DroneDeploy vs Katapult Pro: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of DroneDeploy and Katapult Pro to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
DroneDeploy
6.5/10
DroneDeploy is a reality capture platform that plans drone, robot and 360 camera captures and turns the imagery into maps, 3D models and AI site insights.
Katapult Pro
6.5/10
Katapult Pro is a cloud pole attachment platform. It covers field data collection, make-ready engineering design, and joint use management for utilities, telecom builders, and OSP engineering firms.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Analytics | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 3/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | $116/mo Data Collection |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | $116/mo Data Collection |
| Features | ||
| GIS and Mapping | ||
| Asset Registry | Not listed | |
| Drone Inspection | Not listed | |
| Engineering Design | Not listed | |
| Engineering Simulation | Not listed | |
| Inspection Automation | Not listed | |
| Inspection Checklists | Not listed | |
| Power Line Inspection | Not listed | |
| Safety and Compliance | Not listed | |
DroneDeploy vs Katapult Pro cost by team size
| Team size | DroneDeploy | Katapult Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | Contact for pricing | $116/moData Collection |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | $116/moData Collection |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | $116/moData Collection |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | $116/moData Collection |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | $116/moData Collection |
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?
Why choose DroneDeploy
- Higher Analytics score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (8/10 vs 7/10)
Why choose Katapult Pro
- Higher Cost score (6/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Customization score (7/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
DroneDeploy
Pros
- Reviewers on G2 and Capterra say the path from flight planning to finished map is simple, even for new pilots.
- Flights can be planned on a desktop and then opened on an iPad in the field.
- A single platform combines drones, docks, robots, 360 cameras and phone scans.
- It exports and syncs with Esri, Autodesk and Procore.
- Several G2 reviewers describe support as quick and responsive.
Cons
- Price is the most common complaint, and individual licences cost thousands of dollars a year.
- Most team plans and all add-ons require a sales quote.
- Reviewers say it is hard to share results with clients who do not subscribe.
- A competitor's March 2026 review says automated capture supports only DJI drones.
- Users report that small maps can still take a while to process, and a comparison article notes that large datasets need a strong connection.
Katapult Pro
Pros
- Pricing is published, contracts are month to month, and there is no cancellation penalty, which is rare among pole engineering tools.
- Read-only users are free, so stakeholders can review data without paying for a license.
- Field crews can collect pole photos and heights without entering the power space, and photos are matched to poles automatically.
- Clearance violation detection and pole loading are built in, with SPIDAcalc export included.
- Joint use workflows track FCC shot clock deadlines for utilities.
Cons
- O-Calc Pro export costs an extra $231 a month.
- Joint Use Management and Site License pricing are not published.
- The one-time setup fee of $1,815, plus optional equipment the site lists at $3,200 to $3,450, raises the cost of getting started.
- Reviewers say results depend on clean, consistent input data, and clearance checks can feel worksheet-like for edge cases.
- It is focused on pole attachment work and does not offer general CMMS features such as work orders or spare parts.
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
DroneDeploy and Katapult Pro both score 6.5/10 on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria. The largest gap is in Cost: 3/10 for DroneDeploy and 6/10 for Katapult Pro.
No, neither DroneDeploy nor Katapult Pro lists a free plan.
