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CAD · head to head

Carlson Software vs Mari

Carlson Software logo

Carlson Software

CAD

Survey and civil design CAD sold as a perpetual licence with optional maintenance

From
$4450/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mari logo

Mari

CAD

3D painting for film and games

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mari has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Carlson Software the perpetual licence is a larger upfront cost than a first-year subscription, which is harder to approve for a practice with tight cash flow even though it is cheaper over five years.; Mari the full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • They diverge on capability: Carlson Software covers Survey data reduction, Mari covers High-resolution painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Carlson Software and Mari actually diverge.

Attributes where Carlson Software and Mari differ
AttributeCarlson SoftwareMari
Starting price$4450/one-timeFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchasesubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindowsWindows, MacOS, Linux
FoundedUnknown1996

Identical on both: 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 Carlson Software

  • Survey data reduction
  • Civil design
  • Hydrology
  • GIS module
  • Earthwork takeoff
  • IntelliCAD engine included
  • AutoCAD compatibility
  • SurvCE field software

Only in Mari

  • High-resolution painting
  • UDIM support
  • Procedural layers
  • Baking
  • Node graph
  • Color management
  • Maya
  • Nuke

What people use each for

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

Carlson Software

  • A small surveying practice that wants to stop paying an annual Civil 3D subscription and own its CAD outrightnot Mari
  • A firm running mixed instrument brands in the field that needs data collector software not tied to one manufacturernot Mari
  • A civil consultancy doing road, site grading and stormwater design without needing an enterprise BIM environmentnot Mari
  • A land development office that renews maintenance only in years when a release actually adds something it needsnot Mari

Mari

  • Painting textures directly onto high complexity 3D assets for film and gamesnot Carlson Software
  • Handling very large multi-UDIM texture sets in a look development pipelinenot Carlson Software

Where each one falls short

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

Carlson Software

  • The perpetual licence is a larger upfront cost than a first-year subscription, which is harder to approve for a practice with tight cash flow even though it is cheaper over five years.
  • It is Windows only, so a practice on macOS has to run virtualisation, and there is no browser or mobile design client.
  • Carlson is a smaller ecosystem than Autodesk, so hiring staff who already know it is harder and training time is a real cost when a new surveyor joins.
  • Skipping maintenance saves money but leaves you on an old release, and when a client eventually sends a file from a much newer version the compatibility gap becomes your problem to solve.
  • Pricing is largely sold through resellers with figures varying by dealer and region, so the published $4,450 Civil Suite price is a reference point rather than a firm quote.

Mari

  • The full annual licence is $1,289 paid annually, and a short term quarterly rental is $949 per quarter
  • The cheap $299 per year or $35 per month subscription is restricted to a single licence for people working alone or in small companies
  • Node-locked and floating are separate licence types you must choose between
  • All listed prices are before applicable taxes
  • A separate non-commercial licence exists, so commercial use requires a paid tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Carlson Software

$4450/one-time
  • Civil Suite$4450/one-time
    • Survey, Civil, Hydrology and GIS modules
    • Perpetual licence
    • IntelliCAD engine included
  • Individual modules$undefined/one-time
    • Survey, Civil, Hydrology, GIS or Takeoff purchased separately
    • Perpetual licence
    • Pricing varies by module and reseller
  • Annual maintenance$undefined/year
    • Approximately 10 per cent of purchase price
    • Optional, software continues running without it
    • Provides version updates and support

Mari

Free
  • Individual Subscription$86/month
    • Solo artists or small companies
    • $689 per year alternative billing
  • Team Subscription$null/year
    • Node-locked or floating licenses
    • Annual payment
  • Team Rental$949/quarter
    • Short-term access
    • Node-locked or floating licenses

Which should you pick?

Choose Carlson Software if

  • You need survey data reduction.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want civil design.
Carlson Software review

Choose Mari if

  • You need high-resolution painting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want udim support.
Mari review

Questions people ask

Is Carlson Software or Mari better?
Neither clearly leads. Carlson Software starts at $4450/one-time and Mari at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carlson Software or Mari?
Mari has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4450/one-time for Carlson Software and Free for Mari.
Does Carlson Software or Mari run on more platforms?
Carlson Software runs on Windows. Mari runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use Mari for free?
Yes. Mari has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Carlson Software starts at $4450/one-time.
What is Carlson Software best used for?
Carlson Software is most often used for a small surveying practice that wants to stop paying an annual civil 3d subscription and own its cad outright, a firm running mixed instrument brands in the field that needs data collector software not tied to one manufacturer, a civil consultancy doing road, site grading and stormwater design without needing an enterprise bim environment, a land development office that renews maintenance only in years when a release actually adds something it needs. Of those, a small surveying practice that wants to stop paying an annual civil 3d subscription and own its cad outright and a firm running mixed instrument brands in the field that needs data collector software not tied to one manufacturer are not what Mari is typically brought in for.
What can Carlson Software do that Mari cannot?
Carlson Software covers Survey data reduction, Civil design, Hydrology, GIS module. Mari covers High-resolution painting, UDIM support, Procedural layers, Baking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Carlson Software: Is Carlson a perpetual licence?

Yes. You buy it once and it keeps running. Annual maintenance at roughly ten per cent is optional and only affects updates and support.

Mari: What is Mari's pricing?

Individual Subscription costs $689 per year or $86 per month. Team Subscription costs $1,289 per year. Team Rental costs $949 per quarter for short-term access. Both subscriptions support node-locked or floating licenses.

Source
Carlson Software: Do I need AutoCAD as well?

No. An IntelliCAD engine is included. You can alternatively run Carlson on top of AutoCAD if your practice already licenses it.

Mari: Does Mari offer a free trial?

Mari offers a free 30-day trial with unrestricted access to help users evaluate the software before purchasing.

Source
Carlson Software: Does Carlson field software work with other brands of instrument?

Yes. SurvCE supports total stations and GNSS receivers from several manufacturers, which is one of the main reasons firms choose it.

Mari: Does Mari offer student pricing?

Yes, Mari offers free or discounted access to all Foundry products for students, as well as free non-commercial licenses for learning and exploration.

Source
Carlson Software: What does the Civil Suite include?

Survey, Civil, Hydrology and GIS, listed at $4,450.

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