RIEGL RiSCAN PRO vs WhiteboxTools
RIEGL RiSCAN PRO
riegl.comWhiteboxTools
whiteboxgeo.comSide by side
| Figure | RIEGL RiSCAN PRO | WhiteboxTools |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $61.67/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 10 |
| Spec score · Point Cloud Software | 6.5 (#17) | 7.6 (#8) |
| Headquarters | Horn, Austria | Guelph, Canada |
| Purpose | RiSCAN PRO is RIEGL’s operating and processing software for terrestrial laser scanning projects. | Whitebox provides geospatial tools for terrain analysis, hydrology, LiDAR, remote sensing, and vector GIS. |
| Support | RIEGL directs technical support requests to its support channel and provides regional sales contact details on the product page. | Entry includes best-effort community support, Standard includes a priority support queue during business hours, and Enterprise support is available by agreement. |
Plans
WhiteboxTools
- Whitebox Open Core (Python, R, QGIS)Free
- LiDAR & Forest Analytics — Entry$740 a year
- Environmental Risk & Compliance — Entry$890 a year
- Network Planning & Operations — Entry$995 a year
- LiDAR & Forest Analytics — Standard$1,270 a year
- Environmental Risk & Compliance — Standard$1,490 a year
- Network Planning & Operations — Standard$1,795 a year
- Environmental Risk & Compliance — EnterprisePriced on request
- LiDAR & Forest Analytics — EnterprisePriced on request
- Network Planning & Operations — EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
RIEGL RiSCAN PRO
RIEGL RiSCAN PRO is operating and processing software for terrestrial laser scanning projects on Windows 11. It supports data acquisition, visualization, and processing for RIEGL VZ-Line and VZ-i series scanners, with real-time field streaming and automated batch processing. Point-cloud tools cover automatic registration, multi-station adjustment, filtering, merging, colorization, meshing, and volume calculation, plus volume measurement. Data from multiple sensors, including external cameras, can be combined into colorized point clouds with added attributes. Projects can be exported in formats including .e57, .las, .laz, .obj, .stl, .dxf, .csv, .pts, and .ptx. A documented XML project structure supports transfer to third-party post-processing software. Plugins include RiPANO, LIS GeoTec, LIS TreeAnalyzer, and an AI anonymizer for faces and license plates. Listed applications include façade measurement, as-built surveying, forestry, topography, archaeology, and city modeling. Pricing is on request, and downloads are restricted to RIEGL customers.
WhiteboxTools
WhiteboxTools is geospatial software for terrain analysis, hydrology, LiDAR, remote sensing, and vector GIS. Its Whitebox Next Gen library includes more than 700 tools, with open tools accessible through Python, R, and a QGIS plugin. Functions include terrain derivatives from digital elevation models, watershed delineation, flow routing, point-cloud classification, image analysis, change detection, and vector operations. It fits into QGIS, Python notebooks, R workflows, scripts, and local desktop processing. Listed formats range from GeoTIFF, Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF, LAS/LAZ, and COPC to GeoPackage, FlatGeobuf, GeoParquet, GeoJSON, and Shapefile. The maker says processing runs locally, which can support on-premises or offline workflows. Windows, macOS, and Linux are listed. The open core is free; paid Entry plans are $740 a year to $995 a year, and Standard plans are $1,270 a year to $1,795 a year. Pro EULA terms allow opting out of optional telemetry, but not license-validation reporting.