Equator vs Katapult Pro: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Equator and Katapult Pro to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Equator
5/10
Browser-based mapping software from Equator Studios that lets civil engineers, architects and builders pull LiDAR, contours, DEMs and parcel data for a site and export CAD-ready base plans.
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 | 5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 3/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $67/mo Basic | $116/mo Data Collection |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | $116/mo Data Collection |
| Features | ||
| GIS and Mapping | ||
| Asset Registry | Not listed | |
| Engineering Design | Not listed | |
| Engineering Simulation | Not listed | |
| Inspection Checklists | Not listed | |
| LiDAR Processing | Not listed | |
| Power Line Inspection | Not listed | |
| Safety and Compliance | Not listed | |
Equator vs Katapult Pro cost by team size
Equator costs less at 1 user; Katapult Pro costs less at 5 users.
| Team size | Equator | Katapult Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | $67/moBasic | $116/moData Collection |
| 5 users | $169/moPro | $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 Equator
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose Katapult Pro
- Higher Customization score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Scalability score (7/10 vs 4/10)
Pros & Cons
Equator
Pros
- A built-in library of public LiDAR, DEM and contour data for the US and Canada saves engineers from hunting across government data portals.
- Contours export directly as DWG, DXF or GeoJSON formatted for Civil 3D and AutoCAD.
- Entry pricing is low: 67 USD a month, or 30 USD for a single site with no subscription.
- Runs in the browser, and a free trial lets users build a site with contours, point clouds or DEMs before paying.
Cons
- Plans are capped by sites per month, and the top public plan allows only five users.
- Accuracy depends on the public LiDAR available for an area, which can range from about 5 to 30 cm vertically.
- Very few independent reviews or user discussions exist to confirm the vendor's claims.
- Small company, reported at about seven staff, and the vendor publishes no security or compliance documentation that we could find.
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
Katapult Pro scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 6.5/10 against 5/10 for Equator. The largest gap is in Customization: 4/10 for Equator and 7/10 for Katapult Pro.
No, neither Equator nor Katapult Pro lists a free plan.
