Agisoft Metashape vs MicMac

Agisoft Metashape processes digital images into 3D spatial data for GIS, cultural heritage documentation, visual effects, and indirect measurement. It works with aerial, close-range, and satellite imagery, including automatic camera calibration and multi-camera projects. Professional Edition can create and edit terrain and surface models, georeferenced orthomosaics, and EPSG-based outputs. Its surveying functions include aerial LiDAR point attributes, laser scan registration, ground control points, targets, and scale bars. It also handles RGB, NIR, thermal, multispectral, and satellite imagery, and can calculate user-defined indices such as NDVI. Professional Edition adds Python scripting, Java bindings, distributed calculations on a local network, and a cloud processing interface. Standard and Professional installers are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. A 30-day full-function trial is available; demo mode blocks saving and exporting. Standard Edition costs $179, paid once, and Professional Edition costs $3,499, paid once. Regular licenses are not time-limited and include 12 months of email technical support and free updates through version 2.x.x.

MicMac is free, open-source desktop software for reconstructing 3D models from imagery. Developed at IGN and ENSG within the LASTIG lab, it runs on Linux, macOS and Windows under the CECILL-B license. It supports frame cameras, pushbroom sensors and scanned analogue images, along with camera calibration models and dense image matching for deformation studies. Outputs can include point clouds, 3D models and ortho-imagery in a desired coordinate system. Intermediate results in open formats let users work at different stages, and quality indicators include bundle adjustment residuals, covariance matrices, parameter sensitivity and correlation images. The C3DC command computes a point cloud from oriented images; AperiCloud creates a sparse cloud with camera positions and orientations for viewing in MeshLab, but does not support 64-bit PLY. MicMac is adapted to big datasets and was initially built for experts and researchers, with use also described in architecture, archaeology and forestry. Documentation, tutorials, a wiki and user forum are available. Building from source involves multiple dependencies, and the Mac guide cautions that a current revision may not compile or may be unstable on a given OS.