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CAD · head to head

Redshift vs RealityScan

Redshift logo

Redshift

CAD

World's first fully GPU-accelerated biased renderer

From
$29/month
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: Redshift no specific pricing amounts published on product page; 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: Redshift covers GPU rendering, RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Redshift and RealityScan actually diverge.

Attributes where Redshift and RealityScan differ
AttributeRedshiftRealityScan
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree below a revenue threshold, then per seat per year
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxWindows
Founded2014Unknown

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 Redshift

  • GPU rendering
  • Out-of-core rendering
  • Proxy system
  • AOVs
  • Motion blur
  • Production shading
  • Maya
  • 3ds Max

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.

Redshift

  • 3D rendering and visualizationnot RealityScan
  • GPU-accelerated ray tracingnot RealityScan
  • Multi-GPU rendering up to 8 GPUs per machinenot RealityScan

RealityScan

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

Where each one falls short

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

Redshift

  • No specific pricing amounts published on product page
  • Only 14-day free trial duration mentioned; no longer-term free tier
  • Must contact sales team for subscription cost details

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

Redshift

$29/month
  • Redshift$45/month
    • Full GPU rendering
  • Maxon One$149.91/month
    • Redshift + C4D + ZBrush

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 Redshift if

  • You need gpu rendering.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want out-of-core rendering.
Redshift 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 Redshift or RealityScan better?
Neither clearly leads. Redshift starts at $29/month and RealityScan at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Redshift or RealityScan?
RealityScan has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Redshift and Free for RealityScan.
Does Redshift or RealityScan run on more platforms?
Redshift runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. RealityScan runs on Windows.
Can I use RealityScan for free?
Yes. RealityScan has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Redshift starts at $29/month.
What is Redshift best used for?
Redshift is most often used for 3d rendering and visualization, gpu-accelerated ray tracing, multi-gpu rendering up to 8 gpus per machine. Of those, 3d rendering and visualization and gpu-accelerated ray tracing are not what RealityScan is typically brought in for.
What can Redshift do that RealityScan cannot?
Redshift covers GPU rendering, Out-of-core rendering, Proxy system, AOVs. RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Laser scan fusion, Ground control points, Texturing and unwrapping.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Redshift: What is included with a Redshift subscription?

Redshift Subscription includes all integration plugins and capability for multiple instances up to 8 GPUs on a single computer. Specific features beyond rendering engine not detailed in public pricing documentation.

Source
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.

Redshift: How long is the Redshift trial period?

Redshift offers a 14-day free trial for users to evaluate the software before purchase commitment.

Source
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.

Redshift: Where can I find Redshift pricing details?

Specific pricing is available through Redshift store access or by contacting the sales team directly. Pricing amounts are not listed on the public product page.

Source
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.

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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