Comparison · Scan to plan and scan to BIM
Neurones 3D vs Cintoo
Looking for a Cintoo 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.
Cintoo is a cloud platform for managing, visualising, sharing and enriching laser scan and reality capture data, streamed in the browser as meshes. It is sold in a BIM Edition, a Twin Edition and a 360 Edition add-on.
By Dr. Florent Poux, maker of Neurones 3D · Cintoo's facts from Cintoo's own documentation, checked
The short answer
Choose Neurones 3D when the data must stay on your own machine, when you need to register, classify and turn scans into floor plans, DXF drawings, terrain models or contours yourself, and when you would rather buy software once than subscribe. Choose Cintoo when the work is sharing already registered scans across a wider team in the browser, comparing them with Revit, Navisworks or IFC models, and connecting that data to Autodesk Construction Cloud, Procore or ArcGIS. The two can sit side by side: process and draw in Neurones 3D, share through a platform such as Cintoo.
At a glance
| Neurones 3D | Cintoo | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) | Web browser; Windows for Cintoo Connect and Cintoo Workspace |
| Where it runs | desktop | cloud |
| Licence | free viewer + one-time paid editions | subscription (BIM Edition, Twin Edition; 360 Edition as an add-on) |
| Price | Free viewer; paid editions bought once, no subscription | price on request source |
| Free use | The free viewer opens, views and runs every process; writing results out needs a paid edition | Cintoo Workspace is free for a single user; 30-day free trial |
Feature by feature
"Not stated" means we could not find it in Cintoo's documentation, not that it is missing. Each of Cintoo's cells links to where we read it.
| Capability | Neurones 3D | Cintoo |
|---|---|---|
| Runs fully offline | YesNo account, no internet connection, no telemetry | NoCloud-based platform; Cintoo Workspace can only be used while online and connected to a Cintoo account source |
| One-time licence available | YesBought once; no subscription | Not stated |
| Opens LAS/LAZ and E57 | YesLAS, LAZ, COPC, E57, PLY, PCD and more; a 127.8 M point E57 opens in about 22 s | In the cloudUploads E57, RCP, LAS and LAZ to the Cintoo platform; exports E57, RCP/RCS and POD source |
| Scan registration | PartlyCloud-to-cloud alignment (ICP and graph matching, no initial placement needed), RMS shown with the inlier share | NoCintoo states it is not a point cloud registration tool; scans are registered before upload source |
| AI point cloud classification | YesFour trained models ship in every build: indoor, aerial LiDAR, powerline, streetscape; a confidence per point | In the cloudCintoo AI detects and classifies selected assets and geometric features: equipment, safety-related objects, pipes and planar surfaces source |
| Segmentation | YesUnsupervised segmentation, primitive decomposition, components, rooms | Not stated |
| Automatic floor plans | YesAutomatic, dimensioned, with sections and elevations | Not stated |
| DXF / CAD drawings | YesDXF R2000, SVG and PDF; no DWG | Not stated |
| DTM / DSM | YesDTM, DSM, CHM, slope, aspect, hillshade on one grid | Not stated |
| Contour lines | YesContours that cannot cross | Not stated |
| Change detection | YesM3C2 with a 95 % level of detection; cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-BIM deviation | In the cloudScan-to-BIM deviation and comparison of scans captured on different dates source |
| Meshing | YesPoisson and clean meshing; the clean mesh is closed, not edge-manifold | In the cloudPoint clouds converted to meshes by TurboMesh on the platform source |
| Gaussian splats | YesOpens PLY and SPZ splats, converts them to points, meshes them; does not train splats | Add-on360 Edition add-on renders 360 captures as Gaussian splats in the platform source |
| Reports | YesSelf-contained HTML reports with provenance | In the cloudPDF reports and construction progress tracking in the web platform source |
| Scripting / SDK | YesEngine & SDK edition: Python package and headless command line | YesAPIs and SDKs; Cintoo Streaming SDK and Unreal/Unity plug-ins at no cost source |
Where Neurones 3D is stronger
- Runs fully offline on a Windows PC with no account; Cintoo is a cloud platform that needs a connection
- Registers scans itself with cloud-to-cloud alignment; Cintoo expects scans registered before upload
- Produces dimensioned floor plans, DXF drawings, DTM/DSM and contours, which Cintoo does not document
- Bought once with no subscription; a free viewer opens, views and runs every process
- AI classification runs locally with four trained models and a confidence per point, with no upload
Where Cintoo is stronger
- A shared web platform where many users and partners view the same scans, BIM and 360 data without installing software
- Built-in connections to Autodesk Construction Cloud, Procore, Power BI and ArcGIS Enterprise, plus a Revit plug-in and a VR app
- Imports BIM and CAD models (RVT, NWD, IFC, DWG, DGN and more) to compare against scans; Neurones 3D compares clouds against BIM meshes and does not document native RVT or NWD import
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 Cintoo: Teams that want registered scans, BIM models and 360 captures in one shared web platform with scan-to-BIM comparison and connections to Autodesk Construction Cloud, Procore and ArcGIS.
Questions
Is Cintoo free?
Cintoo: price on request. Free use: Cintoo Workspace is free for a single user; 30-day free trial. Neurones 3D’s free viewer opens, views and runs every process; writing results out needs a paid edition bought once.
Does Cintoo work offline?
Cintoo: no. Cloud-based platform; Cintoo Workspace can only be used while online and connected to a Cintoo account. Neurones 3D: yes. No account, no internet connection, no telemetry.
Can Cintoo classify point clouds with AI?
Cintoo: in the cloud. Cintoo AI detects and classifies selected assets and geometric features: equipment, safety-related objects, pipes and planar surfaces. Neurones 3D: yes. Four trained models ship in every build: indoor, aerial LiDAR, powerline, streetscape; a confidence per point.
Does Cintoo support Gaussian splats?
Cintoo: add-on. 360 Edition add-on renders 360 captures as Gaussian splats in the platform. Neurones 3D: yes. Opens PLY and SPZ splats, converts them to points, meshes them; does not train splats.
What is the best alternative to Cintoo?
Choose Neurones 3D when the data must stay on your own machine, when you need to register, classify and turn scans into floor plans, DXF drawings, terrain models or contours yourself, and when you would rather buy software once than subscribe. Choose Cintoo when the work is sharing already registered scans across a wider team in the browser, comparing them with Revit, Navisworks or IFC models, and connecting that data to Autodesk Construction Cloud, Procore or ArcGIS. The two can sit side by side: process and draw in Neurones 3D, share through a platform such as Cintoo.
How this comparison was made
Written by the maker of Neurones 3D, so read it as such. Cintoo's column comes only from Cintoo'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: