Are you searching for the best free drone mapping software, or perhaps any that is affordable but doesn’t demand a commitment over the long term? Thankfully, a few drone mapping or photogrammetry applications adhere to the aforementioned standards.
As more businesses become aware of the enormous benefits that these flying robots can offer, using drone technology for photogrammetry has becoming quite popular.
These advantages include quicker and more effective mapping, regular data collection, decreased personnel risk, lower costs, mapping of difficult-to-reach places, and improved ROI.
You can make extremely precise maps and 3D models of any given site using some pretty potent drone photogrammetry software.
A variety of diverse industries, including agriculture, construction, and mining, employ drone mapping software like PiX4D, Drone Deploy, Precision Hawk, etc. to create incredibly accurate maps, point clouds, and 3D models. These mapping programs must be paid for, either on an annual basis or in certain cases on a pay-as-you-go basis.
But after some investigation, I did come across a handful that are totally free, albeit they do have certain restrictions and a learning curve and might not be ideal for everyone. To reconstruct mapping and 3D modeling data for minor projects, they can offer a free method if you don’t mind the initial technological setup.
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Best Free Drone Mapping Software
WebODM From Open Drone Map
This well-known open-source drone mapping program has been around for a while and is now being updated by a sizable group of software developers.
With this feature-rich mapping program, you can make a wide variety of maps from JPEG and TIFF photos.
It has the ability to analyze multispectral photos and compute numerous vegetation indexes, including NDVI, GNDVI, VARI, NDRE, MSAVI, and many more. These maps can be used for environmental monitoring as well as crop and soil data analysis.
It also produces 3D models, point clouds, contour maps, elevation models, and 2D orthophotos. Other helpful features of the program include measures of area and volume, simple team collaboration, and report creation.
Despite being free, the installer is required if you don’t know how to code, which makes it simpler for non-coders to utilize the program.
The installer is offered in two versions: a normal version and a business version. Both versions have access to all functions; the only distinction is the level of support. The installation costs a single charge and is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux OS.
Maps Made Easy
Maps Made Easy, one of the top drone mapping tools, is a robust mapping program that is feature-rich and easy to use. Although their website may not be as well-kept as many of their rivals’, their mapping tool is on par with the finest. Any type of drone can process image data with the program, however DJI drones are given more preference. Most types of maps, including NDVI maps, 2D orthophotos, 3D point clouds, and 3D models, can be produced from drone photographs via Maps Made Easy. Additionally, users may simply compute stockpile sizes and generate customized reports that can be shared with clients via the app.
The company’s flight management app, Map Pilot Pro, is also accessible to you, but it’s only compatible with iOS devices.
They provide a pay-as-you-go service with no commitment to a monthly fee, a subscription service with a monthly cost of $5, and a free version that allows you to process 50 photographs each month with some restrictions on the deliverables that may be made.
3DFlow Zephyr
3DFlow Zephyr, a robust photogrammetry program, is a user-friendly drone mapping solution that can stitch drone photos together and generate a variety of deliverables. It has a variety of editing, measuring, and reporting features and is appropriate for usage in all businesses that need mapping data.
Although the software has a free version that is good for learning, it has several restrictions, such as the ability to analyze just 50 photos at once, limited GPU usage, and the ability to only output files in JPEG and textured mesh formats.
Flight Hub 2 by DJI
An all-in-one flight management tool, this new DJI cloud-based app enables users to organize drone mapping missions and annotate maps as the task is being carried out. Although this software isn’t simply for mapping, it can map enormous terrain areas and create 2.5D and 3D models. Only the new Matrice 30 and the DJI Matrice 300RTK are compatible with it. It is now available for free public beta testing until October 2022.
Meshroom From Alice Vision
The primary function of this photogrammetry software is to create 3D models from photographs that have been taken. Although not designed for drone mapping, this software can be used to transform aerial pictures into 3D landscapes.
Software For Drone Mapping With Free Trial
Many of the most effective and well-known drone mapping programs provide a risk-free, no-obligation trial.
Before committing to a paid contract, you might want to try out some of these applications if you’re trying to offer a professional drone mapping service.
Drone Deploy and Pix4D, the two most well-known drone photogrammetry software, both provide a 14-day free trial for their services. Several other photogrammetry programs from Pix4D have been created for different sectors.
For instance, its most well-known tool, the Pix4D Mapper, can be utilized for any mapping requirements in any business.
In addition, they provide Pix4D Fields for agricultural, Pix4Dmatic for large-scale mapping projects and corridor mapping, Pix4D React for mapping a region after a tragedy, and a variety of other solutions for certain mapping applications.
Both Pix4D and Drone Deploy offer first-rate customer service, and in the case of Drone Deploy, they also offer a ton of free materials.
Agisoft Metashape, Global Mapper from Blue Marble Geographics, Mapware.ai, and Surfer from Golden Software are additional drone mapping programs that provide a free trial.
Conclusion
Please leave a comment if you learn of any drone mapping programs that are free, inexpensive, or offer a free trial so I can update this list.
A growing variety of software applications will hit the market as drone mapping becomes more popular, many of which will be catered to certain sectors like agricultural, public safety, or construction.
