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CAD · head to head

Creo vs RealityScan

Creo logo

Creo

CAD

Award-winning 3D CAD software

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: Creo every Creo user must buy a licence of the Creo Design Essentials package as a minimum before anything else can be added; 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: Creo covers Parametric modeling, RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Creo and RealityScan actually diverge.

Attributes where Creo and RealityScan differ
AttributeCreoRealityScan
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree below a revenue threshold, then per seat per year
Free tierNoYes
Founded1985Unknown

Identical on both: platforms (Windows), 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 Creo

  • Parametric modeling
  • Direct modeling
  • Simulation
  • Generative design
  • Additive manufacturing
  • AR integration
  • Model-based definition
  • Windchill PLM

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.

Creo

  • Parametric 3D mechanical CAD for product and machinery designnot RealityScan
  • Mold design and mold machining workflowsnot RealityScan

RealityScan

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

Where each one falls short

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

Creo

  • Every Creo user must buy a licence of the Creo Design Essentials package as a minimum before anything else can be added
  • Capabilities such as the Generative Design Extension, Creo Simulation Live, Advanced Assembly Extension and GD&T Advisor are sold as separate paid extensions
  • Published prices in the PTC Store cover only Creo Design Essentials, the Creo Suites and select extensions; the other design packages require talking to sales
  • Buying an individual extension requires contacting a sales representative rather than self service

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

Creo

$29/month
  • Creo Elements/Direct$2310/month
    • Direct modeling
  • Creo Parametric$2310/month
    • Parametric modeling
    • Simulation
  • Creo+$2930/month
    • SaaS delivery
    • Real-time collaboration

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 Creo if

  • You need parametric modeling.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want direct modeling.
Creo 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 Creo or RealityScan better?
Neither clearly leads. Creo 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, Creo or RealityScan?
RealityScan has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Creo and Free for RealityScan.
Does Creo or RealityScan run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use RealityScan for free?
Yes. RealityScan has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Creo starts at $29/month.
What is Creo best used for?
Creo is most often used for parametric 3d mechanical cad for product and machinery design, mold design and mold machining workflows. Of those, parametric 3d mechanical cad for product and machinery design and mold design and mold machining workflows are not what RealityScan is typically brought in for.
What can Creo do that RealityScan cannot?
Creo covers Parametric modeling, Direct modeling, Simulation, Generative design. RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Laser scan fusion, Ground control points, Texturing and unwrapping.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Creo: Does Creo offer a free trial or evaluation version?

Yes, PTC offers a free trial of Creo. Users can instantly access a fully functional trial of Creo. The page also provides a 30-day free trial option for both Creo and Creo+.

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.

Creo: What licensing options does Creo provide?

Creo supports flexible licensing options including on-premises solution and Creo+, a SaaS offering. Licensing tiers support solo designers, small teams up to 5 licenses, and growing teams with 5 or more licenses. PTC also offers a startup program with free or discounted access.

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.

Creo: Is Creo free for students and educators?

Yes, Creo is available for free to students and educators through PTC Education. Students and educators from grade school through university can get free access to Creo to learn advanced CAD capabilities.

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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