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CAD · head to head

RealityScan vs Ultimaker Cura

RealityScan logo

RealityScan

CAD

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ultimaker Cura logo

Ultimaker Cura

CAD

Powerful 3D printing slicer

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; Ultimaker Cura support varies by community contribution
  • They diverge on capability: RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Ultimaker Cura covers Universal printer support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which RealityScan and Ultimaker Cura actually diverge.

Attributes where RealityScan and Ultimaker Cura differ
AttributeRealityScanUltimaker Cura
Pricing modelFree below a revenue threshold, then per seat per yearUnknown
PlatformsWindowsWindows, macOS, Linux
FoundedUnknown2011

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 Ultimaker Cura

  • Universal printer support
  • Custom profiles
  • Plugin marketplace
  • Cloud integration
  • Tree supports
  • Arachne engine
  • Ultimaker printers
  • Most FDM printers

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

Ultimaker Cura

  • 3D print slicingnot RealityScan
  • Professional printingnot 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

Ultimaker Cura

  • Support varies by community contribution
  • No commercial technical support

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

Ultimaker Cura

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Ultimaker Cura review.

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 Ultimaker Cura if

  • You need universal printer support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want custom profiles.
Ultimaker Cura review

Questions people ask

Is RealityScan or Ultimaker Cura better?
Neither clearly leads. RealityScan starts at Free and Ultimaker Cura at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, RealityScan or Ultimaker Cura?
RealityScan starts at Free and Ultimaker Cura at Free.
Does RealityScan or Ultimaker Cura run on more platforms?
RealityScan runs on Windows. Ultimaker Cura runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
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 Ultimaker Cura is typically brought in for.
What can RealityScan do that Ultimaker Cura cannot?
RealityScan covers Photogrammetric reconstruction, Laser scan fusion, Ground control points, Texturing and unwrapping. Ultimaker Cura covers Universal printer support, Custom profiles, Plugin marketplace, Cloud integration.

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.

Ultimaker Cura: Is Ultimaker Cura free?

Yes. Ultimaker Cura is completely free and open-source under the LGPL license. There are no premium versions, subscriptions, or hidden fees. All features are available to everyone.

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.

Ultimaker Cura: How many printers does Cura support?

Ultimaker Cura supports over 400 different 3D printer models with out-of-the-box configuration. Users can add custom printers and profiles.

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.

Ultimaker Cura: What file formats does Cura import?

Ultimaker Cura converts STL, OBJ, 3MF, and other 3D file formats into G-code instructions that 3D printers can execute.

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.

Ultimaker Cura: What features are available?

Cura offers 400+ configurable print settings, material profiles, intent profiles for specific applications, plugin support via the Ultimaker Marketplace, and active community development on GitHub.

Source
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