Carlson Scan vs Pointly Comparison
Compare Carlson Scan vs Pointly features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Carlson Scan
4.8/10
Windows software that runs Carlson's laser scanners and borehole tools to capture, mesh and measure underground voids, stopes and boreholes for mining and civil surveyors.
Pointly
6.8/10
Pointly is AI software from Berlin that classifies large LiDAR point clouds and extracts vector objects for utilities, railways, mapping agencies and surveyors.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | C Carlson Scan | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 4.8/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Integration | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 4/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 4/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | €99/mo Professional S |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | Free Free |
| Features | ||
| LiDAR Processing | ||
| Digital Twin | Not listed | |
| Drone Inspection | Not listed | |
| Inspection Automation | Not listed | |
| Offline Field App | Not listed | |
| Power Line Inspection | Not listed | |
Carlson Scan vs Pointly cost by team size
| Team size | Carlson Scan | Pointly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | FreeFree |
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?
CWhy choose Carlson Scan
Our data shows no clear advantage over Pointly.
Why choose Pointly
- Has a free plan (Carlson Scan does not)
- Higher Scalability score (9/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 4/10)
Pros & Cons
CCarlson Scan
Pros
- Shows the point cloud and mesh live during a scan, so crews can check coverage before they leave the site.
- Calculates closed surfaces and volumes on the spot, which suits stope and void reconciliation.
- Processes data on the device, so it works underground with no internet connection.
- The license allows installation on any number of tablets, and version updates have been free for hardware owners.
- Exports to E57, LAS, PTS and DXF for use in CAD and blast design tools.
Cons
- Works only with Carlson's own scanners and probes, so it cannot be bought or used on its own.
- Older C-ALS Mk3 and original Void Scanner units cannot move past legacy version 1.3.6.
- There is no public pricing, and the hardware must be quoted through sales or dealers.
- Almost no independent user reviews were found, which makes it hard to compare against rivals.
- Runs on Windows only.
Pointly
Pros
- Monthly prices are published, from 99 euros for 500 million points, and there is a free tier for testing
- Pointly Box allows on-premise and air-gapped processing for data-sensitive operators
- It holds ISO 27001 certification, and cloud processing defaults to EU data centers on Azure
- Custom classifiers can be trained on a customer's own class catalog
- There are extensions for Esri ArcGIS and Bentley MicroStation, and it exports in many formats
Cons
- It only covers classification, with no asset management, work orders or maintenance tools
- Vectorization and custom classifier training are quoted per project, not list-price items
- There are few independent user reviews on G2, Capterra or Reddit
- The pricing page has a yearly billing toggle but shows no annual prices
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
Pointly scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 6.8/10 against 4.8/10 for Carlson Scan. The largest gap is in Scalability: 4/10 for Carlson Scan and 9/10 for Pointly.
Pointly has a free plan; Carlson Scan does not list one.
