Dronedesk vs FARO Sphere XG: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Dronedesk and FARO Sphere XG to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Dronedesk
6.5/10
A web-based drone operations platform that gives commercial drone operators flight planning, airspace data, risk assessments, flight logging, fleet and pilot records, and client quoting in one place.
FARO Sphere XG
5.9/10
FARO Sphere XG is a cloud platform where construction, operations and geospatial teams process, view, measure and share point clouds, 360 photos and BIM models.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | F FARO Sphere XG |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.5/10 | 5.9/10 |
| Integration | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 4/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| 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 | ||
| Digital Twin | ||
| LiDAR Processing | ||
| Asset Registry | Not listed | |
| Drone Inspection | Not listed | |
| Inspection Checklists | Not listed | |
| Offline Field App | Not listed | |
| Safety and Compliance | Not listed | |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Dronedesk
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Support score (9/10 vs 7/10)
FWhy choose FARO Sphere XG
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Scalability score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Includes Digital Twin, which Dronedesk lacks
- Includes LiDAR Processing, which Dronedesk lacks
Pros & Cons
Dronedesk
Pros
- Users frequently praise support. Trustpilot rates it 4.8 out of 5 from 295 reviews, and the vendor replies to every negative review.
- Live airspace, NOTAM and weather data in planning speeds up pre-flight paperwork and helps with CAA audit readiness.
- Combines operations with CRM, quoting and invoicing, so a small drone business can avoid using a separate business system.
- DJI flight log auto-sync and AirData integration cut down on manual logbook entry.
- Free plans are available for volunteer search and rescue groups, and SourceForge reports a 90-day money-back guarantee.
Cons
- There is no native iOS or Android app and no offline mode, so the internet is needed in the field.
- Forms, checklists and risk assessment templates cannot be fully customised, and configuration is locked out of Startup.
- Third-party listings report no public API.
- Some reviewers find it pricey for moderate use and say there is a learning curve.
- One reviewer reports slow loading when there are large numbers of jobs.
- It does not process imagery or map inspection data, and it does not fly autonomous missions.
FFARO Sphere XG
Pros
- It accepts data from FARO terrestrial and mobile scanners, from iPhone LiDAR and from 360 cameras, so mixed capture methods end up in one cloud project.
- The Stream app pre-registers Orbis scans in the field, which reduces failed registrations and repeat site visits.
- Scans are placed on floor plans and sorted by date, which suits progress documentation and dispute records.
- A SOC 2 Type 2 examination by A-LIGN covers FARO Sphere and HoloBuilder.
- Capterra reviewers give it a high average rating and mention responsive customer support.
Cons
- There is no public pricing. Every package needs a custom quote from FARO.
- It works best with FARO hardware, and third-party integrations are not well documented.
- Some reviewers say the editing layout is hard to navigate, and others say pricing could be better.
- It has no maintenance, work-order or asset-registry functions for industrial operations.
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
Dronedesk scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 6.5/10 against 5.9/10 for FARO Sphere XG. The largest gap is in Cost: 8/10 for Dronedesk and 4/10 for FARO Sphere XG.
No, neither Dronedesk nor FARO Sphere XG lists a free plan.
FARO Sphere XG has Digital Twin and LiDAR Processing, which Dronedesk lacks.
