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CAD · head to head

RealityScan vs Skydio Dock for X10

RealityScan logo

RealityScan

CAD

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Skydio Dock for X10 logo

Skydio Dock for X10

Construction

Weatherproof autonomous drone base for remote-operated inspection and site documentation flights

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only RealityScan has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Skydio Dock for X10 the capital cost is severe: the dock alone is listed by resellers in the high fifty-thousand-dollar range before the aircraft, payloads and the software subscription, so the payback case only closes on high-frequency flight schedules.
  • They diverge on capability: RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Skydio Dock for X10 covers Autonomous launch and recovery.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RealityScan and Skydio Dock for X10 actually diverge.

Attributes where RealityScan and Skydio Dock for X10 differ
AttributeRealityScanSkydio Dock for X10
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree below a revenue threshold, then per seat per yearquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindowsWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryCADConstruction

Identical on both: 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 RealityScan

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

Only in Skydio Dock for X10

  • Autonomous launch and recovery
  • Weather-rated enclosure
  • Onboard charging
  • Remote operation
  • Cloud data sync
  • NDAA and Blue UAS compliance
  • Obstacle avoidance
  • Thermal and zoom payloads

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 Skydio Dock for X10
  • A film or games asset team scanning props and environments at very high image counts where processing speed decides the schedulenot Skydio Dock for X10
  • A survey firm combining terrestrial laser scans with drone photography and needing both aligned in a single reconstructionnot Skydio Dock for X10
  • A construction reality-capture operator producing meshes for Unreal-based client visualisation from the same source imagerynot Skydio Dock for X10

Skydio Dock for X10

  • A police or fire agency running drone-as-first-responder, where a dock on a rooftop puts an aircraft over an incident before a unit arrivesnot RealityScan
  • A utility or substation operator that needs recurring thermal inspection flights without dispatching a pilot to a remote site each timenot RealityScan
  • A large infrastructure or mining site wanting daily aerial progress capture at a fixed cost rather than a per-visit contractor feenot RealityScan
  • A United States federal or state buyer that is prohibited from purchasing Chinese-manufactured drones and needs an NDAA-compliant docked platformnot 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

Skydio Dock for X10

  • The capital cost is severe: the dock alone is listed by resellers in the high fifty-thousand-dollar range before the aircraft, payloads and the software subscription, so the payback case only closes on high-frequency flight schedules.
  • The operating model assumes beyond visual line of sight approval; without a waiver a human still has to observe the aircraft, which removes most of the labour saving that justified the purchase.
  • It is locked to the Skydio X10, so the dock is not a platform investment you can carry to a different aircraft if Skydio changes direction or your payload needs move outside its sensor range.
  • Skydio exited the consumer market and has restructured its business more than once, so buyers are committing a large capital sum to a single vendor whose product line has already narrowed sharply.
  • Its strongest selling point, NDAA and Blue UAS compliance, is a procurement advantage rather than a capability one, and buyers outside United States public procurement pay a large premium for a compliance property they do not need.

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

Skydio Dock for X10

On request
  • Skydio Dock for X10$undefined/year
    • Capital hardware purchase, quoted through Skydio or an authorised reseller
    • Reseller listings have shown figures near $57,700 for the dock alone
    • Aircraft, payloads and Skydio Cloud subscription priced separately

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 Skydio Dock for X10 if

  • You need autonomous launch and recovery.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want weather-rated enclosure.
Skydio Dock for X10 review

Questions people ask

Is RealityScan or Skydio Dock for X10 better?
Neither clearly leads. RealityScan starts at Free and Skydio Dock for X10 at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RealityScan or Skydio Dock for X10?
RealityScan has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for RealityScan and On request for Skydio Dock for X10.
Does RealityScan or Skydio Dock for X10 run on more platforms?
RealityScan runs on Windows. Skydio Dock for X10 runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use RealityScan for free?
Yes. RealityScan has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Skydio Dock for X10 starts at On request.
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 Skydio Dock for X10 is typically brought in for.
What can RealityScan do that Skydio Dock for X10 cannot?
RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Laser scan fusion, Ground control points, Texturing and unwrapping. Skydio Dock for X10 covers Autonomous launch and recovery, Weather-rated enclosure, Onboard charging, Remote operation.

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.

Skydio Dock for X10: How much is the Skydio Dock for X10?

Skydio does not publish a price. Authorised resellers have listed the dock near $57,700 in the United States, excluding the aircraft, payloads and the Skydio Cloud subscription.

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.

Skydio Dock for X10: Do we need a BVLOS waiver?

In practice yes. The dock is designed for remote operation, and without beyond visual line of sight authorisation you still need a visual observer on site.

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.

Skydio Dock for X10: Is it NDAA compliant?

Yes. The Dock for X10 is on the Blue UAS Cleared List and meets United States federal cybersecurity and supply chain requirements.

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.

Skydio Dock for X10: What happens to captured data?

It syncs to Skydio Cloud by default. Confirm export paths and retention in the contract if you need imagery to live in your own GIS or document system.

Skydio Dock for X10: Can it fly in bad weather?

The enclosure is rated for high winds and heavy rain, but flight itself remains weather limited, so a scheduled inspection can still be skipped for conditions.

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