FARO Sphere XG vs SenseHawk: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of FARO Sphere XG and SenseHawk to help you choose the right tool for your business.
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.
SenseHawk
5.8/10
SenseHawk is a map-based platform for solar developers, EPCs and O&M teams. It covers construction tracking, drone thermal inspection and asset management for solar and storage sites.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | F FARO Sphere XG | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.9/10 | 5.8/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Integration | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| 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 | ||
| Asset Registry | Not listed | |
| Document Control | Not listed | |
| Drone Inspection | Not listed | |
| GIS and Mapping | Not listed | |
| Inspection Automation | Not listed | |
| Inspection Checklists | Not listed | |
| LiDAR Processing | Not listed | |
| Offline Field App | Not listed | |
| Work Orders | Not listed | |
Which One Should You Choose?
FWhy choose FARO Sphere XG
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (7/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose SenseHawk
- Higher Analytics score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Customization score (6/10 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.
SenseHawk
Pros
- Therm turns drone infrared scans into classified defects with power-loss estimates and IEC 62446-3 reports.
- Planned versus actual progress tracking can use imported Primavera P6 and MS Project schedules.
- The mobile app works offline and lets field crews close geotagged inspections and punch items.
- Security includes AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit, SAML SSO and fine-grained role-based access.
Cons
- No public pricing, so every quote requires a sales conversation.
- Built almost entirely for solar and storage, so it is a poor fit for other industrial assets.
- Very few independent reviews: G2 lists only about two reviews for SenseHawk.
- Ownership is unclear: Reliance took a majority stake in 2022, and Nextracker acquired SenseHawk IP in 2024.
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
FARO Sphere XG scores higher on our Industrial & Infrastructure Software criteria: 5.9/10 against 5.8/10 for SenseHawk. The largest gap is in Analytics: 5/10 for FARO Sphere XG and 7/10 for SenseHawk.
No, neither FARO Sphere XG nor SenseHawk lists a free plan.
