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Carlson Software vs RealityScan

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
RealityScan logo

RealityScan

CAD

The photogrammetry engine formerly called RealityCapture, free below a one million dollar revenue line

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only RealityScan 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.; RealityScan the free tier is bounded by company revenue rather than by usage, so a business crossing one million US dollars of turnover acquires a per-seat cost overnight for software its workflow now depends on
  • They diverge on capability: Carlson Software covers Survey data reduction, RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Carlson Software and RealityScan differ
AttributeCarlson SoftwareRealityScan
Starting price$4450/one-timeFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchaseFree below a revenue threshold, then per seat per year
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: platforms (Windows), 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 RealityScan

  • Photogrammetric reconstruction
  • Laser scan fusion
  • Ground control points
  • Texturing and unwrapping
  • Command line interface
  • Unreal Engine path
  • Component alignment control

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 RealityScan
  • A firm running mixed instrument brands in the field that needs data collector software not tied to one manufacturernot RealityScan
  • A civil consultancy doing road, site grading and stormwater design without needing an enterprise BIM environmentnot RealityScan
  • A land development office that renews maintenance only in years when a release actually adds something it needsnot RealityScan

RealityScan

  • A two-person heritage survey practice under the revenue threshold that can now run professional photogrammetry at no licence costnot Carlson Software
  • A film or games asset team scanning props and environments at very high image counts where processing speed decides the schedulenot Carlson Software
  • A survey firm combining terrestrial laser scans with drone photography and needing both aligned in a single reconstructionnot Carlson Software
  • A construction reality-capture operator producing meshes for Unreal-based client visualisation from the same source imagerynot 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.

RealityScan

  • The free tier is bounded by company revenue rather than by usage, so a business crossing one million US dollars of turnover acquires a per-seat cost overnight for software its workflow now depends on
  • New perpetual licences are no longer sold, so an organisation that deliberately avoided subscription software has no route in; existing perpetual holders keep their version but stop receiving updates unless they accept the current terms
  • It is Windows only and needs an NVIDIA CUDA capable GPU, which excludes macOS studios and makes the real cost of adoption a workstation purchase rather than a licence
  • The rename from RealityCapture to RealityScan in 2025 means tutorials, forum answers and third party pipeline documentation are split across two names and several licensing regimes, and much of it is now wrong about price
  • The interface assumes photogrammetry knowledge; alignment failures, control point placement and reconstruction region setup are not guided, so a team without an experienced operator produces poor models quickly rather than good ones slowly

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

RealityScan

Free
  • Free tierFree
    • For individuals and companies with annual revenue under 1,000,000 USD
    • Full application, no metered input charges
    • Epic account required
  • RealityScan seat$1250/year
    • Required once annual revenue exceeds 1,000,000 USD
    • Per seat, per year
    • Commercial use without output restrictions
  • Unreal Engine subscription$1850/year
    • Per seat per year
    • Includes RealityScan and Twinmotion
    • For teams that also need Unreal Engine for non-game commercial use

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 RealityScan if

  • You need photogrammetric reconstruction.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want laser scan fusion.
RealityScan review

Questions people ask

Is Carlson Software or RealityScan better?
Neither clearly leads. Carlson Software starts at $4450/one-time and RealityScan at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carlson Software or RealityScan?
RealityScan has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4450/one-time for Carlson Software and Free for RealityScan.
Does Carlson Software or RealityScan run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use RealityScan for free?
Yes. RealityScan 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 RealityScan is typically brought in for.
What can Carlson Software do that RealityScan cannot?
Carlson Software covers Survey data reduction, Civil design, Hydrology, GIS module. RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Laser scan fusion, Ground control points, Texturing and unwrapping.

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.

RealityScan: Is RealityCapture still called that?

No. Epic rebranded it to RealityScan with version 2.0 in 2025. It is the same engine and the same team.

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.

RealityScan: Who gets it free?

Individuals and companies with annual revenue under one million US dollars. Above that, a seat is 1,250 US dollars per year.

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.

RealityScan: Can I still buy a perpetual licence?

Not for new purchases. Existing perpetual licences remain valid for the version owned, with updates only under the current terms.

Carlson Software: What does the Civil Suite include?

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

RealityScan: Does the free version restrict output?

No output metering or watermarking; the restriction is on who qualifies, based on company revenue, not on what you export.

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