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Aviation · head to head

Pix4D vs Potree

Pix4D logo

Pix4D

Aviation

Professional drone photogrammetry software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Potree logo

Potree

Maps

Open source WebGL viewer for publishing very large point clouds in a browser

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Pix4D split into separate products by job, so PIX4Dreact at $55 a month, PIX4Dfields at $111, PIX4Dmatic at $125 and PIX4Dmapper at $333 are different purchases rather than tiers; Potree there is no vendor, no support contract and no service level, so anything you build on Potree is your organisation’s responsibility to maintain when a browser update breaks rendering.
  • They diverge on capability: Pix4D covers Photogrammetry, Potree covers Octree streaming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pix4D and Potree actually diverge.

Attributes where Pix4D and Potree differ
AttributePix4DPotree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux
CategoryAviationMaps
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Pix4D

  • Photogrammetry
  • 3D modeling
  • Point clouds
  • Orthomosaics
  • DSM/DTM generation
  • CAD software
  • GIS platforms
  • BIM tools

Only in Potree

  • Octree streaming
  • Large dataset rendering
  • Measurement tools
  • Clipping and profiles
  • Annotations
  • Attribute colouring
  • PotreeDesktop
  • Self-hosting

What people use each for

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

Pix4D

  • Photogrammetry from drone imagery into orthomosaics and point cloudsnot Potree
  • Survey-grade 2D maps and 3D models with PIX4Dmappernot Potree
  • Rapid 2D mapping for emergency response with PIX4Dreactnot Potree
  • Multispectral crop analysis with PIX4Dfieldsnot Potree
  • Large-scale processing with LiDAR integration through PIX4Dmaticnot Potree

Potree

  • A drone survey firm delivering a point cloud to a client who has no desktop software, by publishing a browser viewer link instead of a 40 GB LAZ filenot Pix4D
  • A heritage or archaeology project publishing a scanned site for public access without paying per-gigabyte hosting to a commercial platformnot Pix4D
  • An engineering consultancy embedding a point cloud viewer inside its own client portal without licensing a commercial web viewernot Pix4D
  • A university or research group that needs measurement and profiling in a shareable viewer for a dataset too large to emailnot Pix4D

Where each one falls short

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

Pix4D

  • Split into separate products by job, so PIX4Dreact at $55 a month, PIX4Dfields at $111, PIX4Dmatic at $125 and PIX4Dmapper at $333 are different purchases rather than tiers
  • Subscription only, with monthly, yearly or three year cycles and no perpetual licence
  • No refunds, and cancellation only takes effect at renewal
  • Cloud processing is an add-on to the desktop subscriptions
  • Hardware scanning kit prices are quoted on request

Potree

  • There is no vendor, no support contract and no service level, so anything you build on Potree is your organisation’s responsibility to maintain when a browser update breaks rendering.
  • Conversion is a separate manual step with PotreeConverter, and building an automated publishing pipeline around it is engineering work the project does not provide.
  • Rendering quality and performance depend on the client machine and WebGL support, so a client on a locked-down corporate laptop with poor graphics may see a viewer that stutters or fails outright.
  • A WebGPU rewrite, Potree-Next, is in progress and is not a drop-in upgrade, so current integrations face an eventual migration with no vendor to manage it.
  • There is no access control, user management or audit layer; anyone with the URL sees the data unless you build authentication around the static files yourself, which is a real problem for confidential sites.

Pricing, plan by plan

Pix4D

Free
  • PIX4Dreact$55/month
    • Accurate 2D maps from aerial imagery
    • Processing in minutes
    • Monthly, yearly, or 3-year subscription available
  • PIX4Dfields$111/month
    • Precision agriculture mapping
    • Crop analysis and digital farming
    • Monthly, yearly, or 3-year subscription available
  • PIX4Dmatic$125/month
    • Photogrammetry and terrestrial LiDAR capabilities
    • Local machine processing with full control
    • Monthly, yearly, or 3-year subscription available
  • PIX4Dmapper$333/month
    • Professional photogrammetry software
    • Drone mapping capabilities
    • Monthly, yearly, or 3-year subscription available

Potree

Free
  • PotreeFree
    • BSD-style open source licence
    • Unlimited datasets and viewers
    • Self-hosted on any static web server

Which should you pick?

Choose Pix4D if

  • You need photogrammetry.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want 3d modeling.
Pix4D review

Choose Potree if

  • You need octree streaming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want large dataset rendering.
Potree review

Questions people ask

Is Pix4D or Potree better?
Neither clearly leads. Pix4D starts at Free and Potree at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pix4D or Potree?
Pix4D starts at Free and Potree at Free.
Does Pix4D or Potree run on more platforms?
Pix4D runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Potree runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Pix4D for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Pix4D best used for?
Pix4D is most often used for photogrammetry from drone imagery into orthomosaics and point clouds, survey-grade 2d maps and 3d models with pix4dmapper, rapid 2d mapping for emergency response with pix4dreact, multispectral crop analysis with pix4dfields. Of those, photogrammetry from drone imagery into orthomosaics and point clouds and survey-grade 2d maps and 3d models with pix4dmapper are not what Potree is typically brought in for.
What can Pix4D do that Potree cannot?
Pix4D covers Photogrammetry, 3D modeling, Point clouds, Orthomosaics. Potree covers Octree streaming, Large dataset rendering, Measurement tools, Clipping and profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pix4D: What is the lowest-cost PIX4D subscription?

PIX4Dreact starts at $55/month and produces accurate 2D maps from aerial imagery processed in minutes. Subscriptions are available on monthly, yearly, or 3-year billing cycles.

Source
Potree: Does Potree cost anything?

No. It is open source and free. You supply the hosting, which for a static viewer is inexpensive.

Pix4D: Does PIX4D offer a free trial?

Yes, PIX4D provides a 15-day free trial with no credit card required to test the software before committing to a subscription.

Source
Potree: Is there commercial support?

No. There is no vendor and no support contract. Support is GitHub issues and the community.

Pix4D: What payment methods does PIX4D accept?

PIX4D accepts credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link globally. Regional options include bank transfers, SEPA Direct Debit for Europe, ACH transfers for the US, and country-specific payment methods.

Source
Potree: Who maintains it?

It originated at TU Wien and is maintained principally by Markus Schütz, with community contributions.

Potree: Can it handle very large clouds?

Yes, hundreds of millions of points, because PotreeConverter builds a multi-resolution octree that streams only what is visible.

Potree: Is my data private?

Only if you make it so. Potree serves static files with no built-in authentication, so access control is entirely your responsibility.

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