Blue Marble Geographics vs Carlson Scan3D Comparison
Compare Blue Marble Geographics vs Carlson Scan3D features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Blue Marble Geographics
6.6/10
Blue Marble Geographics makes geospatial software. Its products are Global Mapper for desktop GIS and LiDAR processing, Geographic Calculator for coordinate conversion, and the Avenza Maps offline field app.
Carlson Scan3D
5.3/10
A handheld 3D scanning app for iOS LiDAR devices and Carlson Windows tablets. It produces colour point clouds for surveyors, engineers and construction teams.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.6/10 | 5.3/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 5/10 |
| Analytics | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Customization | 7/10 | 4/10 |
| Scalability | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| LiDAR Processing | ||
| Offline Field App | ||
| Drone Inspection | Not listed | |
| GIS and Mapping | Not listed | |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Blue Marble Geographics
- Has a free plan (Carlson Scan3D does not)
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Analytics score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for government (7/10 vs 5/10)
Why choose Carlson Scan3D
- Higher Security score (6/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (7/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
Blue Marble Geographics
Pros
- Global Mapper reads and writes more than 300 spatial formats, and none of them need an extra license.
- Lidar classification, cleanup and feature extraction come in a desktop tool that costs far less than enterprise GIS suites.
- The GeoCalc geodetic engine includes more than 12,000 definitions and time-dependent transformations, which suits survey-grade work.
- Since the Avenza merger, field data from the Avenza Maps offline app flows back into Global Mapper for analysis.
Cons
- It is not an asset management or maintenance system. There are no work orders, maintenance scheduling or condition monitoring.
- Licensing has changed recently, and third-party listings show conflicting perpetual and subscription prices.
- Global Mapper is a Windows desktop tool, so collaboration across teams is limited compared with cloud GIS platforms.
Carlson Scan3D
Pros
- All processing happens on the device, so scans can be made in trenches, vaults or remote sites without a connection.
- Exports DP, E57, RCS, LAS and LAZ files, which load into most point cloud tools.
- Scans can be geo-referenced with Carlson GNSS receivers and survey control files.
- Merges with drone, terrestrial and aerial LiDAR clouds in Carlson Point Cloud to fill gaps.
Cons
- Windows prices are not published, so buyers must go through a dealer.
- Phone LiDAR and depth-camera capture suits small objects and spaces, not large sites.
- There are almost no independent user reviews or ratings to check its performance.
- LandXML model comparison and direct .DP import into Carlson Point Cloud were announced as coming soon at launch.
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
Blue Marble Geographics scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 6.6/10 against 5.3/10 for Carlson Scan3D. The largest gap is in Analytics: 7/10 for Blue Marble Geographics and 4/10 for Carlson Scan3D.
Blue Marble Geographics has a free plan; Carlson Scan3D does not list one.
Blue Marble Geographics is the better fit for government: we rate it 7/10 for them, against 5/10 for Carlson Scan3D.
