Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

COLMAP VS OpenSfM

Compare COLMAP VS OpenSfM and see what are their differences

COLMAP logo COLMAP

Image-based 3D reconstruction pipeline with a graphical and command-line interface

OpenSfM logo OpenSfM

Open source Structure from Motion pipeline
  • COLMAP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-17
  • OpenSfM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-29

COLMAP features and specs

  • Comprehensive Toolkit
    COLMAP offers a wide range of features for 3D reconstruction, including Structure-from-Motion and Multi-View Stereo, allowing users to handle complete reconstruction pipelines.
  • Open Source
    COLMAP is open source, enabling users to study, modify, and adapt the code to fit their specific needs without licensing costs.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The software runs on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide user base.
  • High Accuracy
    COLMAP is known for producing precise and accurate reconstructions due to its advanced algorithms.
  • Active Community
    There is an active user and developer community that provides support, tutorials, and documentation, facilitating new users to get started.

Possible disadvantages of COLMAP

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find COLMAP challenging to master due to its comprehensive set of features and complex workflows.
  • High Computational Requirements
    The software demands significant computational resources for processing, which may limit its use on less powerful systems.
  • Interface Complexity
    The user interface can be overwhelming for beginners, as it presents a wide array of options and settings.
  • Limited Real-Time Capabilities
    COLMAP is not designed for real-time processing or applications, focusing instead on high-quality offline reconstruction.
  • Sparse Documentation
    While there is community support, the official documentation may not cover all user scenarios extensively, requiring users to seek information from multiple sources.

OpenSfM features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenSfM is open source, allowing developers to modify and adapt the software to meet specific needs without licensing costs.
  • Community Support
    Being open source, it benefits from a community of users and contributors who can provide support, report issues, and submit improvements.
  • Scalability
    The software is designed to handle datasets of varying sizes, making it suitable for both small and large-scale projects.
  • Compatibility
    OpenSfM is compatible with various data formats and can be integrated into workflows involving other photogrammetric and mapping tools.
  • Feature Richness
    The platform provides a comprehensive set of features for 3D reconstruction, such as feature extraction, matching, and optimization.

Possible disadvantages of OpenSfM

  • Complexity
    OpenSfM may have a steep learning curve for beginners, requiring users to have some understanding of photogrammetry and 3D reconstruction concepts.
  • Resource Intensive
    The processes involved in structure from motion can be computationally intensive, requiring powerful hardware for optimal performance.
  • Limited Documentation
    The documentation may not be comprehensive, which could pose challenges for new users trying to implement or customize the software.
  • No Commercial Support
    As an open source project, there is no dedicated commercial support, which might be a drawback for enterprise applications requiring guaranteed support services.
  • Dependency Management
    Setting up OpenSfM might require managing various dependencies, which can be challenging for users unfamiliar with software development environments.

COLMAP videos

Free Photogrammetry: Photos to model in 6 minutes with COLMAP

OpenSfM videos

OpenSFM 3D model - superman VS doomsday

More videos:

  • Review - Photogrammetry test - opensfm & openmvs

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to COLMAP and OpenSfM)
3D
66 66%
34% 34
Architecture
75 75%
25% 25
Photos & Graphics
45 45%
55% 55
Freelance
75 75%
25% 25

User comments

Share your experience with using COLMAP and OpenSfM. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, COLMAP seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

COLMAP mentions (1)

  • How to do Structure from motion (SfM) from a video in Blender?
    First there's COLMAP that seems to be able to work with SfM data. And then there's Blender-Addon-Photgrammetry-Importer which can take the output of COLMAP and import that into blender. Source: over 2 years ago

OpenSfM mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of OpenSfM yet. Tracking of OpenSfM recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing COLMAP and OpenSfM, you can also consider the following products

Regard3D - Regard3D is a free, multiplatform, open-source structure-from-motion application.

Skycatch - Commercial drone data solutions for modern businesses.

3DF Zephyr - Next up in my series of Photogrammetry Software Reviews — after ReMake, PhotoScan & RealityCapture — is 3DF Zephyr (including the Free version).

ContextCapture - Acute3D develops breakthrough photogrammetry software solutions to automatically turn photos into photorealistic high resolution 3D models

Botlink - Botlink enables users to fly drones, create aerial maps, and automatically sync those maps with...

Pix4Dmapper - Photogrammetry software for professional drone-based mapping, purely from images.