Comparison · Laser scanning and survey suites
Neurones 3D vs Bentley iTwin Capture
Looking for a Bentley iTwin Capture alternative? Neurones 3D is free, offline point cloud and Gaussian splatting software for Windows: the free viewer runs every process, from AI classification to dimensioned floor plans, and a one-time paid edition saves the results.
iTwin Capture is Bentley Systems’ reality modelling family: the free Modeler Flex desktop app, the on-premises iTwin Capture Engine, iTwin Capture Manage & Extract for data management and feature extraction, and iTwin Capture Cloud Services. It turns photos, video and LiDAR into reality meshes, Gaussian splats, orthophotos and elevation models.
By Dr. Florent Poux, maker of Neurones 3D · Bentley iTwin Capture's facts from Bentley Systems's own documentation, checked
The short answer
Choose Neurones 3D when you start from point clouds and need classification, floor plans, contours, change detection and reports in one offline desktop application bought once. Choose Bentley iTwin Capture when your input is drone or ground imagery and the deliverable is a reality mesh, Gaussian splat or true orthophoto, especially at city scale, or when your organisation already works in Bentley’s iTwin environment and needs cloud processing and shared reality data management.
At a glance
| Neurones 3D | Bentley iTwin Capture | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) | Windows 11 (x64), Windows Server 2022 (x64) |
| Where it runs | desktop | desktop |
| Licence | free viewer + one-time paid editions | 12-month Virtuoso subscription (Engine, WorkSuite); Cloud Services by quote; Modeler Flex free |
| Price | Free viewer; paid editions bought once, no subscription | iTwin Capture Engine from €4,095.00 EUR (12-month Virtuoso subscription); iTwin Capture WorkSuite from €5,115.00 EUR (12-month Virtuoso subscription); Cloud Services: price on request source |
| Free use | The free viewer opens, views and runs every process; writing results out needs a paid edition | iTwin Capture Modeler Flex is free for import, preparation and measuring; Manage & Extract has a free trial |
Feature by feature
"Not stated" means we could not find it in Bentley Systems's documentation, not that it is missing. Each of Bentley iTwin Capture's cells links to where we read it.
| Capability | Neurones 3D | Bentley iTwin Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Runs fully offline | YesNo account, no internet connection, no telemetry | YesiTwin Capture Engine processes on-premises and, per Bentley, can run completely offline; AI analysis is in Cloud Services source |
| One-time licence available | YesBought once; no subscription | Not statedThe published prices are 12-month subscriptions; other licensing options on request source |
| Opens LAS/LAZ and E57 | YesLAS, LAZ, COPC, E57, PLY, PCD and more; a 127.8 M point E57 opens in about 22 s | PartlyLAS, LAZ, OPC and POD listed as LiDAR inputs; E57 is not listed source |
| Scan registration | PartlyCloud-to-cloud alignment (ICP and graph matching, no initial placement needed), RMS shown with the inlier share | Not statedAerotriangulation and bundle adjustment of images are documented; scan-to-scan registration is not stated |
| AI point cloud classification | YesFour trained models ship in every build: indoor, aerial LiDAR, powerline, streetscape; a confidence per point | Add-onAI feature extraction and asset classification in iTwin Capture Manage & Extract (WorkSuite) and in Cloud Services source |
| Segmentation | YesUnsupervised segmentation, primitive decomposition, components, rooms | Not statedNot stated on the product pages |
| Automatic floor plans | YesAutomatic, dimensioned, with sections and elevations | Not statedNot stated on the product pages |
| DXF / CAD drawings | YesDXF R2000, SVG and PDF; no DWG | Not statedExport to industry-standard formats is stated; DXF is not named |
| DTM / DSM | YesDTM, DSM, CHM, slope, aspect, hillshade on one grid | YesDigital elevation models, automated ground extraction and terrain models from iTwin Capture Engine source |
| Contour lines | YesContours that cannot cross | Add-onContour lines in iTwin Capture Manage & Extract (WorkSuite) source |
| Change detection | YesM3C2 with a 95 % level of detection; cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-BIM deviation | Add-onIdentifying changes across reality datasets in iTwin Capture Manage & Extract source |
| Meshing | YesPoisson and clean meshing; the clean mesh is closed, not edge-manifold | YesReality meshes from photos and LiDAR source |
| Gaussian splats | YesOpens PLY and SPZ splats, converts them to points, meshes them; does not train splats | YesiTwin Capture Engine creates Gaussian splats alongside reality meshes source |
| Reports | YesSelf-contained HTML reports with provenance | PartlyAerotriangulation reports source |
| Scripting / SDK | YesEngine & SDK edition: Python package and headless command line | YesFree iTwin Capture SDK to automate processes source |
Where Neurones 3D is stronger
- Bought once with no subscription; iTwin Capture Engine is published at €4,095.00 EUR for a 12-month subscription.
- AI classification, contour lines and change detection are in the one application; at Bentley they sit in Manage & Extract (WorkSuite, from €5,115.00 EUR a year) or in Cloud Services.
- Automatic dimensioned floor plans with sections and elevations, exported to DXF, SVG and PDF; floor plans are not stated for iTwin Capture.
- Opens E57 directly, alongside LAS, LAZ, COPC, PLY and PCD; E57 is not listed among iTwin Capture Engine’s LiDAR inputs.
- M3C2 change detection with a 95 % level of detection, and cloud-to-BIM deviation, in the desktop application.
Where Bentley iTwin Capture is stronger
- Creates reality meshes and Gaussian splats from photos and video, with aerotriangulation and ground control points; Neurones 3D opens splats but does not train them.
- Produces true orthophotos and elevation models from imagery, and scales by running several engines in parallel or in the cloud.
- Manage & Extract adds multi-operator production, GIS and mobile mapping data, and clearance and clash analysis.
Who should choose which
Choose Neurones 3D to take a point cloud or a splat capture to a finished deliverable on your own machine: classified LAS, a dimensioned floor plan with sections and elevations in DXF, a DTM with contours, a change map or a report, without an account, an upload or a subscription. Every figure it publishes is measured; see the benchmarks.
Choose Bentley iTwin Capture: Infrastructure teams turning drone or terrestrial photos and LiDAR into reality meshes, splats and orthophotos at site or city scale.
Questions
Is Bentley iTwin Capture free?
Bentley iTwin Capture: iTwin Capture Engine from €4,095.00 EUR (12-month Virtuoso subscription); iTwin Capture WorkSuite from €5,115.00 EUR (12-month Virtuoso subscription); Cloud Services: price on request. Free use: iTwin Capture Modeler Flex is free for import, preparation and measuring; Manage & Extract has a free trial. Neurones 3D’s free viewer opens, views and runs every process; writing results out needs a paid edition bought once.
Does Bentley iTwin Capture work offline?
Bentley iTwin Capture: yes. iTwin Capture Engine processes on-premises and, per Bentley, can run completely offline; AI analysis is in Cloud Services. Neurones 3D: yes. No account, no internet connection, no telemetry.
Can Bentley iTwin Capture classify point clouds with AI?
Bentley iTwin Capture: add-on. AI feature extraction and asset classification in iTwin Capture Manage & Extract (WorkSuite) and in Cloud Services. Neurones 3D: yes. Four trained models ship in every build: indoor, aerial LiDAR, powerline, streetscape; a confidence per point.
Does Bentley iTwin Capture support Gaussian splats?
Bentley iTwin Capture: yes. iTwin Capture Engine creates Gaussian splats alongside reality meshes. Neurones 3D: yes. Opens PLY and SPZ splats, converts them to points, meshes them; does not train splats.
What is the best alternative to Bentley iTwin Capture?
Choose Neurones 3D when you start from point clouds and need classification, floor plans, contours, change detection and reports in one offline desktop application bought once. Choose Bentley iTwin Capture when your input is drone or ground imagery and the deliverable is a reality mesh, Gaussian splat or true orthophoto, especially at city scale, or when your organisation already works in Bentley’s iTwin environment and needs cloud processing and shared reality data management.
How this comparison was made
Written by the maker of Neurones 3D, so read it as such. Bentley iTwin Capture's column comes only from Bentley Systems's published documentation and listings, read on 2026-09-24; where we found nothing, the cell says "not stated". Neurones 3D's column comes from its own guides, which give the limits too. If something here is wrong or out of date, write to howto@learngeodata.eu and it will be corrected.
Sources: