraftSight

$29/month
  • Standard$99/month
    • 2D drafting
  • Professional$199/month
    • 2D + 3D
  • Premium$499/month
    • Advanced features

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 DraftSight if

  • You need dwg/dxf support.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want 2d drafting.
DraftSight review

Questions people ask

Is Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler or DraftSight better?
Neither clearly leads. Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler starts at On request and DraftSight at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler or DraftSight?
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler starts at On request and DraftSight at $29/month.
Does Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler or DraftSight run on more platforms?
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler runs on Windows, Cloud. DraftSight runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
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 DraftSight is typically brought in for.
What can Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler do that DraftSight cannot?
Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler covers Aerial triangulation, Dense mesh reconstruction, Point cloud fusion, Orthophoto and DSM output. DraftSight covers DWG/DXF support, 2D drafting, 3D modeling, Batch printing.

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.

DraftSight: Is there a free trial for DraftSight?

Yes, DraftSight offers a 30-day full-featured trial available for download. The trial provides complete access to all 2D/3D tools and advanced features.

Source
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.

DraftSight: What DraftSight tiers are available?

DraftSight offers three pricing tiers: Professional (core 2D CAD tools), Premium (adds advanced tools, STEP import, and BIM module), and Enterprise (for large organizations with multiple sites).

Source
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.

DraftSight: What licensing options does DraftSight provide?

DraftSight offers Named-User Licensing for individuals and dedicated workstations, Network Licensing for shared access across users and locations, Perpetual Licensing for one-time purchase, and Cloud and Remote Access options.

Source
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.

Share

Related pages

More on Bentley iTwin Capture Modeler

More on DraftSight

Keep looking

Other head to heads