Comparison · Aerial and drone LiDAR, GIS and photogrammetry
Neurones 3D vs RealityScan
Looking for a RealityScan 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.
RealityScan, the desktop application formerly called RealityCapture, is Epic Games’ photogrammetry software. It builds 3D models from images, terrestrial and aerial laser scans and SLAM data, with a command line interface for automation.
By Dr. Florent Poux, maker of Neurones 3D · RealityScan's facts from Epic Games's own documentation, checked
The short answer
Choose Neurones 3D if you need to analyse point clouds rather than reconstruct them: trained classification, terrain, contours, M3C2 change detection and dimensioned plans, offline with no account, bought once. Choose RealityScan if you build detailed meshes from photos, laser scans and SLAM data for visualisation, games, VFX or heritage, especially if your firm is under the $1 million USD revenue threshold and can use it free.
At a glance
| Neurones 3D | RealityScan | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) | Windows (Linux support announced) |
| Where it runs | desktop | desktop |
| Licence | free viewer + one-time paid editions | free below US $1 million annual revenue; yearly seats above it |
| Price | Free viewer; paid editions bought once, no subscription | Free under $1 million USD annual gross revenue and for education; otherwise $1,250 per seat per year source |
| Free use | The free viewer opens, views and runs every process; writing results out needs a paid edition | Free for individuals and businesses under $1 million USD in revenue, educational institutions and students |
Feature by feature
"Not stated" means we could not find it in Epic Games's documentation, not that it is missing. Each of RealityScan's cells links to where we read it.
| Capability | Neurones 3D | RealityScan |
|---|---|---|
| Runs fully offline | YesNo account, no internet connection, no telemetry | Not statedAn Epic Games account is required to install; an offline installer is available to subscribers |
| One-time licence available | YesBought once; no subscription | NoAbove the revenue threshold, seats are bought per year 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 | PartlyImports laser scans, aerial LiDAR and classified LAS/LAZ; E57 is not confirmed on the pages read source |
| Scan registration | PartlyCloud-to-cloud alignment (ICP and graph matching, no initial placement needed), RMS shown with the inlier share | YesCombines images, terrestrial laser scans, aerial LiDAR and SLAM data in one project source |
| AI point cloud classification | YesFour trained models ship in every build: indoor, aerial LiDAR, powerline, streetscape; a confidence per point | Not statedAI masking segments images; classified point clouds are imported, not produced |
| 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 statedOrthographic projections and maps are described; DSM and DTM are not named |
| 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 | Not stated |
| Meshing | YesPoisson and clean meshing; the clean mesh is closed, not edge-manifold | YesMeshes from images and laser scans, with selective meshing by class source |
| Gaussian splats | YesOpens PLY and SPZ splats, converts them to points, meshes them; does not train splats | Not stated |
| Reports | YesSelf-contained HTML reports with provenance | YesTemplating system generates reports from projects source |
| Scripting / SDK | YesEngine & SDK edition: Python package and headless command line | YesCommand line interface, with REST and gRPC samples source |
Where Neurones 3D is stronger
- Classifies point clouds itself, with four trained models and a confidence per point; RealityScan imports clouds that were classified elsewhere.
- No account needed to install or run; RealityScan cannot be installed without an Epic Games account.
- Paid editions are bought once; above $1 million USD revenue, RealityScan costs $1,250 per seat per year.
Where RealityScan is stronger
- Photogrammetry-grade meshes and textures from images, laser scans and SLAM data in one project; N3D does not process photos.
- Free for individuals and businesses under $1 million USD in revenue, and for education.
- Automation through a documented CLI, templated reports and REST and gRPC samples.
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 RealityScan: 3D artists, VFX, heritage and survey teams who need high-detail meshes from photos and laser scans, especially small firms under the free revenue threshold.
Questions
Is RealityScan free?
RealityScan: Free under $1 million USD annual gross revenue and for education; otherwise $1,250 per seat per year. Free use: Free for individuals and businesses under $1 million USD in revenue, educational institutions and students. Neurones 3D’s free viewer opens, views and runs every process; writing results out needs a paid edition bought once.
What is the best alternative to RealityScan?
Choose Neurones 3D if you need to analyse point clouds rather than reconstruct them: trained classification, terrain, contours, M3C2 change detection and dimensioned plans, offline with no account, bought once. Choose RealityScan if you build detailed meshes from photos, laser scans and SLAM data for visualisation, games, VFX or heritage, especially if your firm is under the $1 million USD revenue threshold and can use it free.
How this comparison was made
Written by the maker of Neurones 3D, so read it as such. RealityScan's column comes only from Epic Games'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:
- www.realityscan.com/en-US
- www.realityscan.com/en-US/license
- www.realityscan.com/en-US/news/realityscan-20-new-release-brings-powerful-new-features-to-a-rebranded-realitycapture
- www.realityscan.com/en-US/news/realityscan-2-1-is-now-available
- www.realityscan.com/en-US/news/realityscan-2-2-is-here-with-full-amd-gpu-support-download-today
- dev.epicgames.com/documentation/realityscan/getting-realityscan