Comparison

ScanAce vs Point Cloud & BIM Viewer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ScanAce

Features
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ScanAce is a professional 3D scanning app for surveyors, construction and utility workers, archeologists, architects, and GIS professionals. It turns your smartphone or tablet into a handheld imaging laser scanner and allows you to precisely capture the reality around you and generate accurate 3D models for planning, documentation or digital twins.Β  All processing is done on your device, no other services or cloud connections are needed. It is using Augmented Reality and SLAM positioning technology on your iPhone or iPad. You can connect your RTK GNSS to achieve a precise georeference. Features: - 3D scanning - Standard mode: 350.000 points/second - Extreme high mode: 1.000.000 points/second - 3D-model viewer - Geo-reference your scan and share with the GeoAce app - Export the RGB point cloud in E57, LAS, LAZ formats - Export textured 3D-model to OBJ, USDZ formats The Free version includes all the above features, except the geo-referencing function and scanning is limited to one recording of maximum 20 sΒ  every 15 min. All new users can evaluate the Professional subscription (no limitations) 7 days for free. For further information: β€’ScanAce Privacy Policy: https://its-geo.eu/Privacy.html β€’ ScanAce Terms and Conditions: https://its-geo.eu/terms-of-service.html

About

Point Cloud & BIM Viewer

Features
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Point Cloud & BIM Viewer opens laser scans and BIM models on your Mac, iPad and iPhone β€” measure them, cut sections, see where the building differs from the design, and export the results. Everything stays on the device: no account, no upload. A sample project with a guide shows where everything is. FORMATS β€’ E57 with registered scan setups, colour, intensity and spherical photographs β€’ LAS and LAZ 1.0 to 1.4 with colour, intensity and classification, and COPC β€’ PLY, PTS, PTX, and XYZ or TXT with intensity or RGB columns β€’ IFC models, also zipped or gzipped; USDZ, USD, OBJ, STL, glTF and GLB β€’ DXF plans under the scan, with layers to switch off β€’ Several files, a folder or a zip as one project Import never modifies the original, and a hundred million points take tens of megabytes. EVERYTHING IN ONE PROJECT The side panel lists the cloud and each of its scans, every model file, floor plan and saved cut. Show, hide, colour or look at each on its own; colour the scan setups to check the registration. Add scans later, send a project by AirDrop. THE SCAN AGAINST THE MODEL β€’ Every point coloured by its distance to the model, with a tolerance you set β€’ Which elements are built, which are missing, and where the scan never went β€’ The elements built out of tolerance, listed β€’ Place a model by pairs of corners, by the walls in the scan, by matching the floor plans, or where its georeference says β€’ Measure from the scan to a surface of the model SCAN WITH LIDAR On an iPhone or iPad with LiDAR, scan a room into a project, fit it to the other scans, and continue later. For orientation, not millimetres. FLOOR PLAN RoomPlan draws the walls, doors and windows as you scan and divides the floor into rooms with their areas; walls found in any scan make a draft. Correct the plan, then export IFC, DXF, SVG or a PDF to scale. THE PROJECT IN AR On iPhone and iPad, stand the project on a table, or at 1:1 in the building by a few shared points, with a scan's panorama over the walls. ON THE MAP Coordinates as a surveyor writes them: S-JTSK Y and X, or E and N in the system the file or IFC georeference names. See the project on a map with an aerial view under the scan, or place it by hand. The map loads from Apple Maps only when switched on. THE MODEL Browse elements by storey, class or file; find them by name, GlobalId or property. Select, colour and group them, and read every property, inherited ones too. Check a model against IDS: what fails is listed, and each failure can become a note. On an IFC 4.3 alignment, read station and offset, with cross and long sections. MEASURE β€’ Distance with its horizontal and vertical parts, and height β€’ Face to face: wall thickness, clear width, clear height β€’ The shortest distance between two elements, or from an element to the scan β€’ A model's edge length and planar area; polylines, angles and best-fit areas β€’ Notes anchored to a point or an element β€’ Every pick is checked against the cloud at full resolution β€’ Metric or imperial units SECTIONS AND ROOMS A box you move, turn and reshape by dragging, a plane or a slice. The model's solids are hatched where a cut crosses them. Save a cut with its view and return to it. SEEING THE SCAN RGB, intensity, classification, a heatmap, or elevation over the scan or a band of a few centimetres; a grid, six side views, panoramas from the scanner's position. ISSUES IN BCF Notes leave as BCF topics with a viewpoint and the element they are on; BCF files from other tools open as notes. EXPORT The cloud or a single scan as E57 with panoramas, LAS, PLY or XYZ; a section as LAS; CSV, JSON with sections, BCF, a PNG snapshot. FREE AND PRO Free with one project; Pro removes the limit for a single payment, no subscription. Projects you have stay open either way. WHAT IT DOES NOT DO Point data is not edited, and tripod scans are registered in the scanner's software. Clouds in two coordinate systems are not brought into one. Models you open are never modified.

Screenshots

ScanAce4 screens
Point Cloud & BIM Viewer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Point Cloud & BIM Viewer at every 2 days against ScanAce's every 4 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. ScanAce sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per month and Point Cloud & BIM Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ScanAce ships an update every 4 months, Point Cloud & BIM Viewer every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
ScanAce versus Point Cloud & BIM Viewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScanAcePoint Cloud & BIM Viewer
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” better
Requires iOS16.6 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size106 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperITS Geo Solutions GmbHSew Grader by Virtalia

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ScanAce

Subscriptions2
  • Professional - Monthly$49.991 Month
  • Professional - Annual$399.991 Year
1 purchases

Point Cloud & BIM Viewer

One-time1
  • Pointclouds Viewer Pro$6.99

Questions

Is ScanAce free?
ScanAce is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Point Cloud & BIM Viewer free?
Point Cloud & BIM Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ScanAce or Point Cloud & BIM Viewer have ads?
Neither ScanAce nor Point Cloud & BIM Viewer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ScanAce or Point Cloud & BIM Viewer?
ScanAce ships an update every 4 months, and Point Cloud & BIM Viewer every 2 days. Most recently, ScanAce was updated on October 4, 2026 and Point Cloud & BIM Viewer on October 24, 2026.

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