COLMAP vs Polycam

COLMAP is a free pipeline for reconstructing scenes in 3D from ordered or unordered image collections. Its Structure-from-Motion stage estimates camera poses and sparse 3D structure; its Multi-View Stereo stage uses PatchMatch stereo and stereo fusion to produce dense point clouds and meshes. Users can work through a graphical interface or command line. The GUI’s automatic reconstruction tool accepts an image folder and creates sparse and dense results in a workspace folder. For development, PyCOLMAP offers Python bindings for most functionality, and COLMAP can be built as a library for C++ code. Feature extraction options include SIFT, ALIKED, and LoMa; ALIKED and LoMa require ONNX support at build time. It supports a range of camera models and multi-camera rigs. Users can install pre-built binaries or build from source; macOS users also have a Homebrew formula, and a pre-built Docker image includes CUDA support. The library uses the new BSD license, while third-party dependencies have separate licenses. The project describes COLMAP as research software that may occasionally exit ungracefully when constraints are not met.

Polycam is AI reality capture software for professionals who document, measure and design. It uses AI-assisted photogrammetry and LiDAR to capture spaces, construction sites, facilities, products and materials in 3D, and it can create shareable 3D object models. Users can generate customizable 2D floor plans; paid plans also list instant 3D and editable 2D floor plans. Drone footage can be processed into expansive 3D models. Polycam is available on Android, iOS and web browsers, though Space Mode scanning is limited to compatible iOS devices. Listed exports include GLTF, OBJ, FBX, DAE, STL, USDZ, point cloud formats and DXF; named workflows include Blender, Unity, SketchUp and Xactimate. Free access has limited space, object and AI captures, with GLTF exports and public link sharing. Basic costs $150 a year, equivalent to $12.50 per month when billed yearly. Seven-day trials are offered with annual Basic and Business plans, but not monthly plans or Enterprise. Business is listed at $400 a year and Enterprise at $1,200 a year.