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CAD · head to head

RealityScan vs Shapr3D

RealityScan logo

RealityScan

CAD

The photogrammetry engine formerly called RealityCapture, free below a one million dollar revenue line

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shapr3D logo

Shapr3D

CAD

CAD software for iPad and Mac

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Shapr3D the free Basic plan is limited to 2 projects
  • They diverge on capability: RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Shapr3D covers Direct modeling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RealityScan and Shapr3D actually diverge.

Attributes where RealityScan and Shapr3D differ
AttributeRealityScanShapr3D
Pricing modelFree below a revenue threshold, then per seat per yearfreemium
PlatformsWindowsIPadOS, MacOS, Windows
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 RealityScan

  • Photogrammetric reconstruction
  • Laser scan fusion
  • Ground control points
  • Texturing and unwrapping
  • Command line interface
  • Unreal Engine path
  • Component alignment control

Only in Shapr3D

  • Direct modeling
  • Parametric history
  • Visualization
  • 2D drawings
  • Apple Pencil support
  • Import/export
  • Annotations
  • Fusion 360

What people use each for

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

RealityScan

  • A two-person heritage survey practice under the revenue threshold that can now run professional photogrammetry at no licence costnot Shapr3D
  • A film or games asset team scanning props and environments at very high image counts where processing speed decides the schedulenot Shapr3D
  • A survey firm combining terrestrial laser scans with drone photography and needing both aligned in a single reconstructionnot Shapr3D
  • A construction reality-capture operator producing meshes for Unreal-based client visualisation from the same source imagerynot Shapr3D

Shapr3D

  • Direct modelling CAD on iPad with Apple Pencilnot RealityScan
  • Producing manufacturable solid models and technical drawingsnot RealityScan
  • Sharing CAD projects with collaborators on desktop and tabletnot RealityScan

Where each one falls short

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

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

Shapr3D

  • The free Basic plan is limited to 2 projects
  • Free plan exports only basic resolution 3MF and STL, so no STEP or IGES output
  • Free plan caps generative renders at 3 per day; Pro raises this to 50 per day and only Enterprise is unlimited
  • Importing SLDPRT and SLDASM SolidWorks files requires Pro
  • Importing NX, JT, CREO, Solid Edge and Rhino files requires Enterprise
  • Exporting ACIS, FBX, Parasolid and PRC requires Enterprise
  • On premises and single tenant data storage is Enterprise only
  • Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Shapr3D

Free
  • BasicFree
    • 2 projects
    • cloud storage
    • basic import/export (XT, STEP, IGES, DWG, STL)
  • Pro$299/year
    • unlimited shared team projects
    • up to 2 contributors
    • high-resolution exports
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • granular access control
    • flexible data storage (single tenant/private cloud/on-premises)
    • unlimited renders

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Shapr3D if

  • You need direct modeling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IPadOS, MacOS, Windows.
  • You also want parametric history.
Shapr3D review

Questions people ask

Is RealityScan or Shapr3D better?
Neither clearly leads. RealityScan starts at Free and Shapr3D at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RealityScan or Shapr3D?
RealityScan starts at Free and Shapr3D at Free.
Does RealityScan or Shapr3D run on more platforms?
RealityScan runs on Windows. Shapr3D runs on IPadOS, MacOS, Windows.
Can I use RealityScan for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is RealityScan best used for?
RealityScan is most often used for a two-person heritage survey practice under the revenue threshold that can now run professional photogrammetry at no licence cost, a film or games asset team scanning props and environments at very high image counts where processing speed decides the schedule, a survey firm combining terrestrial laser scans with drone photography and needing both aligned in a single reconstruction, a construction reality-capture operator producing meshes for unreal-based client visualisation from the same source imagery. Of those, a two-person heritage survey practice under the revenue threshold that can now run professional photogrammetry at no licence cost and a film or games asset team scanning props and environments at very high image counts where processing speed decides the schedule are not what Shapr3D is typically brought in for.
What can RealityScan do that Shapr3D cannot?
RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Laser scan fusion, Ground control points, Texturing and unwrapping. Shapr3D covers Direct modeling, Parametric history, Visualization, 2D drawings.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Shapr3D: How much does Shapr3D cost?

Shapr3D Basic tier is free. Pro tier is $299 per year or available monthly with price not specified on the pricing page. Enterprise pricing is custom and requires contacting sales.

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.

Shapr3D: Is there a free trial for Shapr3D Pro?

Yes, Shapr3D offers a 14-day free trial for Pro tier that requires a credit card, plus a 14-day money-back guarantee on purchases.

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.

Shapr3D: What is the difference between Shapr3D Pro and Enterprise?

Pro tier includes up to 2 contributors on unlimited shared team projects, 50 renders daily, technical drawings, and AR on iPad. Enterprise provides granular access control, flexible data storage options (single tenant, private cloud, on-premises, or cloud off), unlimited renders, extended import/export formats, and dedicated account management.

Source
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.

Shapr3D: Does Shapr3D offer educational pricing?

Yes, Shapr3D is free for students and educators with annual license renewal through an in-app application form.

Source
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