Comparison · Aerial and drone LiDAR, GIS and photogrammetry
Neurones 3D vs Terrasolid
Looking for a Terrasolid 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.
Terrasolid is a Finnish suite of LiDAR and image applications (TerraScan, TerraModeler, TerraMatch, TerraPhoto, TerraSplat) that run inside the Bentley or Spatix CAD platforms. TerraScan classifies and vectorises point clouds; the other applications add surfaces, strip adjustment and imagery.
By Dr. Florent Poux, maker of Neurones 3D · Terrasolid's facts from Terrasolid Ltd's own documentation, checked
The short answer
Choose Neurones 3D if you want one offline Windows application that classifies aerial LiDAR with trained models, builds DTM, DSM and contours, measures change with M3C2 and writes DXF, without buying several modules or running a CAD platform underneath. Choose Terrasolid if your team produces airborne or mobile mapping data at scale inside Bentley or Spatix CAD, and needs strip adjustment, calibration, imagery and vectorisation from a single vendor’s long-standing toolchain.
At a glance
| Neurones 3D | Terrasolid | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) | Runs inside a CAD platform: Bentley (MicroStation) or Spatix |
| Where it runs | desktop | plugin |
| Licence | free viewer + one-time paid editions | perpetual licence with annual maintenance, or annual subscription, per application |
| Price | Free viewer; paid editions bought once, no subscription | TerraScan 5,700 € perpetual (maintenance 855 € a year) or 1,710 € a year; TerraModeler 3,600 € perpetual or 1,080 € a year (net prices, VAT 0 %) source |
| Free use | The free viewer opens, views and runs every process; writing results out needs a paid edition | Not stated on the pages read |
Feature by feature
"Not stated" means we could not find it in Terrasolid Ltd's documentation, not that it is missing. Each of Terrasolid's cells links to where we read it.
| Capability | Neurones 3D | Terrasolid |
|---|---|---|
| Runs fully offline | YesNo account, no internet connection, no telemetry | Not stated |
| One-time licence available | YesBought once; no subscription | YesPerpetual licences, e.g. TerraScan 5,700 € plus optional maintenance 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 | YesLAS and LAZ; E57 import of points, scanner positions and images added in 026.003 (January 2026) source |
| Scan registration | PartlyCloud-to-cloud alignment (ICP and graph matching, no initial placement needed), RMS shown with the inlier share | Add-onTerraMatch, a separate product, does strip adjustment by surface matching or tie lines source |
| AI point cloud classification | YesFour trained models ship in every build: indoor, aerial LiDAR, powerline, streetscape; a confidence per point | YesTrain a model, then classify point groups with a trained or library model (025.007) source |
| Segmentation | YesUnsupervised segmentation, primitive decomposition, components, rooms | YesPoint groups are classified as units (Group commands) source |
| Automatic floor plans | YesAutomatic, dimensioned, with sections and elevations | Not stated |
| DXF / CAD drawings | YesDXF R2000, SVG and PDF; no DWG | YesRuns inside a CAD platform; building models and power line vectors are drawn as CAD elements source |
| DTM / DSM | YesDTM, DSM, CHM, slope, aspect, hillshade on one grid | Add-onSurface models (TINs) are built in TerraModeler, a separate product source |
| Contour lines | YesContours that cannot cross | Add-onMathematical and cartographic contours in TerraModeler source |
| Change detection | YesM3C2 with a 95 % level of detection; cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-BIM deviation | PartlyClass difference colouring between two classifications; elevation and volume differences between surfaces in TerraModeler source |
| Meshing | YesPoisson and clean meshing; the clean mesh is closed, not edge-manifold | Add-onTIN surface models in TerraModeler source |
| Gaussian splats | YesOpens PLY and SPZ splats, converts them to points, meshes them; does not train splats | PartlyTerraScan merges splat information into a point cloud; TerraSplat, a separate product, displays PLY splats; neither trains splats source |
| Reports | YesSelf-contained HTML reports with provenance | YesOutput Control Report and other report tools source |
| Scripting / SDK | YesEngine & SDK edition: Python package and headless command line | YesMacros, which can also run outside TerraScan on other workstations source |
Where Neurones 3D is stronger
- A standalone Windows application: no CAD platform is needed underneath it.
- Classification, terrain, contours and meshing come in one purchase; Terrasolid sells TerraScan (5,700 €) and TerraModeler (3,600 €) separately, each with its own maintenance fee.
- M3C2 change detection with a 95 % level of detection, plus cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-BIM deviation; Terrasolid documents class difference colouring and surface differences.
- Opens PLY and SPZ Gaussian splats and converts them to points and meshes in the same application.
Where Terrasolid is stronger
- Strip adjustment and system calibration for airborne and mobile laser data (TerraMatch); N3D’s registration is cloud-to-cloud only.
- A long-established production workflow inside Bentley and Spatix CAD, with automatic building models and power line vectorisation.
- Perpetual, annual, six-month and two-month licence options, plus imagery processing in TerraPhoto.
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 Terrasolid: Airborne and mobile mapping production teams that already work in a Bentley or Spatix CAD environment and need strip adjustment, calibration and vectorisation.
Questions
Is Terrasolid free?
Terrasolid: TerraScan 5,700 € perpetual (maintenance 855 € a year) or 1,710 € a year; TerraModeler 3,600 € perpetual or 1,080 € a year (net prices, VAT 0 %). Free use: Not stated on the pages read. Neurones 3D’s free viewer opens, views and runs every process; writing results out needs a paid edition bought once.
Can Terrasolid classify point clouds with AI?
Terrasolid: yes. Train a model, then classify point groups with a trained or library model (025.007). Neurones 3D: yes. Four trained models ship in every build: indoor, aerial LiDAR, powerline, streetscape; a confidence per point.
Does Terrasolid support Gaussian splats?
Terrasolid: partly. TerraScan merges splat information into a point cloud; TerraSplat, a separate product, displays PLY splats; neither trains splats. Neurones 3D: yes. Opens PLY and SPZ splats, converts them to points, meshes them; does not train splats.
What is the best alternative to Terrasolid?
Choose Neurones 3D if you want one offline Windows application that classifies aerial LiDAR with trained models, builds DTM, DSM and contours, measures change with M3C2 and writes DXF, without buying several modules or running a CAD platform underneath. Choose Terrasolid if your team produces airborne or mobile mapping data at scale inside Bentley or Spatix CAD, and needs strip adjustment, calibration, imagery and vectorisation from a single vendor’s long-standing toolchain.
How this comparison was made
Written by the maker of Neurones 3D, so read it as such. Terrasolid's column comes only from Terrasolid Ltd'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: