Agisoft Metashape
Agisoft Metashape is photogrammetry software that processes digital images into 3D spatial data such as dense point clouds, textured meshes, orthomosaics, DEMs, and GIS-ready survey deliverables.
Drone photos and close-range image sets become much more useful when they can be turned into measurable spatial data. Agisoft Metashape gives surveyors, GIS teams, heritage specialists, and AEC modelers a desktop photogrammetry workflow for building point clouds, meshes, orthomosaics, and elevation models from images.
The Professional edition is the version most relevant to construction, infrastructure, and mapping teams. It supports georeferencing, ground control points, DEM and DTM production, orthomosaic export, multispectral workflows, Python scripting, network processing, and outputs that can move into GIS, CAD, and BIM-adjacent tools.
Agisoft's official store lists Metashape Professional at $3,499 and Standard at $179 for node-locked licenses. The licensing page also states that Metashape licenses are not time-limited, which makes it a different buying model from many subscription-based reality capture platforms.
Specifications
Pricing
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Pros and cons
Pros
- Perpetual license model with published node-locked prices for Standard and Professional editions.
- Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with official installers and help documentation.
- Professional edition covers georeferencing, DEMs, orthomosaics, Python scripting, and network processing.
- Strong export options for CAD, GIS, point cloud, raster, and 3D modeling workflows.
Cons
- Professional edition is much more expensive than Standard, and key survey features require Professional.
- Large datasets can require substantial RAM, GPU power, storage, and processing time.
- It creates reality capture outputs rather than full BIM authoring models, so downstream BIM tools may still be needed.
- Floating licenses require reseller or sales contact instead of simple online checkout.
Key features
Photogrammetry processing: Align images, generate dense point clouds, build meshes, add textures, and create spatial outputs from aerial or close-range photo sets.
Survey deliverables: Produce georeferenced orthomosaics, DEMs, DTMs, DSMs, tiled models, and measurement-ready outputs for mapping workflows.
Professional georeferencing: Use ground control points, coordinate systems, camera calibration, and accuracy checks in the Professional edition.
CAD, GIS, and point cloud exports: Export meshes, point clouds, DEMs, and orthomosaics in formats used by mapping, design, and visualization tools.
Automation and scaling: Use Python scripting, GPU acceleration, and network processing in professional workflows.
Pricing
Metashape Professional floating
Contact sales
Floating licenses are available for Professional Edition only and require reseller or sales contact for a quote.
Metashape Standard node-locked
$179.00
Official Agisoft store price for a rehostable node-locked Standard license; verify current pricing before purchase.
Metashape Professional Educational
$549.00
Educational Professional node-locked price listed by Agisoft; restricted to eligible accredited education users and non-commercial use.
Metashape Professional node-locked
$3,499.00
Official Agisoft store price for a rehostable node-locked Professional license; verify current pricing before purchase.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Agisoft Metashape cost?
Agisoft's official online store lists Metashape Standard node-locked at $179 and Metashape Professional node-locked at $3,499. Educational node-locked licenses are listed at $59 for Standard and $549 for Professional, while floating Professional licenses require reseller or sales contact for a quote.
Does Agisoft Metashape work on Mac, Windows, and Linux?
Yes. Agisoft installation documentation provides downloads and instructions for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Debian or Ubuntu Linux. The official hardware recommendations state that Metashape can run on Windows, Linux, and macOS systems.
What formats can Agisoft Metashape export for CAD, GIS, and BIM-adjacent workflows?
Agisoft documentation lists DEM exports such as GeoTIFF, Arc/Info ASCII Grid, XYZ, KMZ, tile packages, and MBTiles. Orthomosaic exports include TIFF or GeoTIFF, JPEG2000, JPEG, PNG, BMP, KMZ, MBTiles, and tile packages, while the manual describes mesh and point cloud outputs for CAD and 3D modeling workflows.
Can Agisoft Metashape create orthomosaics and elevation models from drone photos?
Yes. Metashape Professional can create georeferenced orthomosaics and digital elevation models from aerial imagery, with export workflows for GIS applications. Agisoft's help article for aerial data processing documents the main steps and export formats for DEM and orthomosaic outputs.
Agisoft Metashape Standard vs Professional: which edition fits AEC survey work?
Metashape Standard is a lower-cost edition for basic photogrammetry and 3D model creation. Metashape Professional is the better fit for survey and AEC workflows because it includes georeferencing, DEM and orthomosaic features, Python scripting, network processing, and professional export options.
Who uses Agisoft Metashape in AEC?
Metashape is used by surveyors, drone mapping teams, GIS specialists, BIM modelers, architects documenting existing buildings, and heritage teams. In AEC, its outputs are commonly used as point cloud, mesh, orthomosaic, DEM, or map inputs for further analysis and modeling.