WebODM
5.8/10Open-source drone photogrammetry software that turns aerial photos into orthomosaics, elevation models, point clouds and 3D models, self-hosted for free or in the paid Lightning cloud.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
WebODM processes geotagged aerial photos into georeferenced orthomosaics, digital surface and terrain models, point clouds, textured 3D models in OBJ and OGC 3D Tiles, and Gaussian splats. Its browser dashboard adds a map and 3D viewer, volume and area measurement, contour export, plant health indexes such as NDVI, VARI and GNDVI, ground control point support, and handling of multispectral and thermal data. The self-hosted edition is free under the AGPL-3.0 licence. It ships with desktop installers and Docker setups, can spread work across several machines, supports CUDA GPU acceleration, and exposes a token-authenticated API with a plugin system. In April 2026 WebODM separated from the OpenDroneMap project. It now runs on its own engine, ODX, a fork of ODM, and can also use the MicMac and LGT engines. The paid cloud service, WebODM Lightning, is run by UAV4GEO. It offers pay-per-map credits, with 150 free credits for new accounts, and three subscriptions billed yearly: Starter at 24 USD a month, Pro at 35 USD and Business at 99 USD. The plans differ in images per map, concurrent tasks and cloud storage. WebODM suits drone service providers, surveyors, farmers, researchers and budget-conscious teams that are comfortable tuning processing settings. It is not a fit for enterprises that need vendor accountability. Lightning has no SSO, no compliance certifications and no SLA. The vendor will not fill in security questionnaires and does not offer direct help troubleshooting customer datasets. Self-hosting also needs a lot of RAM and disk space plus some technical skill.
Our Rating
Who WebODM is best for
Best software for Drone Service ProvidersGood fit
It produces the core mapping outputs drone operators deliver, such as orthomosaics, DEMs and 3D models, at very low cost, and maps can be shared with clients.
It is free and open source, and Lightning offers educational discounts on request.
The AGPL source code, documented API, plugin system and command-line client allow custom pipelines.
The free self-hosted edition and Lightning plans from 24 USD a month suit small mapping operations on tight budgets.
Less suited
Volume measurement, contours and elevation models cover common site-survey needs, but there are no construction workflow tools.
Lightning has no SSO, compliance certifications or SLA, and the vendor declines security questionnaires.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The self-hosted edition is completely free under the AGPL-3.0 licence and has no per-seat fees, so its cost is far below commercial photogrammetry suites.
- It covers the main photogrammetry outputs, including orthomosaics, DSMs, DTMs, point clouds, textured 3D models, Gaussian splats and NDVI-style plant health maps.
- Processing can run on a local machine without internet, which keeps sensitive imagery on premises.
- The API, plugin system, choice of engines (ODX, MicMac, LGT), distributed processing and GPU acceleration give technical teams a lot of control.
- The Lightning cloud plans are cheap, from 24 USD a month billed yearly, and can be paused for up to 120 days.
Cons
- Output quality depends on tuning processing parameters, and reviewers say non-experts struggle to get good results.
- Self-hosting needs a lot of RAM and disk space: around 16 GB of RAM is recommended, and a single project can generate 10 to 20 GB of intermediate files.
- Lightning offers no SSO and no compliance certifications, and the vendor declines security questionnaires.
- Support is mostly through community forums, and Lightning does not help troubleshoot customer datasets except when the software itself malfunctions.
- Reviewers describe input as photo-based only, with no video or smartphone footage. There are no built-in workflows for inspection reporting, asset tracking or work orders.
Key Features
WebODM Pricing
Self-hosted (open source)
- AGPL-3.0 licence
- Community support only
- Free installers and Docker deployment
- Runs on your own hardware, including offline
- Distributed processing and CUDA GPU acceleration
Lightning Business
- Unlimited maps
- 4 concurrent tasks
- 1,000 GB cloud storage
- Backups of original images
- Up to 3,000 images per map
- 99 USD a month, billed yearly
- Bank transfer available with a 3-year commitment
Lightning Pay As You Go
- Up to 30 concurrent tasks
- Up to 1,500 images per map
- Temporary cloud storage only
- 150 free credits for new accounts
- Pay per map with credits, priced through the cost calculator
Lightning Pro
- Unlimited maps
- 2 concurrent tasks
- 100 GB cloud storage
- Backups of original images
- Up to 1,500 images per map
- 35 USD a month, billed yearly
Lightning Starter
- 1 concurrent task
- 25 GB cloud storage
- Ground control points
- Up to 1,500 images per map
- 24 USD a month, billed yearly
- 12 maps per 30 days, then pay per map
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The self-hosted software is open source under AGPL-3.0, and its installers are free. Only the hosted WebODM Lightning cloud service is paid.
The pricing page lists Starter at 24 USD a month, Pro at 35 USD a month and Business at 99 USD a month, all billed yearly. There is also a pay-per-map credit option priced through the cost calculator, and new accounts get 150 free credits.
Pay As You Go, Starter and Pro allow up to 1,500 images per map. Business allows up to 3,000 images per map.
Plans can be paused for up to 120 days. Billing stops during the pause, and you keep access to everything except processing. After the pause you can resume or cancel. The site also mentions a 30-day money-back guarantee.
No. The FAQ says SSO is not supported and the vendor does not complete security checklists. Data is private by default and is processed on servers in Europe and the US, but you cannot choose the region.
No. WebODM became an independent project in April 2026 and now uses its own ODX engine, a fork of ODM. OpenDroneMap continues separately and keeps its own installer.
Yes. The documentation covers an API with token authentication and endpoints for projects, tasks, presets, users and processing nodes, and there is a plugin development guide. Lightning also offers a command-line client.
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Ranked near WebODM in Industrial & Infrastructure Software
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