Agisoft Metashape vs Litchi (2026): Pricing, Features & Verdict
Agisoft Metashape is our pick, scoring 6.3/10 against 4.8/10 for Litchi on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria. Its biggest advantage: higher Analytics score (6/10 vs 2/10). Only Litchi has a free plan.
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.
Litchi
4.8/10
Autonomous flight and waypoint mission planning apps for DJI drones, used by solo pilots and small operators for repeatable aerial capture and inspection flights.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.3/10 | 4.8/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 4/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 3/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 10/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 2/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 3/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | Free Litchi Hub |
| Features | ||
| Drone Inspection | ||
| LiDAR Processing | Not listed | |
| Offline Field App | Not listed | |
Agisoft Metashape vs Litchi cost by team size
| Team size | Agisoft Metashape | Litchi |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | Contact for pricing | FreeLitchi Hub |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | FreeLitchi Hub |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | FreeLitchi Hub |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | FreeLitchi Hub |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | FreeLitchi Hub |
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.
Who Agisoft Metashape and Litchi suit
Agisoft Metashape fits drone service providers better than Litchi.
| Audience | Agisoft Metashape | Litchi |
|---|---|---|
| Drone Service Providers | 9/10Its core use is processing UAV imagery into orthomosaics, DEMs and 3D models. | 7/10Cheap, repeatable waypoint missions on DJI hardware suit small operators doing routine capture work, though it lacks fleet and client management. |
| Freelancers | 7/10The $179 Standard license is a low one-time cost for individual operators. | 8/10A one-time licence of about USD 25 and support for consumer DJI drones make it accessible to solo pilots. |
| Construction | 7/10Volume measurement and site progress tracking are listed capabilities. | Not rated |
| Education | 7/10Educational licensing is available and the tool is widely used in research. | Not rated |
| Engineering Firms | 8/10The Professional edition offers georeferencing, measurements and survey-grade outputs. | Not rated |
| Enterprise | Not rated | 2/10There is no team administration, compliance documentation or enterprise support, and enterprise-drone support is still in Android beta. |
| Real Estate | Not rated | 6/10Orbit, POI and cable-cam style missions are often used for property shoots, though some users report gimbal accuracy issues on POI missions. |
| Small Business | Not rated | 6/10Low cost and simple licensing fit small firms that fly their own DJI drones occasionally. |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Agisoft Metashape
- Higher Analytics score (6/10 vs 2/10)
- Higher Scalability score (7/10 vs 3/10)
- Better fit for drone service providers (9/10 vs 7/10)
Why choose Litchi
- Has a free plan (Agisoft Metashape does not)
- Higher Cost score (10/10 vs 8/10)
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.
Litchi
Pros
- The one-time licence of roughly USD 25 to 27 is far cheaper than subscription-based drone flight platforms.
- Missions are uploaded to the aircraft, so a pre-planned route keeps flying if the controller signal drops.
- Detailed waypoint control covers speed, curve size, heading, gimbal pitch and up to 15 actions per waypoint.
- Litchi Hub allows desktop planning with CSV and KML import and terrain-relative altitude from elevation models.
- Supports a wide range of DJI aircraft, from older Phantom 3 models to Matrice 300, 350 and 4 series through Litchi Pilot.
- Flight logs upload automatically to Airdata UAV for record keeping.
Cons
- Newer DJI drones need the separate Litchi Pilot app, which is still an Android-only beta with reported crashes.
- iOS and Android licences are bought separately, so teams using both platforms pay twice.
- It has no inspection reporting, asset records, photogrammetry or team management, so it must be paired with other tools.
- Forum users report curved paths overshooting waypoints and photo actions not firing when corners are smoothed.
- Support is mainly through a forum and contact form, with no published SLA or security documentation.
- Several current DJI drones, such as the Mini 5, Air 3 and Mavic 4, can only receive missions exported to DJI Fly.
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
Agisoft Metashape scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 6.3/10 against 4.8/10 for Litchi. The largest gap is in Analytics: 6/10 for Agisoft Metashape and 2/10 for Litchi.
Litchi has a free plan; Agisoft Metashape does not list one.
Agisoft Metashape is the better fit for drone service providers: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 7/10 for Litchi.
