PDAL vs Pointly

PDAL is free desktop software for processing and analyzing point-cloud data on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It supports point-cloud registration, allowing point clouds to be aligned, and point classification, allowing points to be assigned categories. The software also provides geospatial analysis and point-cloud-to-mesh conversion. Supported file formats listed here include E57 and LAS/LAZ. Its processing mode is desktop, so the stated use is on a computer running one of the supported operating systems rather than through a web interface. PDAL has a free plan. The listed capabilities cover both analysis and transformation: users can register and classify point clouds, perform geospatial analysis, and convert point-cloud data into meshes. Format support for E57 and LAS/LAZ gives projects specific file options to check before adoption. These facts make PDAL relevant to workflows that need point-cloud processing across the three listed desktop platforms, with no price barrier stated beyond its free availability.

Pointly classifies and vectorizes large LiDAR point clouds from airborne, mobile and terrestrial sources. It accepts LAS and LAZ files and can return classified files in those formats, alongside vectors in DXF, Shapefile, CSV or GeoJSON. Workflows can combine AI classification with rule-based checks using geometry, semantic rules and reference data, with quality control where needed. The service supports API, self-hosted and web use. Its hosted platform runs on Microsoft Azure in the EU by default; separate tenants in other Azure regions are available on request. Pointly Box runs inside a customer's network and can be air-gapped, with licensing via a hardware key. The free account allows three uploads of up to 15 MPoints each to try standard classifiers. Professional S costs 99.00 € per month, net excluding VAT, and includes 500 MPoints per month and unlimited projects. Pointly describes its certification as ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and says it usually answers enquiries within one business day.