SkyeBrowse vs Pix4D: Video-to-3D vs Photo-Based Drone Mapping

Pix4D is a Swiss photogrammetry company with six separate products for drone mapping, agriculture, surveying, and emergency response. SkyeBrowse is a single cloud platform that converts standard video into 3D models using patented videogrammetry. One requires you to choose among overlapping tools and plan photo-based flights. The other takes any video and delivers a model in minutes.

Contents

• Capture Input
• Processing Speed
• Hardware Requirements
• Accuracy and Measurement
• Operator Training
• Pricing
• Compliance and Data Security
• Feature-by-Feature Comparison
• The Bottom Line
• Related Comparisons
• Get a SkyeBrowse Recommendation

Capture Input

Pix4D's workflow starts with a planned drone flight. Operators program grid or orbital patterns, capture geotagged nadir or oblique photos, and optionally survey ground control points before capture begins. Photo quality, overlap percentage, and GCP placement all directly affect output quality. Even Pix4Dreact, designed for emergency speed, still requires photo capture as the input format. Across the entire Pix4D product family, the fundamental requirement is the same: planned, structured photo acquisition.

SkyeBrowse accepts any .MP4 or .MOV video from any device. A drone orbit, a smartphone walkthrough, a body-worn camera recording, a 360-degree camera sweep. No flight planning software, no overlap calculations, no GCP placement. Universal Upload means the capture device you already own works. The question is not "which Pix4D product handles my input" but "do you have a video file?" If yes, SkyeBrowse processes it.

Processing Speed

Pix4Dmapper processes on the operator's desktop. A typical construction site survey takes 30 minutes to several hours depending on photo count and hardware. Pix4Dcloud offloads some compute but still requires structured photo input. Pix4Dreact is faster, but "faster within photo-based photogrammetry" still means meaningfully slower than video-based cloud processing. Every Pix4D product processes photos in sequential stages that the operator must manage.

SkyeBrowse processes in the cloud at a 1:1 ratio. Ten minutes of video produces a finished 3D model in roughly ten minutes. No sequential stages. No operator intervention during processing. For crash scenes where lane closures cost thousands per hour and officers are pulled from patrol, the gap between Pix4D's "30 minutes to hours" and SkyeBrowse's "minutes" is measured in dollars and staffing.

Hardware Requirements

Pix4Dmapper requires a powerful desktop workstation with a dedicated GPU, fast storage, and substantial RAM. Pix4Dcloud reduces local compute needs but still requires photo planning tools and a capable upload machine. Organizations using multiple Pix4D products need infrastructure to support each one. A processing-capable workstation runs $2,000 to $5,000+, and it must be maintained alongside the software licenses.

SkyeBrowse requires a web browser and an internet connection. No desktop installation. No GPU. No dedicated workstation. A patrol car laptop, a field tablet, or a smartphone handles the entire workflow from upload to model review. The hardware investment is zero.

Need help deciding whether Pix4D or SkyeBrowse fits your team’s workflow? Reach out and we can map the right approach to your mission, staffing model, and timeline.

Accuracy and Measurement

Pix4Dmapper with properly surveyed GCPs produces survey-grade orthomosaics and point clouds. That survey-grade accuracy is real, but it requires licensed surveyors, GCP equipment, and correct software configuration. Pix4Dreact trades accuracy for speed, producing usable but not survey-grade results. Across the product line, accuracy is a function of which Pix4D product you use, how skilled your operator is, and whether GCPs were deployed.

SkyeBrowse delivers consistent, tier-based accuracy independent of operator skill. Premium Advanced achieves 16K resolution with 0.1-inch accuracy and AI moving object removal. Premium provides 8K resolution at 0.25-inch accuracy. Lite delivers 2-6 inch accuracy for quick reference. These specifications hold regardless of who operates the camera because the cloud pipeline standardizes every reconstruction variable. No GCPs required for court-admissible results.

Operator Training

Pix4D's ecosystem is powerful but fragmented. A new user must first determine which of six products (Mapper, Cloud, Matic, React, Fields, Survey) applies to their use case. Then they must learn that product's specific interface, photo capture requirements, processing options, and export settings. Training to proficiency on Pix4Dmapper takes days to weeks. Understanding quality reports, coordinate reference systems, and GCP workflows adds more time. Agencies that rotate field personnel cannot maintain this knowledge across the roster.

SkyeBrowse trains operators in a single session. Record video. Upload. Review the model. One platform, one workflow. Police officers, firefighters, adjusters, and construction superintendents produce models on their first capture. When you need forty people documenting scenes across shifts instead of two Pix4D specialists running desktop software, SkyeBrowse scales without the training bottleneck.

Pricing

Pix4D's pricing reflects its fragmented product line. Pix4Dmapper costs approximately $4,990 as a perpetual license. Pix4Dcloud runs $300 to $500 per month. Pix4Dreact, Pix4Dfields, and Pix4Dmatic each carry separate pricing. An organization using multiple Pix4D products across departments faces cumulative licensing costs that compound fast. Add the $2,000-$5,000 workstation for Mapper and the total cost of ownership rises well above the sticker price.

SkyeBrowse offers a single subscription tiered by output quality. Lite, Premium, and Premium Advanced. Every tier includes cloud processing, AWS GovCloud hosting, browser-based sharing, and 5-year data retention. No per-product licensing. No hardware investment. Scene documentation drops from $360 (3 hours, 4 officers) to $25 (10 minutes, 1 operator).

Compliance and Data Security

Pix4D's products have no public safety compliance certifications. Pix4Dmapper stores data locally. Pix4Dcloud uses commercial cloud infrastructure. Neither path provides CJIS compliance, FedRAMP alignment, or guaranteed evidence retention out of the box. Agencies must build their own compliance layer around the software, adding cost and procurement complexity.

SkyeBrowse is built for public safety from the ground up. AWS GovCloud (US) hosting with FedRAMP Moderate alignment. CJIS-compliant workflows with audit trails and controlled sharing. 5-year guaranteed data retention on Premium and Premium Advanced tiers. Exports in LAZ (forensic reconstruction), GLB (courtroom presentations), and GeoTIFF (GIS integration). For any agency where compliance is a procurement requirement, SkyeBrowse checks every box that Pix4D leaves empty.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

The Bottom Line

Pix4D built an impressive ecosystem for surveyors and agriculture analysts who need survey-grade deliverables from planned drone flights. SkyeBrowse built a single platform for operational teams that need a 3D model from any video, in minutes, with built-in compliance. For public safety, construction, and insurance teams, SkyeBrowse replaces six products with one and eliminates every friction point in the process.

Related Comparisons

• SkyeBrowse vs DroneDeploy
• SkyeBrowse vs Agisoft Metashape
• SkyeBrowse vs Propeller Aero

Get a SkyeBrowse Recommendation

SkyeBrowse converts video into measurable 3D models through a single cloud platform. No flight planning, no GCPs, no desktop processing. If your team needs fast, compliant documentation from any capture device, request a demo.