Construction · head to head
CMiC vs Propeller Aero

Propeller Aero
Construction
Drone survey processing and earthworks volume measurement for sites that measure stockpiles weekly
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: CMiC no specific pricing disclosed on website; Propeller Aero platform pricing is not published and is scoped by sites and users, so a contractor with many short-lived sites can be quoted very differently from one with a few long ones, and neither can benchmark against a list price
- They diverge on capability: CMiC covers Project management, Propeller Aero covers Photogrammetric processing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CMiC and Propeller Aero actually diverge.
| Attribute | CMiC | Propeller Aero |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $300/month | On request |
| Pricing model | subscription | Hardware purchase plus a quoted platform subscription |
| Founded | 1985 | Unknown |
Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).
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 CMiC
- Project management
- Accounting
- Document management
- Job costing
- Field operations
- QuickBooks
- Sage
- Microsoft 365
Only in Propeller Aero
- Photogrammetric processing
- AeroPoints ground control
- Volume measurement
- Design surface comparison
- Progress timeline
- Machine telemetry
- Corrections network
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CMiC
- Insurance and risk managementnot Propeller Aero
- Professional liability coveragenot Propeller Aero
- Construction industry insurancenot Propeller Aero
Propeller Aero
- A quarry that reconciles stockpile inventory monthly for its accounts and wants the volume evidence to survive an auditnot CMiC
- An earthworks contractor claiming progress payments on cubic metres moved who needs an independent measurement the client will acceptnot CMiC
- A civil site checking whether a subgrade is within tolerance of the design before the surfacing crew arrivesnot CMiC
- A mine that wants weekly volume reporting without a survey crew on the ground every weeknot CMiC
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CMiC
- No specific pricing disclosed on website
- Website directs users to /pricing page for quotes only
- Custom quoting model used for all customers
- No tiered plans or standard pricing published
Propeller Aero
- Platform pricing is not published and is scoped by sites and users, so a contractor with many short-lived sites can be quoted very differently from one with a few long ones, and neither can benchmark against a list price
- The corrections network is free only while you hold a current platform licence, so cancelling the platform subscription reintroduces a 1,000 dollar per year per group hardware cost that many buyers do not model
- AeroPoints are a hardware purchase at 1,000 dollars each and most sites need several, so the true entry cost includes several thousand dollars of equipment on top of a subscription
- It measures rather than designs, so a contractor still needs Civil 3D, Trimble Business Center or an equivalent to produce and revise the design surfaces the measurement is compared against
- Accuracy depends on flight planning, ground control placement and weather, and a poorly flown survey produces a confident wrong volume, so an organisation still needs someone who understands survey error rather than only a drone pilot
Pricing, plan by plan
CMiC
$300/month- Core$300/month
- Project management
- Accounting
- Document management
- EnterpriseFree
- Mobile field app
- Advanced analytics
- API access
Propeller Aero
On request- AeroPoint ground control unit$1000/one-time
- Single solar-powered GNSS ground control marker
- Includes 12 months of the Propeller Corrections Network
- Network renewal 1,000 USD per year per AeroPoint group
- Propeller Platform$undefined/year
- Quoted by number of sites, users and survey volume
- Not published
- Processing turnaround and support level vary by agreement
Which should you pick?
Choose CMiC if
- You need project management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want accounting.
Choose Propeller Aero if
- You need photogrammetric processing.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want aeropoints ground control.
Questions people ask
- Is CMiC or Propeller Aero better?
- Neither clearly leads. CMiC starts at $300/month and Propeller Aero at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CMiC or Propeller Aero?
- CMiC starts at $300/month and Propeller Aero at On request.
- Does CMiC or Propeller Aero run on more platforms?
- CMiC runs on Web, Ios, Android. Propeller Aero runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- What is CMiC best used for?
- CMiC is most often used for insurance and risk management, professional liability coverage, construction industry insurance. Of those, insurance and risk management and professional liability coverage are not what Propeller Aero is typically brought in for.
- What can CMiC do that Propeller Aero cannot?
- CMiC covers Project management, Accounting, Document management, Job costing. Propeller Aero covers Photogrammetric processing, AeroPoints ground control, Volume measurement, Design surface comparison.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
CMiC: How much does CMiC cost?
CMiC does not publish fixed pricing on its website. The company uses a custom quote model. Interested parties must visit the /pricing page or contact CMiC directly to request a quote for their specific needs.
SourcePropeller Aero: How much does Propeller cost?
The platform is quoted and not published. AeroPoints are 1,000 US dollars each, with the corrections network included for twelve months and thereafter free while a platform licence is current, otherwise 1,000 dollars a year per group.
CMiC: What is CMiC's pricing model?
CMiC uses a custom enterprise pricing model rather than published tiered plans. All pricing is determined on a case-by-case basis through their sales team.
SourcePropeller Aero: Do I need AeroPoints?
No, you can use conventional surveyed ground control, but the AeroPoints workflow is the main reason contractors choose Propeller over generic photogrammetry.
Propeller Aero: Is it survey grade?
Propeller states centimetre-level accuracy with correct ground control. Whether that satisfies a contract depends on your specification and on how the survey was flown, not on the software alone.
Propeller Aero: Who owns the data?
You retain your survey data and can export surfaces and point clouds, but check the export formats and retention terms in your contract before closeout, because bulk historical export is not a self-service one-click operation.
Related pages
More on Propeller Aero
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