Propeller vs Pix4D price at a glance
Pix4D figures come from Pix4D's own pricing pages, billed yearly in USD. Propeller figures come from Propeller's online store and help center. Both were checked in October 2026, and either vendor can change them, so get the number in writing before you sign.
| What you compare | Propeller | Pix4D | DroneMapping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processing and measuring software | Propeller Platform, quoted by sales | PIX4Dmapper $3,990 a year, PIX4Dmatic $2,290 to $4,990 a year | Starter $588, Team $1,488, Business $3,588 a year |
| Cloud sharing and site timeline | Part of the Platform | PIX4Dcloud Starter $1,290 a year, Pro $4,490 a year | Included in every plan |
| Ground control | AeroPoints, $1,000 each or $5,000 for 5 | Any GCP file you survey | Any GCP and checkpoint file |
| Control corrections | $999 a year per AeroPoint group after year one, bundled with a Platform or PPK license | None | None |
| PPK | $2,200 upgrade | Supported in the desktop apps | RTK and PPK geotags read from the photos |
| Cut and fill against a design | Core feature | PIX4Dcloud Pro, DXF and IFC overlay | Team plan |
| Who can use it | Set in the quote | One device per desktop license, unlimited users on PIX4Dcloud | 3, 10 or 25 seats |
| Hardware for processing | None, cloud | A Windows workstation with an NVIDIA card for the desktop apps | None, cloud |
The only Propeller software number in public is anecdotal. A construction surveyor on the RPLS forum reported a quote of $9,000 for 30 flights a year, which works out to $300 a flight. Treat that as one data point from an older thread, not a price list.
How much does Propeller cost compared with Pix4D?
For a typical earthworks setup, Propeller starts with about $5,000 in AeroPoints plus a platform quote, while Pix4D starts at $3,990 a year for PIX4Dmapper on one workstation. The gap is the shape of the bill: Propeller is a contract with hardware and a renewal, and Pix4D is a printed subscription that leaves the workstation and the field control to you.
Is Propeller cheaper than Pix4D?
Usually not on paper, because Pix4D's desktop license has no image limit and Propeller's price includes hardware and a service contract. Propeller can still cost less in total when it saves field and office hours, since AeroPoints remove the rover walk to every target and the platform produces cut and fill without a CAD technician. Compare quotes on a full year of your own flights, not on list prices.
What you actually pay for with Propeller
Propeller sells a workflow, not a license. The Platform processes your photos in the cloud, builds the 3D site, and gives superintendents volumes, cut and fill against design, haul road grades and a timeline of every survey. AeroPoints are its answer to ground control: you drop the smart targets, fly, and Propeller corrects their positions for you.
The bill follows that workflow. You buy the AeroPoints up front, the first 12 months of their processing are included, and from year two the standalone subscription is $999 a year per group unless your Platform or PPK license bundles it. Propeller's help center says AeroPoints keep collecting data after a lapse, but you cannot process or download new data until you renew. Our Propeller Aero pricing breakdown lists every published line.
What you actually pay for with Pix4D
Pix4D sells tools, and you assemble the workflow. PIX4Dmapper at $3,990 a year makes orthomosaics, surfaces, contours and a GCP quality report on your own Windows PC, with no image cap. PIX4Dcloud adds browser sharing, volume comparison over time and a DXF or IFC design overlay on the Pro plan at $4,490 a year, but it runs on credits: Pro's 2,500 credits cover about 12,500 photos a year from a 20 MP camera. Most earthworks firms that choose Pix4D end up paying for both, which our PIX4Dcloud vs PIX4Dmapper comparison prices out.
Pix4D also leaves the ground control to you. If the firm owns an RTK rover and someone who sets targets, that costs nothing new. If not, you buy control hardware somewhere else.
What a 3-person earthworks team pays over 3 years
Take a site contractor with two active jobs: a survey lead, an estimator and a superintendent. They fly each site weekly, about 6,000 photos a month with a 20 MP drone, and need monthly stockpile volumes and cut and fill against the design surface.
| Cost over 3 years | Propeller | PIX4Dmapper plus PIX4Dcloud Pro | DroneMapping Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software | Platform quote, not published | $11,970 for PIX4Dmapper and $13,470 for PIX4Dcloud Pro | $4,464 at $1,488 a year |
| Ground control | $5,000 for 5 AeroPoints, renewal bundled with the Platform | Your existing rover and targets | Your existing rover and targets |
| Credits or image limits | Set in the quote | Cloud credits cover about 12,500 of the 72,000 photos flown each year, so most processing stays on the desktop | 15,000 photos a month included |
| Workstation | Not needed | One Windows PC with an NVIDIA card | Not needed |
| People who can measure | Per quote | One at the desktop, everyone in the cloud | 10 seats |
| Known total before quotes and hardware | $5,000 plus the Platform | $25,440 | $4,464 |
The honest read: Pix4D's printed total looks high here because the cut and fill and design overlay sit on PIX4Dcloud Pro. A firm that only needs surfaces and volumes can drop to PIX4Dmapper alone at $11,970 over three years. Propeller's total depends entirely on the quote, and the AeroPoints have real value on a big site where walking a rover to every target eats a morning.
When Propeller is the better buy
- Your work is earthworks, aggregates or haul roads, and the people reading the results are superintendents, not surveyors.
- You do not own GNSS equipment, and AeroPoints are cheaper than a rover plus someone to run it.
- You want a vendor to own the workflow end to end, including support and training.
- You are fine signing a quoted, multi-year contract.
If you go that way, read the renewal terms closely. Put the renewal date, the price escalator and the AeroPoints subscription terms into whatever contract management software your office uses, so the processing does not stop on a busy week.
When Pix4D is the better buy
- You have a survey analyst who wants manual control over calibration, GCP marking and the quality report.
- You fly a lot of imagery and want desktop processing with no meter.
- You already own a Windows workstation with an NVIDIA card, and an RTK rover for control.
- You also process thermal or multispectral imagery with Pix4D's templates.
Before you sign, check which product you actually need, because PIX4Dmapper and PIX4Dmatic are priced differently. Our Pix4D alternative page shows what a three-person team pays across the whole Pix4D line.
When a plan with seats costs less than both
Propeller and Pix4D each make you buy something extra: a quote plus hardware on one side, a desktop license plus a cloud subscription on the other. DroneMapping prints one price that covers processing, measuring and sharing. Team at $249 a month or $1,488 a year includes 10 seats, 15,000 photos a month, GCP and checkpoint reports, DXF and SHP contours, stockpile PDFs and cut and fill software against your design surface.
What we do not do: one flight takes up to 500 photos, so a large site goes up as several flights, and we do not sell control hardware or process LiDAR. If you already compared the two cloud platforms, our DroneDeploy vs Propeller page covers that pairing.