Polycam vs Alpha3D
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Polycam and Alpha3D.
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Verdict: Polycam wins
Polycam scores 4.0/5, edging out Alpha3D at 3.8/5. Architects, contractors and facility teams with LiDAR iPhones who need phone-scanned floor plans, measurements and CAD-ready exports without a scanning crew.
Polycam AI 3D scanning from your phone | Alpha3D Turn product images into 3D assets with AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.0 (1 review) | 3.8 (1 review) |
| Pricing Model | freemium | paid |
| Starting Price | Free tier available | From $49/mo |
| Best For | Architects, contractors and facility teams with LiDAR iPhones who need phone-scanned floor plans, measurements and CAD-ready exports without a scanning crew. | E-commerce and AR catalog teams who need to turn product photography into 3D/AR-ready models at volume, especially teams automating the pipeline via API. |
| Free Tier | ||
| API Access | ||
| Team Features | ||
| Open Source | ||
| Tags | free tiermobile app | api access |
| Visit Polycam → | Visit Alpha3D → |
Polycam
Pros
- + LiDAR Space Mode produced an editable 2D floor plan with auto-labeled rooms within seconds of finishing a scan in my test of a two-bedroom flat
- + Export round-trips worked: layered DXF floor plans opened with scale and layers intact in a CAD viewer, and OBJ/USDZ meshes imported cleanly
- + Five capture modes (Object, Space, Floorplan, AI Capture, 360) cover objects, interiors and documentation in one app instead of three tools
- + Business tier allows up to 2,000 images and 30 minutes of video per capture — enough resolution in my mechanical-room test to reconstruct reflective pipework that smaller captures smeared
- + Free tier is usable for real experimentation: limited captures, GLTF export and public link sharing at $0
Cons
- - Floor plans and the measurement layer require a LiDAR device — the same scan on a non-LiDAR phone returned only a mesh in my testing
- - Basic's 300-image capture ceiling cut short my photogrammetry coverage of a display cabinet mid-capture
- - Measurement accuracy is undocumented against survey standards; fine for as-builts, not for contractual tolerances
- - Processing and floor-plan generation are server-side, so disconnected sites become a capture-now-process-later workflow
- - Subscription-only (the vendor pricing FAQ rules out one-time purchase), with floor plans, point clouds and shared libraries gated at Business ($400/year per user)
Alpha3D
Pros
- + Per-model economics at Creator tier work out near $0.50 per generated model — the cheapest I measured in this category.
- + Integrated post-processing (Smart Topology, quad meshes, UV unwrapping, AI texturing, format conversion) removes the usual round-trips between tools.
- + REST API and MCP server (Claude/ChatGPT) included on every plan from the $5 Tester tier upward, not enterprise-gated.
- + Multiview input of up to 4-8 angles materially improves base-mesh quality versus single-image generation in my testing.
Cons
- - Tester tier is effectively a paid trial: 90 credits (~3 models/month), no ultra-high-res, no quad meshes.
- - Scope is product-shaped objects only — no scenes, characters, rigging or animation.
- - Quality on glossy, reflective or intricate products (jewelry, fine electronics) needs manual cleanup; bound by source photo quality.
- - Price record is inconsistent across currency views (USD on the pricing page vs EUR figures in the site's own machine-readable summary).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Polycam or Alpha3D?▼
Polycam scores higher at 4.0/5 vs 3.8/5 for Alpha3D, making it the better-rated option in our comparison.
What is the difference between Polycam and Alpha3D?▼
Polycam: Polycam captures 3D scans, floor plans and measurements using a phone camera or LiDAR, and exports them to CAD and BIM formats. Alpha3D: Alpha3D turns product photos and text prompts into 3D models, and handles retopology, UV unwrapping, texturing and format conversion in one pipeline.
Is Polycam or Alpha3D more affordable?▼
Polycam starts at €0/mo, Alpha3D starts at €49/mo. Check the comparison table above for current pricing.
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