FARO SCENE vs Katapult Pro: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of FARO SCENE and Katapult Pro to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
FARO SCENE
5.5/10
Windows desktop software for registering, processing, colorizing and viewing 3D laser scan point clouds, mainly from FARO Focus, Orbis, Swift and Freestyle scanners.
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 | F FARO SCENE | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | $116/mo Data Collection |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Free Trial | $116/mo Data Collection |
| Features | ||
| Asset Registry | Not listed | |
| Engineering Design | Not listed | |
| Engineering Simulation | Not listed | |
| GIS and Mapping | Not listed | |
| Inspection Checklists | Not listed | |
| LiDAR Processing | Not listed | |
| Power Line Inspection | Not listed | |
| Safety and Compliance | Not listed | |
FARO SCENE vs Katapult Pro cost by team size
FARO SCENE costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | FARO SCENE | Katapult Pro |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree Trial | $116/moData Collection |
| 5 users | FreeFree Trial | $116/moData Collection |
| 10 users | FreeFree Trial | $116/moData Collection |
| 25 users | FreeFree Trial | $116/moData Collection |
| 50 users | FreeFree Trial | $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?
FWhy choose FARO SCENE
- Has a free plan (Katapult Pro does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs $116/mo
Why choose Katapult Pro
- Higher Analytics score (6/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Cost score (6/10 vs 4/10)
Pros & Cons
FFARO SCENE
Pros
- Hybrid registration combines cloud-to-cloud, target-based and survey-control methods in one workflow.
- Reads data natively from FARO Focus, Swift, Orbis, Freestyle 2 and Blink scanners.
- Automatically detects spheres, checkerboards, coded markers and natural features such as planes and corners.
- The free SCENE 2go viewer lets clients open a project without installing anything.
- Updated actively, with version 2026.1 released in May 2026.
Cons
- FARO publishes no list prices, and you need ongoing maintenance or a subscription to get new versions.
- No machine learning classification, and deep GD&T or tolerance analysis needs extra tools such as PolyWorks.
- Third-party scanner data is supported, but the workflow is less smooth than with FARO devices.
- Windows only, needs a powerful workstation, and new users face a learning curve.
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 5.5/10 for FARO SCENE. The largest gap is in Analytics: 4/10 for FARO SCENE and 6/10 for Katapult Pro.
FARO SCENE costs less for 10 users: free on its Free Trial plan, against about $116/mo on its Data Collection plan for Katapult Pro, billed monthly.
FARO SCENE has a free plan; Katapult Pro does not list one.
