Agisoft Metashape vs OpenReco

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.

OpenReco converts drone and camera imagery into dense point clouds, textured meshes, orthomosaics, and elevation models. Its node-based workspace can run a complete reconstruction graph or individual stages, while caching keeps results reproducible. Reconstruction uses COLMAP CUDA for GPU multi-view stereo and includes an automatic CPU fallback. Models can be georeferenced from EXIF GPS data or ground control points. Analysis tools measure volume, profile, area, and distance, and generate NDVI, ExG, and VARI vegetation maps. Listed exports include LAS, LAZ, PLY, OBJ, GeoTIFF, GeoJSON, DXF, CSV, 3D Tiles, and contour SHP. OpenReco is MIT licensed and open source. Desktop downloads are listed for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The site says no account or subscription is needed to download it, and the Free plan is free. Named target fields include surveying and mapping, agriculture and forestry, VFX and heritage, construction and earthworks, and robotics and research.