MeshInspector vs PolyWorks|Modeler
MeshInspector
meshinspector.comPolyWorks|Modeler
polyworks.comSide by side
| Figure | MeshInspector | PolyWorks|Modeler |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $25/mo | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 2 |
| Spec score · 3D modeling software | 9.0 (#12) | 7.8 (#97) |
| File formats | Supported data includes STL, OBJ, PLY, 3MF, DICOM, E57, STEP, G-code and other mesh, volume and point-cloud formats. | Listed polygonal model formats include POL, PQK, JT, Nastran NAS, OBJ, PLY, STL, and VRML 2.0; listed CAD formats are IGES and STEP. |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Headquarters | Bothell, Washington, USA | Quebec City, Canada |
| Intended users | The site describes workflows for engineers, service bureaus, dental labs and scanning professionals, and identifies additive manufacturing, reverse engineering and digital dentistry as use cases. | The maker describes PolyWorks|Modeler as a reverse-engineering solution for manufacturers and professionals who use CAD/CAM applications for simulation, machining, and design. |
| Purpose | MeshInspector processes 3D data for mesh repair, scan transformation and quality inspection, including workflows for printing, simulation and manufacturing. | PolyWorks|Modeler extracts CAD entities such as curves, surfaces, parametric sketches, and prismatic features from polygonal models of digitized parts for use in CAD modeling software. |
| Support | Paid pricing includes premium support with an advertised priority response of approximately 12 hours, and support is also offered by email. | Both listed packages include one year of support and maintenance, with email and telephone technical support and access to the MyPolyWorks online hub. |
Plans
MeshInspector
- CommunityFree
- Makers$300 a year
- Professional$790 a year
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
MeshInspector
MeshInspector processes 3D data for mesh repair, scan transformation, and quality inspection in printing, simulation, and manufacturing workflows. It handles meshes, point clouds, volumetric data, lines, distance maps, and G-code, and supports model import and export. Tools include STL editing and repair, mesh conversion, inspection measurements, distance comparisons, segmentation, and CT/MRI scan inspection.
The free Community plan includes viewing, basic mesh and point-cloud editing, basic repair, and measurements. Makers costs $300 a year per user and adds one-click repair, advanced editing, basic inspection, and alignment tools. Professional costs $790 a year per user and adds batch repair, lattice generation, point-cloud and CT/MRI-to-mesh workflows, QC reports, advanced measurements, and Python automation. Its 30-day Professional trial does not require a credit card; afterward, the account moves to Community. Web files are processed and stored in browser local memory, while desktop files are handled and stored locally. The product describes workflows for engineers, service bureaus, dental labs, and scanning professionals.
PolyWorks|Modeler
PolyWorks|Modeler is Windows desktop software that extracts CAD entities from polygonal models of digitized parts. It creates polygonal models from point clouds in real time and repairs geometry by filling holes, smoothing surfaces, cleaning boundaries, recovering sharp edges, and making surfaces watertight. Editing includes boundary extrusion, surface offsetting, fillet reconstruction, and Boolean operations with CAD models. A NURBS workflow combines interactive curve creation with automatic surfacing to produce editable CAD-friendly models. Users can create constrained parametric 2D sketches with arcs, lines, circles, and splines, then use listed import add-ins for CATIA V5-6, NX, Creo, Inventor, and SolidWorks. Supported polygonal formats include POL, PQK, JT, Nastran NAS, OBJ, PLY, STL, and VRML 2.0; CAD formats include IGES and STEP. NURBS surfaces export to IGES, JT, and STEP, while sketches export to PWSF or IGES. Windows 10 Pro or 11 Pro 64-bit is required, with an x64 quad-core CPU, 8 GB RAM, and a professional OpenGL card with 1 GB memory. Pricing is on request; a free demo is available by request.