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CAD · head to head

MoI (Moment of Inspiration) vs RealityScan

MoI (Moment of Inspiration) logo

MoI (Moment of Inspiration)

CAD

NURBS modeller bought once, built for designers rather than engineers

From
On request
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: MoI (Moment of Inspiration) it is developed by one person, so releases are years apart and there is no support organisation to escalate to when something blocks your work.; 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: MoI (Moment of Inspiration) covers Direct NURBS modelling, RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MoI (Moment of Inspiration) and RealityScan actually diverge.

Attributes where MoI (Moment of Inspiration) and RealityScan differ
AttributeMoI (Moment of Inspiration)RealityScan
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchaseFree below a revenue threshold, then per seat per year
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, macOSWindows

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 MoI (Moment of Inspiration)

  • Direct NURBS modelling
  • Clean mesh export
  • Pen-oriented interface
  • Boolean toolset
  • STEP and IGES exchange
  • Scriptable commands

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.

MoI (Moment of Inspiration)

  • Converting CAD surfaces into clean quad meshes for a polygon or sculpting applicationnot RealityScan
  • Modelling hard-surface concept designs where form matters and engineering documentation does notnot RealityScan
  • Working on older or low-specification hardware that will not run mainstream CADnot RealityScan
  • Buying a modelling tool outright rather than committing to a recurring CAD subscriptionnot RealityScan

RealityScan

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

Where each one falls short

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

MoI (Moment of Inspiration)

  • It is developed by one person, so releases are years apart and there is no support organisation to escalate to when something blocks your work.
  • There is no parametric history and no assembly structure, so a late design change means remodelling rather than editing a feature.
  • It produces no dimensioned drawings or manufacturing documentation, so anything heading for production needs a second package for the paperwork.
  • Exchange is limited to surface formats such as STEP and IGES with no native interoperability with mainstream MCAD systems, so it sits at the edge of an engineering pipeline rather than inside it.
  • Each major version is a fresh purchase, and the long gaps between versions mean a fix or a feature you need can be several years away with no interim release.

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

MoI (Moment of Inspiration)

On request
  • MoI$undefined/year
    • Perpetual licence for one major version
    • Windows and macOS
    • Paid upgrade for each subsequent major version

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 MoI (Moment of Inspiration) if

  • You need direct nurbs modelling.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want clean mesh export.
MoI (Moment of Inspiration) 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 MoI (Moment of Inspiration) or RealityScan better?
Neither clearly leads. MoI (Moment of Inspiration) starts at On request and RealityScan at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MoI (Moment of Inspiration) or RealityScan?
RealityScan has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for MoI (Moment of Inspiration) and Free for RealityScan.
Does MoI (Moment of Inspiration) or RealityScan run on more platforms?
MoI (Moment of Inspiration) runs on Windows, macOS. RealityScan runs on Windows.
Can I use RealityScan for free?
Yes. RealityScan has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. MoI (Moment of Inspiration) starts at On request.
What is MoI (Moment of Inspiration) best used for?
MoI (Moment of Inspiration) is most often used for converting cad surfaces into clean quad meshes for a polygon or sculpting application, modelling hard-surface concept designs where form matters and engineering documentation does not, working on older or low-specification hardware that will not run mainstream cad, buying a modelling tool outright rather than committing to a recurring cad subscription. Of those, converting cad surfaces into clean quad meshes for a polygon or sculpting application and modelling hard-surface concept designs where form matters and engineering documentation does not are not what RealityScan is typically brought in for.
What can MoI (Moment of Inspiration) do that RealityScan cannot?
MoI (Moment of Inspiration) covers Direct NURBS modelling, Clean mesh export, Pen-oriented interface, Boolean toolset. RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Laser scan fusion, Ground control points, Texturing and unwrapping.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MoI (Moment of Inspiration): Is it a subscription?

No. It is bought outright per major version, and each new major version is a separate paid upgrade.

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.

MoI (Moment of Inspiration): Can it replace Rhino?

For direct form modelling, often yes. For anything needing Grasshopper, drawings, plugins or engineering interoperability, no.

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.

MoI (Moment of Inspiration): Why do 3D artists use it alongside other tools?

Its NURBS to polygon conversion produces cleaner meshes than most CAD exporters, which saves retopology work downstream.

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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