Comparison

Splatcatcher vs Uchi

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

Head to head
About

Splatcatcher

Capture 3D Gaussian Splatting training data including images, camera poses, and a point cloud using your iPhone's LiDAR. Export a ready-to-train .zip file for processing on a PC with compatible software.

Highlights
  • Real-time point cloud accumulation
  • Manual and auto-capture modes
  • Live camera and point cloud preview
  • Tracking quality indicator
  • Loop closure guidance
  • Export transforms.json and PLY point cloud
  • One-tap .zip export
Read full description

Splatcatcher captures everything you need for 3D Gaussian Splatting training in a single session — images, camera poses, and a dense colored point cloud — using your iPhone's LiDAR sensor. IMPORTANT: Capturing requires the LiDAR scanner, which is only available on iPhone Pro models (iPhone 12 Pro and later Pro / Pro Max). Non-Pro iPhones do not have LiDAR and cannot capture. Walk around any object or scene and Splatcatcher handles the rest. Each capture records the camera frame, full intrinsic and extrinsic parameters, and accumulates a spatially-deduplicated point cloud from the LiDAR depth buffer in real time. When you're done, export a ready-to-train COLMAP dataset — cameras.bin, images.bin, a colored points3D.bin, and your images — without ever running COLMAP or any other SfM pipeline on a desktop. Just load the folder into LichtFeld Studio (free), Postshot (paid), or any other COLMAP-based trainer and you're good to go. Or skip the copying altogether: pair Splatcatcher with Forge, our free companion app for Mac and Windows, and tap Send to PC. Your capture goes straight to your own computer over your network — never through our servers — Forge trains the splat with Spirula Studio or LichtFeld Studio, and the finished splat comes back to your iPhone to view. Get Forge at splatcatcher.warp-gate.com/forge. Features: - Real-time dense point cloud accumulation from LiDAR depth with spatial deduplication - Manual shutter mode with volume button trigger - Continuous auto-capture mode with distance/angle thresholds and blur rejection - Live camera-perspective and overhead point cloud preview during capture - Tracking quality indicator with motion and feature warnings - Loop closure guidance to improve reconstruction accuracy - On-device pose refinement — an optional one-tap optimization pass tightens camera poses and re-aligns the point cloud for sharper training results, no desktop SfM needed - Exports a standard COLMAP dataset with per-frame camera intrinsics and extrinsics, so autofocus shifts are carried through to training instead of averaged away - Colored COLMAP point cloud (points3D.bin), written in the same world frame as the cameras for splat initialization - One-tap export to Dropbox, AirDrop, Files, etc for transport to PC for processing - Train on your own Mac or PC: pair with the free Forge app by scanning a QR code, send a capture, and follow training from your phone. Close the app once the upload finishes; training carries on - Built-in splat viewer: orbit, pan and zoom around your trained splats on iPhone (iOS 27 or later; earlier versions show a preview image) Output is directly compatible with LichtFeld Studio, Postshot, and other trainers that read the standard COLMAP images + sparse/0 format. Requires an iPhone Pro model with the LiDAR scanner (iPhone 12 Pro or later Pro / Pro Max). Non-Pro iPhones are not supported for capture.

About

Uchi

Features
Read full description

Uchi is a 3D scanning app for iPhone. Capture the spaces around you, generate realistic 3D models, and share them with the world. HOW IT WORKS • Start a scan, stand in place, and turn around — a guided viewfinder helps you capture 8 directions • Uchi generates a photorealistic 3D space (3D Gaussian Splatting) in the cloud • On LiDAR devices, you can also capture 3D meshes and 3D room layouts (RoomPlan) • Publish your scan to the map, or keep it just for yourself AN OPEN 3D MAP, BUILT TOGETHER Published 3D data becomes open data (CC BY-SA 4.0) — free for anyone to view, download, and build upon. Indoors or outdoors, let's build an open 3D record of the world's public spaces together: stations, shops, campuses, parks and more. Prefer privacy? Set a scan to "Only me" and it stays yours. FEATURES • Guided 3D capture — no special hardware required • Photorealistic 3D (Gaussian Splatting), mesh, and room-layout capture modes • Explore scans from around the world on a 3D map, with leaderboards • Download shared models in standard formats • Sign in with Apple or Google CAPTURE RESPONSIBLY • Capture public spaces only — no private residences • Avoid capturing people and personal information • Report and block tools are built in; removal requests are always honored Requirements: iPhone with iOS 18 or later. Mesh/RoomPlan capture requires a LiDAR-equipped or 6GB+ RAM device. Terms of Service: https://uchi-production.up.railway.app/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://uchi-production.up.railway.app/legal/privacy

Screenshots

Splatcatcher4 screens
Uchi3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Uchi at 18.0 against Splatcatcher's 26.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Splatcatcher versus Uchi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSplatcatcherUchi
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWarpgate LLCShogo Hirasawa

In-app purchases

None

Splatcatcher

No in-app purchases

None

Uchi

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Splatcatcher free?
Splatcatcher is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Uchi free?
Uchi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Splatcatcher or Uchi have ads?
Neither Splatcatcher nor Uchi shows ads.

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