3-GIS vs Scanifly (2026): Pricing, Features & Verdict
3-GIS is our pick, scoring 6.4/10 against 5.7/10 for Scanifly on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria. Its biggest advantage: higher Security score (7/10 vs 4/10). Neither 3-GIS nor Scanifly lists a free plan.
Last updated: November 2026
3-GIS
6.4/10
3-GIS sells GIS-based network management software that telecom operators and electric and gas utilities use to plan, design, record, inspect and maintain fiber and utility networks.
Scanifly
5.7/10
Solar PV design and field operations software that turns drone imagery and remote imagery into 3D models, shading analysis and permit-ready designs for solar installers.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.4/10 | 5.7/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Engineering Design | ||
| Inspection Checklists | ||
| Asset Registry | Not listed | |
| Drone Inspection | Not listed | |
| Engineering Simulation | Not listed | |
| GIS and Mapping | Not listed | |
| Offline Field App | Not listed | |
| Work Orders | Not listed | |
Who 3-GIS and Scanifly suit
Scanifly fits small business and energy companies better than 3-GIS.
| Audience | 3-GIS | Scanifly |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | 3/10Quote-only pricing, implementation services and a reliance on the Esri ecosystem make it heavy for very small operators. | 6/10Its few G2 reviews come from small installers, but quote-only pricing and the cost of a drone program add overhead. |
| Energy Companies | 7/10Electric and gas network operators are a stated target market, though the products focus on network records rather than generation assets. | 9/10It is built specifically for solar PV installers and designers, covering sales, survey, design and install. |
| Field Teams | 8/10The Mobile and MIMS apps let crews redline, inspect, take photos and trace outages offline, then sync back to the office. | 7/10The free mobile app gives surveyors checklists and photo annotation, and drone flights replace manual roof measurement. |
| Construction | Not rated | 7/10Solar contractors use it to cut roof climbs, measure sites and produce plan sets and racking layouts. |
| Drone Service Providers | Not rated | 5/10Any geo-tagged drone imagery works, but the product is tied to solar design rather than general drone services. |
| Engineering Firms | 6/10Fiber design contractors can use the design and work-packet tools, with contractor access managed in Admin. | Not rated |
| Enterprise | 8/10The vendor cites deployments with thousands of users and more than 500 million network records, and offers role-based administration and APIs for OSS/BSS integration. | Not rated |
| Utilities | 9/10The utility products cover Esri Utility Network editing, mobile inspections, work management and pole attachment management for electric and gas networks. | Not rated |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose 3-GIS
- Higher Security score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Customization score (7/10 vs 5/10)
Why choose Scanifly
- Higher Analytics score (6/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for small business (6/10 vs 3/10)
- Better fit for energy companies (9/10 vs 7/10)
Pros & Cons
3-GIS
Pros
- One web system covers the fiber lifecycle: planning in Prospector, design and work packets, strand-level tracing, and operations reporting.
- The Mobile app supports offline work on iOS and Android, and syncs crew redlines, photos and asset updates back to the central record.
- The utility products build on Esri ArcGIS and Utility Network, which suits utilities already invested in Esri.
- Customers can choose between SaaS and on-premises deployment, and the company displays an ISO 27001 badge from A-LIGN.
- Capterra reviewers praise the support team and the ability to configure the software to their needs, giving customer service a 4.4 sub-score.
Cons
- No public pricing, and implementation and data migration services add to total cost; Capterra users scored value for money at 3.9.
- Capterra reviewers report lag and slow navigation at times.
- Users coming from ArcGIS say they miss some ArcGIS features in the 3-GIS interface.
- Only a handful of independent reviews are public, so peer evidence is limited.
- Few turnkey OMS, ADMS or SCADA connectors are documented; deeper integrations rely on APIs or services.
- The November 2026 acquisition by SAM adds some roadmap uncertainty.
Scanifly
Pros
- DroneDesign builds a measured 3D model from any GPS-equipped drone, which suits installers who want as-built accuracy over satellite estimates.
- Shading reports are accepted by several state programs and lenders, including NYSERDA, MassCEC, CEC and Austin Energy.
- A direct API integration with IronRidge Design Assistant (January 2026) sends panel layouts into racking design without redrawing.
- Remote prelim designs and drone-based final designs live in one tool, along with a free mobile survey app.
- Product updates ship regularly, such as web-editable checklists and photo albums inside the 3D scene in 2026.
Cons
- No public subscription pricing, so buyers must book a demo to get a quote.
- DroneDesign needs your own drone and a certified pilot, or an outsourced survey that costs extra and takes 3 to 5 business days.
- Reviewers report no native 8,760-hour yield simulation, branded proposals, CRM or financing portal.
- There are very few independent user reviews; G2 lists about two, and Capterra appears to have no listing.
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
3-GIS scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 6.4/10 against 5.7/10 for Scanifly. The largest gap is in Security: 7/10 for 3-GIS and 4/10 for Scanifly.
No, neither 3-GIS nor Scanifly lists a free plan.
Scanifly is the better fit for small business: we rate it 6/10 for them, against 3/10 for 3-GIS.
