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Construction · head to head

Propeller Aero vs Reconstruct

Propeller Aero logo

Propeller Aero

Construction

Drone survey processing and earthworks volume measurement for sites that measure stockpiles weekly

From
On request
Rated
-
Reconstruct logo

Reconstruct

Construction

Reality capture and progress tracking that aligns site imagery to the model and the schedule

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Reconstruct pricing is quoted with nothing published, so a buyer cannot sanity-check a proposal against a list rate and has no way to know whether the price scales with projects, square footage or users until deep in the sales process.
  • They diverge on capability: Propeller Aero covers Photogrammetric processing, Reconstruct covers Device-agnostic capture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Propeller Aero and Reconstruct actually diverge.

Attributes where Propeller Aero and Reconstruct differ
AttributePropeller AeroReconstruct
Pricing modelHardware purchase plus a quoted platform subscriptionquote

Identical on both: starting price (On request), 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 Propeller Aero

  • Photogrammetric processing
  • AeroPoints ground control
  • Volume measurement
  • Design surface comparison
  • Progress timeline
  • Machine telemetry
  • Corrections network

Only in Reconstruct

  • Device-agnostic capture
  • Photogrammetry and mesh generation
  • 4D schedule alignment
  • Design overlay
  • Time slider
  • Measurement tools
  • Issue tracking
  • Remote walkthrough

What people use each for

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

Propeller Aero

  • A quarry that reconciles stockpile inventory monthly for its accounts and wants the volume evidence to survive an auditnot Reconstruct
  • An earthworks contractor claiming progress payments on cubic metres moved who needs an independent measurement the client will acceptnot Reconstruct
  • A civil site checking whether a subgrade is within tolerance of the design before the surfacing crew arrivesnot Reconstruct
  • A mine that wants weekly volume reporting without a survey crew on the ground every weeknot Reconstruct

Reconstruct

  • A general contractor whose monthly progress claim is regularly challenged by the owner, needing dated visual evidence tied to schedule activities rather than a folder of photosnot Propeller Aero
  • An owner running projects in several countries who wants to cut executive site visits without accepting the contractor’s self-reported percentage completenot Propeller Aero
  • A healthcare or data centre fit-out where above-ceiling services must be recorded before they are closed up, so later maintenance does not require demolitionnot Propeller Aero
  • A delay or defect dispute where the decisive question is what was physically in place on a specific date and the only other evidence is contested emailnot Propeller Aero

Where each one falls short

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

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

Reconstruct

  • Pricing is quoted with nothing published, so a buyer cannot sanity-check a proposal against a list rate and has no way to know whether the price scales with projects, square footage or users until deep in the sales process.
  • The whole value depends on disciplined recurring capture, and site teams treat walking the building with a camera as a low-priority chore, so datasets go stale exactly when a dispute makes them valuable.
  • Photogrammetry from handheld footage is less accurate than laser scanning, so it is fine for progress and coordination but should not be relied on for tight as-built tolerances or prefabrication dimensions.
  • Schedule alignment requires a well-structured schedule with activities that map to physical locations; on projects where the programme is a coarse rolled-up bar chart the progress calculation is close to meaningless.
  • It is another platform alongside Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud rather than a replacement, so buyers add a subscription and a workflow rather than consolidating one, and the business case has to survive that.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Reconstruct

On request
  • Reconstruct$undefined/year
    • Quoted per project or per portfolio
    • Unlimited capture devices
    • 4D schedule alignment

Which should you pick?

Choose Propeller Aero if

  • You need photogrammetric processing.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want aeropoints ground control.

Choose Reconstruct if

  • You need device-agnostic capture.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want photogrammetry and mesh generation.

Questions people ask

Is Propeller Aero or Reconstruct better?
Neither clearly leads. Propeller Aero starts at On request and Reconstruct at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Propeller Aero or Reconstruct?
Propeller Aero starts at On request and Reconstruct at On request.
Does Propeller Aero or Reconstruct run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Propeller Aero best used for?
Propeller Aero is most often used for a quarry that reconciles stockpile inventory monthly for its accounts and wants the volume evidence to survive an audit, an earthworks contractor claiming progress payments on cubic metres moved who needs an independent measurement the client will accept, a civil site checking whether a subgrade is within tolerance of the design before the surfacing crew arrives, a mine that wants weekly volume reporting without a survey crew on the ground every week. Of those, a quarry that reconciles stockpile inventory monthly for its accounts and wants the volume evidence to survive an audit and an earthworks contractor claiming progress payments on cubic metres moved who needs an independent measurement the client will accept are not what Reconstruct is typically brought in for.
What can Propeller Aero do that Reconstruct cannot?
Propeller Aero covers Photogrammetric processing, AeroPoints ground control, Volume measurement, Design surface comparison. Reconstruct covers Device-agnostic capture, Photogrammetry and mesh generation, 4D schedule alignment, Design overlay.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Propeller 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.

Reconstruct: How much does Reconstruct cost?

Not published. It is quoted per project or portfolio. Ask specifically whether the price scales by project count, square footage or capture volume, because those give very different totals.

Propeller 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.

Reconstruct: Do we need a drone or a laser scanner?

No. It works from 360 cameras and even smartphone video. Drones and scanners improve exterior and accuracy-critical coverage.

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.

Reconstruct: How accurate is it?

Accurate enough for progress, coordination and dispute evidence. It is not a substitute for survey-grade laser scanning where tolerances matter.

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.

Reconstruct: Who owns the captured data at closeout?

The customer. Confirm the export format and retention terms in the contract before handover, because a reality archive is only useful if you can still open it in five years.

Reconstruct: Does it replace Procore?

No. It integrates with Procore and Autodesk Construction Cloud and adds the visual as-built layer.

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