FARO Sphere XG vs QGIS Comparison
Compare FARO Sphere XG vs QGIS features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
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.
QGIS
7/10
QGIS is a free, open source desktop GIS. Organisations use it to view, edit, analyse and map spatial data, including vector, raster, mesh and point cloud layers.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | F FARO Sphere XG | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.9/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Cost | 4/10 | 10/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 9/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Integration | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Contact for pricing | Free QGIS (open source) |
| Features | ||
| LiDAR Processing | ||
| Digital Twin | Not listed | |
| GIS and Mapping | Not listed | |
| Work Orders | Not listed | |
FARO Sphere XG vs QGIS cost by team size
| Team size | FARO Sphere XG | QGIS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | Contact for pricing | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 5 users | Contact for pricing | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 10 users | Contact for pricing | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | FreeQGIS (open source) |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | FreeQGIS (open source) |
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 Sphere XG
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (7/10 vs 5/10)
Why choose QGIS
- Has a free plan (FARO Sphere XG does not)
- Higher Cost score (10/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Customization score (9/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
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.
QGIS
Pros
- No licence fees on any number of seats, under the GPLv2+ open source licence.
- Python and C++ plugins let teams add custom tools and database connectors such as PostGIS.
- It reads many data formats and standard web services, which makes it easy to connect to existing data.
- Its print layout, atlas and report tools suit organisations that produce a lot of maps.
- It loads LAS, LAZ and virtual point cloud datasets with classification-based rendering.
Cons
- Capterra reviewers report slow performance, freezes and crashes on heavy workloads.
- Newcomers describe a steep learning curve and say installation can be difficult.
- There is no vendor-backed support contract; help comes from the community or third-party providers.
- It cannot edit point clouds and has no asset maintenance features such as work orders.
- Some reviewers say it lacks tools that ArcGIS Pro offers.
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
QGIS scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 7/10 against 5.9/10 for FARO Sphere XG. The largest gap is in Cost: 4/10 for FARO Sphere XG and 10/10 for QGIS.
QGIS has a free plan; FARO Sphere XG does not list one.
