Which drone mapping software is best for your business?

I’m starting to dive into drone mapping for my business and I’m totally overwhelmed by all the options. There are so many software out there like DroneDeploy, Pix4D, Propeller, and WebODM. Each one seems to have its pros and cons depending on your budget and needs. I’m leaning towards DroneDeploy since it’s pretty user-friendly, but the price tag is a bit steep. Anyone here tried any of these? What’s your experience been like? Need some advice on what to go for based on budget and use case.

I’ve used Pix4D a lot for my projects. It’s cheaper than DroneDeploy and has solid features, but it’s not as user-friendly. If you’re on a tight budget, I’d say go for it.

Blakeley said:
I’ve used Pix4D a lot for my projects. It’s cheaper than DroneDeploy and has solid features, but it’s not as user-friendly. If you’re on a tight budget, I’d say go for it.

What’s the learning curve like for Pix4D? I’m not super tech-savvy and I’m worried it might be too much to handle.

@Delaney
It can be a bit tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty straightforward. There are a ton of tutorials out there to help.

I tried Propeller for a construction job, and it’s really great for measuring stuff like volume and surface area. But, the price per map can get expensive if you need to map a lot.

Peyton said:
I tried Propeller for a construction job, and it’s really great for measuring stuff like volume and surface area. But, the price per map can get expensive if you need to map a lot.

How much is Propeller per map? Is it worth it if I only need a few maps a year?

@Mirriam
It’s around $250 per map, so if you only need a few, it might work out. But for heavy users, it gets expensive fast.

WebODM is the way to go if you want something free. But, it’s not super easy to use. You need some GIS knowledge to get it running right. I’ve used it with QGIS and it worked out well for basic mapping.

@Lennon
I’ve heard of WebODM but haven’t tried it yet. What exactly is GIS? Do I need to know coding to use WebODM?

Zen said:
@Lennon
I’ve heard of WebODM but haven’t tried it yet. What exactly is GIS? Do I need to know coding to use WebODM?

GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems, it’s just a way to digitally map and analyze data. You don’t need coding skills for the basic stuff, but you’ll need some for installing WebODM.

Agisoft Metashape is great if you’re all about 3D modeling. The outputs are amazing, but if you need other measurement tools, it’s not the best. Still, for detailed 3D work, it’s a top pick.

Frost said:
Agisoft Metashape is great if you’re all about 3D modeling. The outputs are amazing, but if you need other measurement tools, it’s not the best. Still, for detailed 3D work, it’s a top pick.

I was considering Agisoft for some 3D projects. Do you know if it’s hard to get started with it?

@Haven
It’s fairly easy to get started with the basics, but if you want to really dig into advanced features, it might take some time to learn.

I’ve used DroneDeploy for a few months now. The cloud-based stuff is awesome because it saves a lot of storage space. But yeah, the price is steep. I ended up going for a year plan to make it more affordable.

@Remy
How much is DroneDeploy with the year plan? Does it really justify the cost?

Natalie said:
@Remy
How much is DroneDeploy with the year plan? Does it really justify the cost?

It starts at $329 per month with the yearly commitment, so it’s around $3.9k for the year. It’s worth it if you use it often, but for occasional use, it might be overkill.