Pricing comparison
Lidarvisor vs your LiDAR processing options
There are three ways to pay to turn a point cloud into deliverables: self-serve software you run, a done-for-you service billed per acre, or a desktop licence you buy outright. This page compares the real options on price, features and total cost, and shows where Lidarvisor fits.
Cost per hectare, at a glance
For the typical job, the pricing model matters more than the vendor. Self-serve per-hectare pricing and a done-for-you service can differ by more than ten times for the same area.
The three pricing models, and why they are not equal
These options are not like-for-like, so comparing raw prices alone is misleading. A done-for-you service costs more per area because the price includes a person doing the processing for you. Desktop tools charge a licence up front, then you supply the workstation and the expertise. Self-serve cloud software is the fair comparison against Lidarvisor: you run the job, and price and ease of use are what differ.
Self-serve LiDAR processing tools
You upload your data and get deliverables back. This is the like-for-like comparison, including the closest direct competitors.
| Tool | Deployment | Pricing | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lidarvisor | Browser | Per hectare, $0.33 to $0.76 / ha | 34-class AI classification, DTM, DSM, contours, vectorization, reports. Every output included, no licence, free tier. |
| Rock Cloud | Browser + cloud | ~$3,500 / year | 3D viewer, measurement, GCP alignment, volumetrics; AI classification the vendor cites at 70 to 80%, with paid Pro Services for manual finishing. |
| PIX4Dcloud | Cloud | ~$49 to $249 / month | Photogrammetry-first with LiDAR support; point clouds, orthomosaics, meshes. |
| LiDAR360 (GreenValley) | Desktop + cloud | Licence / subscription | AI-driven classification with a full GUI; particularly strong forestry and terrain tools. |
| Virtual Surveyor | Cloud | Subscription | ML classification with CAD-oriented surveying and volume tools. |
| Mach9 | Web | Subscription (enterprise) | Fast corridor CAD feature extraction from LiDAR; aimed at surveyors and DOTs. |
| CloudCompare | Desktop | Free, open-source | Powerful and free, but fully manual, with a steep learning curve and no automated classification. |
| Desktop suites (TerraSolid, Global Mapper, LAStools) | Desktop | Perpetual or annual licence, ~$500 to $5,000+ per module | Industry-standard precision, but manual workflows and you provide the workstation and compute. |
Among tools you run yourself, Lidarvisor is the only one priced purely by area, so a small job costs a few dollars rather than a fixed annual fee or a licence.
Feature comparison
Beyond price, the practical differences that decide which tool fits a small, frequent job.
| Lidarvisor | Rock Cloud | Desktop suites | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs in the browser | Yes | Yes | No |
| Pay only for what you process | Yes, per hectare | No, flat subscription | No, licence |
| Automated classification | Yes, 34 classes | Partial, 70 to 80% | Mostly manual |
| Every output included | Yes | Tools included, finishing extra | Per module |
| Free tier | Yes, 50 ha | No | No |
| Your own workstation needed | No | No | Yes |
| Learning curve | Low | Medium | High |
Done-for-you services
You send raw data and pay a bureau to process it. The price includes their labour, so it runs much higher per area.
| Service tier | Pricing model | Cost per hectare | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Pro Services, Ground | Per acre ($3.50) | ~$8.65 / ha | DTM, contours, accuracy report. |
| Rock Pro Services, Enhanced | Per acre ($5.00) | ~$12.35 / ha | Adds building and vegetation classification, breaklines. |
| Rock Pro Services, Enhanced Plus | Per acre ($6.00) | ~$14.82 / ha | Adds roads, water, bridges, transmission lines. |
1 hectare is about 2.47 acres. These tiers include a person doing the work, which is why they cost roughly ten to twenty times Lidarvisor per hectare.
Beyond the sticker price
The quoted price is only part of what a tool costs. A fair comparison counts three hidden line items:
Hardware
Desktop suites need a workstation-class machine. Browser tools need nothing but a laptop and a connection.
Training and time
Manual tools carry a steep learning curve and hours of hands-on classification per dataset. Even AI-assisted services acknowledge significant manual finishing: Rock frames it as the "40-hour problem".
Turnaround
A done-for-you service adds days of waiting. A self-serve automated run finishes in under an hour.
For the small, frequent jobs that dominate real usage, those hidden costs usually outweigh the sticker price, which is where automated per-hectare processing pulls ahead.
Which is right for you
Choose Lidarvisor
If you want to run processing yourself, pay only for the area you process, get every output without extra fees, and skip licences, workstations and specialist training.
Choose a subscription or licence
If you process very high volumes every year, where a flat annual fee or an owned licence eventually costs less per hectare, and you have in-house expertise.
Choose a done-for-you service
If you would rather hand the work off entirely and pay for someone else to deliver it.
Common questions
Is there a free way to try it?
Yes. Lidarvisor includes a free Freemium tier that processes up to 50 hectares, with every output available, so you can run a real job before paying anything.
Do I need a powerful computer?
No. Processing runs in the cloud and the interface runs in your browser, so a standard laptop is enough. Desktop suites, by contrast, need a workstation-class machine.
How accurate is automated classification?
No platform is perfect on every dataset. Lidarvisor uses a 34-class AI model and lets you review edge cases; competitors that publish figures cite automated accuracy in the 70 to 80% range, with manual finishing for the rest.
Can I use data from any LiDAR sensor?
Yes. Lidarvisor works with standard LAS and LAZ files from any sensor or drone, so you are not tied to a particular hardware brand.
When does a subscription or desktop licence make more sense?
At very high, steady annual volumes, where a flat fee or an owned licence eventually costs less per hectare, and where you already have trained staff and hardware in place.
See what Lidarvisor would cost for your work
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Open the pricing calculatorPrices and features for other tools are indicative, from public sources and competitive analysis as of August 2026, and change over time. Verify current details with each vendor.