FARO SCENE vs QGIS Comparison
Compare FARO SCENE vs QGIS features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
FARO SCENE
5.5/10
Windows desktop software for registering, processing, colorizing and viewing 3D laser scan point clouds, mainly from FARO Focus, Orbis, Swift and Freestyle scanners.
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 | F FARO SCENE | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.5/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 4/10 | 10/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 8/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free Trial | Free QGIS (open source) |
| Features | ||
| LiDAR Processing | ||
| GIS and Mapping | Not listed | |
| Work Orders | Not listed | |
FARO SCENE vs QGIS cost by team size
FARO SCENE and QGIS cost the same at every team size we checked.
| Team size | FARO SCENE | QGIS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree Trial | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 5 users | FreeFree Trial | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 10 users | FreeFree Trial | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 25 users | FreeFree Trial | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 50 users | FreeFree Trial | 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?
FWhy choose FARO SCENE
- Higher Support score (6/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (6/10 vs 5/10)
Why choose QGIS
- Higher Cost score (10/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Analytics score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for government (9/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
FFARO SCENE
Pros
- Hybrid registration combines cloud-to-cloud, target-based and survey-control methods in one workflow.
- Reads data natively from FARO Focus, Swift, Orbis, Freestyle 2 and Blink scanners.
- Automatically detects spheres, checkerboards, coded markers and natural features such as planes and corners.
- The free SCENE 2go viewer lets clients open a project without installing anything.
- Updated actively, with version 2026.1 released in May 2026.
Cons
- FARO publishes no list prices, and you need ongoing maintenance or a subscription to get new versions.
- No machine learning classification, and deep GD&T or tolerance analysis needs extra tools such as PolyWorks.
- Third-party scanner data is supported, but the workflow is less smooth than with FARO devices.
- Windows only, needs a powerful workstation, and new users face a learning curve.
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 5.5/10 for FARO SCENE. The largest gap is in Cost: 4/10 for FARO SCENE and 10/10 for QGIS.
Both are free for 10 users.
Yes, both FARO SCENE and QGIS have a free plan.
QGIS is the better fit for government: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 6/10 for FARO SCENE.
