Agisoft Metashape vs QGIS Comparison
Compare Agisoft Metashape vs QGIS features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Agisoft Metashape
6.3/10
Desktop photogrammetry software that turns drone, aerial and close-range photos into point clouds, meshes, DEMs and orthomosaics for surveying and mapping.
QGIS
7/10
QGIS is a free, open source desktop GIS. Organisations use it to view, edit, analyse and map spatial data, including vector, raster, mesh and point cloud layers.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.3/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 10/10 |
| Customization | 8/10 | 9/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | Free QGIS (open source) |
| Features | ||
| LiDAR Processing | ||
| Drone Inspection | Not listed | |
| GIS and Mapping | Not listed | |
| Work Orders | Not listed | |
Agisoft Metashape vs QGIS cost by team size
| Team size | Agisoft Metashape | QGIS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | Contact for pricing | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | FreeQGIS (open source) |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Agisoft Metashape
- Higher Ease of Use score (6/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Scalability score (7/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose QGIS
- Has a free plan (Agisoft Metashape does not)
- Higher Analytics score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Cost score (10/10 vs 8/10)
- Better fit for education (9/10 vs 7/10)
Pros & Cons
Agisoft Metashape
Pros
- Perpetual licenses avoid subscriptions: Standard is $179 and Professional is $3,499 as a one-time cost.
- Reviewers praise the quality of its DEMs and orthomosaics.
- The Python and Java API allows automated, customized processing pipelines.
- Network processing spreads large projects across multiple local nodes.
- Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- Moving from PhotoScan to Metashape was free, and Standard licenses can be upgraded.
Cons
- Users report long processing times and difficult troubleshooting.
- Automatic GCP target detection sometimes fails.
- Some users find textures messier than in competing tools.
- There are no asset management, work order or inspection reporting workflows.
- The online store currently accepts only wire transfer, ACH or SEPA.
- Support is mainly email and forum based.
QGIS
Pros
- No licence fees on any number of seats, under the GPLv2+ open source licence.
- Python and C++ plugins let teams add custom tools and database connectors such as PostGIS.
- It reads many data formats and standard web services, which makes it easy to connect to existing data.
- Its print layout, atlas and report tools suit organisations that produce a lot of maps.
- It loads LAS, LAZ and virtual point cloud datasets with classification-based rendering.
Cons
- Capterra reviewers report slow performance, freezes and crashes on heavy workloads.
- Newcomers describe a steep learning curve and say installation can be difficult.
- There is no vendor-backed support contract; help comes from the community or third-party providers.
- It cannot edit point clouds and has no asset maintenance features such as work orders.
- Some reviewers say it lacks tools that ArcGIS Pro offers.
Not sold on either?
Air Inspection Automation (AiA)Our product
Plans DJI drone inspection missions for power line towers from LiDAR scans: it finds the towers, places photo stops, checks clearance, and splits the route into battery flights.
Made by the team behind b stack radar. Shown here because it fits this topic. It is not part of our rankings. How we rank tools
Frequently Asked Questions
QGIS scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 7/10 against 6.3/10 for Agisoft Metashape. The largest gap is in Analytics: 6/10 for Agisoft Metashape and 8/10 for QGIS.
QGIS has a free plan; Agisoft Metashape does not list one.
QGIS is the better fit for education: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 7/10 for Agisoft Metashape.
