Point Cloud Library vs Pointly

Point Cloud Library (PCL) is a free, open-source project for processing 2D and 3D images and point clouds. Its algorithms cover filtering, feature estimation, surface reconstruction, registration, model fitting, and segmentation. They can be used to reduce noise, join point clouds, divide scenes into segments, find keypoints, calculate descriptors, create surfaces, and visualize point data.

PCL is divided into smaller code libraries that can be compiled separately, supporting distribution on systems with limited computing capacity or storage. Prebuilt binaries are available for Linux, Windows, and macOS, and the project recommends package managers to distribute PCL and simplify installation of its third-party dependencies. It supports OpenNI 3D interfaces for acquiring and processing data from devices such as PrimeSensor cameras, Microsoft Kinect, and Asus XTionPro. The API reference includes public methods and classes, code snippets, and links to scientific publications. PCL uses the 3-clause BSD license and is free for commercial and research use.

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.