Softwr

CAD · head to head

nTop vs RealityScan

nTop logo

nTop

CAD

Implicit computational design for lattices, heat exchangers and topology-driven parts

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: nTop nTop is a specialist tool that sits alongside mainstream CAD rather than replacing it, so you pay for an extra seat and accept a handoff between two geometry systems.; 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: nTop covers Implicit modelling, RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which nTop and RealityScan actually diverge.

Attributes where nTop and RealityScan differ
AttributenTopRealityScan
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteFree below a revenue threshold, then per seat per year
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, CloudWindows

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 nTop

  • Implicit modelling
  • Lattice and cellular structures
  • Field-driven design
  • Integrated simulation
  • Reusable workflows
  • Topology optimisation
  • CAD and AM interoperability

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.

nTop

  • Designing a variable-density lattice bracket where mass must drop without losing stiffness in the loaded regionsnot RealityScan
  • Generating a heat exchanger with thousands of internal channels that a conventional CAD kernel cannot representnot RealityScan
  • Producing patient-specific implant geometry with porous surfaces at scale rather than one at a timenot RealityScan
  • Automating a family of parts as a reusable design workflow that reruns when the load case changesnot RealityScan

RealityScan

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

Where each one falls short

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

nTop

  • nTop is a specialist tool that sits alongside mainstream CAD rather than replacing it, so you pay for an extra seat and accept a handoff between two geometry systems.
  • Implicit modelling requires a different way of thinking from feature-based CAD, and the retraining period is long enough that unused licences are a common and expensive outcome.
  • No pricing is published and there is no free or hobbyist tier, so evaluation runs through a sales process and small teams cannot try it seriously without engaging.
  • Subscription only, with no perpetual licence, means the geometry logic you built stops being editable the day you stop paying, which is a real risk for long-lifecycle aerospace and medical programmes.
  • The output is most valuable when you have additive manufacturing capacity to make it; organisations without machines that can print the geometry end up designing parts nobody can produce.

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

nTop

On request
  • nTop$undefined/year
    • Annual named or floating seat subscription
    • No perpetual licence offered
    • Capability tiers quoted by use case

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 nTop if

  • You need implicit modelling.
  • You work on Windows, Cloud.
  • You also want lattice and cellular structures.
nTop 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 nTop or RealityScan better?
Neither clearly leads. nTop 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, nTop or RealityScan?
RealityScan has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for nTop and Free for RealityScan.
Does nTop or RealityScan run on more platforms?
nTop runs on Windows, Cloud. RealityScan runs on Windows.
Can I use RealityScan for free?
Yes. RealityScan has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. nTop starts at On request.
What is nTop best used for?
nTop is most often used for designing a variable-density lattice bracket where mass must drop without losing stiffness in the loaded regions, generating a heat exchanger with thousands of internal channels that a conventional cad kernel cannot represent, producing patient-specific implant geometry with porous surfaces at scale rather than one at a time, automating a family of parts as a reusable design workflow that reruns when the load case changes. Of those, designing a variable-density lattice bracket where mass must drop without losing stiffness in the loaded regions and generating a heat exchanger with thousands of internal channels that a conventional cad kernel cannot represent are not what RealityScan is typically brought in for.
What can nTop do that RealityScan cannot?
nTop covers Implicit modelling, Lattice and cellular structures, Field-driven design, Integrated simulation. RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Laser scan fusion, Ground control points, Texturing and unwrapping.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

nTop: Is nTop the same company as nTopology?

Yes. nTopology rebranded to nTop. The product is the same lineage.

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.

nTop: Does it replace SolidWorks or NX?

No. It is used alongside them. Mainstream CAD handles the conventional geometry and assembly; nTop handles the lattice, field-driven and complex internal structure work.

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.

nTop: Is there a free version?

No free commercial tier is published. Access runs through a demo and sales process, with academic programmes handled separately.

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.

nTop: Can I buy a perpetual licence?

No. It is sold as an annual subscription, so budget it as recurring cost across the life of the programme.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on nTop

More on RealityScan

Keep looking

Other head to heads