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Maps · head to head

CesiumJS vs Correlator3D

CesiumJS logo

CesiumJS

Maps

Open-source JavaScript library for creating 3D globes and 2D maps with support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Correlator3D logo

Correlator3D

Maps

SimActive photogrammetry with a published price list and a perpetual licence still on sale

From
$295/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CesiumJS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CesiumJS the free Community tier does not permit commercial use; Correlator3D the standard licence caps at 61 megapixel sensors, so an operator moving to a medium or large format camera has to buy a different and separately quoted licence rather than paying an upgrade fee.
  • They diverge on capability: CesiumJS covers Core Functionality, Correlator3D covers Aerial triangulation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CesiumJS and Correlator3D actually diverge.

Attributes where CesiumJS and Correlator3D differ
AttributeCesiumJSCorrelator3D
Starting priceFree$295/month
Pricing modelopen-sourceOne-time purchase
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWindows

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

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 CesiumJS

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

Only in Correlator3D

  • Aerial triangulation
  • DSM and DTM generation
  • Orthomosaic production
  • Point cloud and 3D mesh output
  • Feature extraction
  • GPU acceleration
  • Satellite imagery support
  • Batch and unattended processing

What people use each for

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

CesiumJS

  • Streaming 3D terrain, imagery and building data into web applicationsnot Correlator3D
  • Tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasetsnot Correlator3D

Correlator3D

  • An aerial survey company processing large photographic blocks where per-project cloud credits would be more expensive than owning a licencenot CesiumJS
  • A national or regional mapping agency that needs software it can run offline on classified or restricted imagerynot CesiumJS
  • A drone service provider producing bare-earth terrain models for volumetrics and corridor mapping at high throughputnot CesiumJS
  • An organisation that wants a perpetual licence because a multi-year subscription cannot be justified against its capital budgeting rulesnot CesiumJS

Where each one falls short

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

CesiumJS

  • The free Community tier does not permit commercial use
  • The cheapest commercial plan is $149 a month for an individual and $524 for a team
  • Team accounts are capped at 5 members on both the Commercial and Premium plans
  • Three separate quotas apply at once, being storage, monthly streaming and monthly reality modelling gigapixels, and exceeding any one of them constrains the account
  • Streaming is capped at 15 GB a month on the free tier

Correlator3D

  • The standard licence caps at 61 megapixel sensors, so an operator moving to a medium or large format camera has to buy a different and separately quoted licence rather than paying an upgrade fee.
  • It is Windows desktop only with no cloud processing option, so throughput is bounded by the workstation and GPU you buy, and there is no way to burst capacity for one large job.
  • There is no collaboration layer, client portal or field application, so deliverable sharing, review and version control all have to be handled by other software.
  • The interface and workflow are built for photogrammetry specialists; an occasional drone operator will find the learning curve steeper than a consumer-oriented mapping package.
  • The perpetual licence includes only one year of support and updates, and staying current afterwards means paying maintenance, so the headline $5,900 is not the whole long-term cost.

Pricing, plan by plan

CesiumJS

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CesiumJS review.

Correlator3D

$295/month
  • Monthly subscription$295/month
    • Unlimited images
    • Sensors up to 61 megapixels
    • All modules and tools
  • Yearly subscription$2950/year
    • Unlimited images
    • Sensors up to 61 megapixels
    • All modules and tools
  • Permanent licence$5900/one-time
    • Perpetual licence
    • Unlimited images up to 61 megapixels
    • All modules and tools
  • Permanent floating licence$6400/one-time
    • Perpetual floating licence shared across machines
    • Unlimited images up to 61 megapixels
    • One year of support and updates included

Which should you pick?

Choose CesiumJS if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
CesiumJS review

Choose Correlator3D if

  • You need aerial triangulation.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want dsm and dtm generation.
Correlator3D review

Questions people ask

Is CesiumJS or Correlator3D better?
Neither clearly leads. CesiumJS starts at Free and Correlator3D at $295/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CesiumJS or Correlator3D?
CesiumJS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CesiumJS and $295/month for Correlator3D.
Does CesiumJS or Correlator3D run on more platforms?
CesiumJS runs on Web. Correlator3D runs on Windows.
Can I use CesiumJS for free?
Yes. CesiumJS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Correlator3D starts at $295/month.
What is CesiumJS best used for?
CesiumJS is most often used for streaming 3d terrain, imagery and building data into web applications, tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasets. Of those, streaming 3d terrain, imagery and building data into web applications and tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasets are not what Correlator3D is typically brought in for.
What can CesiumJS do that Correlator3D cannot?
CesiumJS covers Core Functionality, User Interface. Correlator3D covers Aerial triangulation, DSM and DTM generation, Orthomosaic production, Point cloud and 3D mesh output.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CesiumJS: Is Cesium ion free for commercial use?

Cesium offers a free Cesium ion community account, but the page does not explicitly state whether the free tier is permitted for commercial use or if restrictions apply to business applications.

Source
Correlator3D: Can I still buy a perpetual licence?

Yes. $5,900 for a permanent licence and $6,400 for a permanent floating licence, each including a year of support and updates.

CesiumJS: What are the limits of the free Cesium ion community account?

The page only mentions that a free community account is available but does not disclose usage limits, storage quotas, or feature restrictions for the free tier.

Source
Correlator3D: What limits the standard licence?

Sensor resolution, up to 61 megapixels. Medium format, large format and satellite imagery need separately priced licences.

CesiumJS: What do paid Cesium ion tiers cost?

The page does not provide specific pricing for paid tiers. It directs users to sign up for a free community account or contact Cesium directly for detailed pricing information.

Source
Correlator3D: Is there a cloud version?

No. Processing runs on your own Windows workstation. SimActive offers a data processing service as an alternative to buying the software.

Correlator3D: Does it handle satellite imagery?

Yes, under a separate satellite licence class quoted on request.

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