Pointly

Pointly is a LiDAR processing service that classifies large airborne, mobile and terrestrial point clouds and converts them into vector deliverables. It suits surveying and geospatial teams running repeatable production jobs, especially when an API, custom classes or an in-network deployment matters. The trade-off is a usage and package structure that requires careful matching of point volumes to the right plan.

Overview

Pointly accepts LAS and LAZ point clouds and returns classified LAS or LAZ files plus DXF, Shapefile, CSV or GeoJSON vectors. That makes it useful when classification must feed both point-cloud workflows and conventional GIS or CAD deliverables.

Processing is hybrid: AI classification can be combined with rule-based validation against geometry, semantic rules and reference data, with quality control where required. This is a stronger proposition than classification alone for projects that need checked outputs before delivery.

Pointly can adapt an existing classifier to a customer's class catalog within a day, while training is quoted per project. That supports domain-specific categories, but the training cost sits outside the recurring plans.

Key features

• Broad LiDAR coverage: Airborne, mobile and terrestrial data are supported, so one service can cover varied capture programs rather than a single sensor type.
• API processing: Standard classifiers have no upload ceiling, with billing based on points processed. This suits automated pipelines and bursty workloads better than a fixed workspace quota.
• Custom classification: The own-class-catalog option and Professional M+ provide a route to customer-specific categories; M+ also includes tailored post-processing.
• Validation and QC: Rule-based checks against geometry, semantic rules and reference data help teams impose project controls on AI output.
• Integrations: Extensions are named for ArcGIS Pro and Bentley MicroStation; the MicroStation extension is available by request.
• Deployment choices: The hosted service runs on Microsoft Azure in the EU by default, with separate tenants in other requested Azure regions. Pointly Box runs the full stack inside the customer's network and can be air gapped, using a hardware-key license.
• Security: Pointly identifies its certification as ISO/IEC 27001:2022, relevant to organizations with formal information-security requirements.
• Free testing: A free account allows three uploads of up to 15 MPoints each using standard classifiers. The limit can be raised on request, but it is a small allowance for large production datasets.

Pricing

Pointly uses freemium pricing. The free account is suitable for trying standard classifiers on three files, while paid plans start at €99 per month and workspace prices are net, excluding VAT.

Workspace packages are sold to companies. Upload is blocked once the included point volume is reached, with no overage billing, so Professional S and M are predictable but can interrupt work when their monthly caps are consumed. API plans avoid an upload ceiling but make costs rise directly with throughput. Pointly Box usage pricing offers unlimited parallel jobs, whereas the annual license limits parallel jobs to three unless upgraded.

Platforms

Pointly is offered through a web platform and API, with self-hosted deployment through Pointly Box. EU Azure hosting is the default for the hosted service; separate Azure-region tenants can address other residency requirements. The on-premise, air-gapped option is the better fit for networks that cannot send point clouds to a hosted environment.

Who it's for

Choose Pointly for surveying, mapping and geospatial organizations processing substantial LiDAR volumes, needing vector exports, or enforcing validation and QC around automated classification. Professional S is the entry point for a team within 500 MPoints per month; Professional M targets five-million-point monthly workloads; M+ is for that volume plus one custom class catalog and tailored post-processing. API plans fit software pipelines and variable workloads, while Enterprise and managed service suit project-led procurement. The free account is mainly for limited evaluation, not full-scale datasets.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Supports airborne, mobile and terrestrial LiDAR with LAS/LAZ input and multiple GIS/CAD vector outputs.
• Pro: Hybrid AI and rule-based validation can add defensible checks to automated classification.
• Pro: API, EU-hosted and air-gapped on-premise options cover different integration and security constraints.
• Con: The free allowance is limited to three 15-MPoint files, which is unlikely to represent a large production job.
• Con: Professional plans have hard monthly point caps, and prices exclude VAT.
• Con: Custom model training, managed service and Enterprise require project or custom quotes, complicating budget comparison.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of point-cloud tools, see Point Cloud Software.

• Point Cloud Library is free under BSD for commercial and research use and runs on Android, Linux, macOS and Windows; choose it when you want an open library rather than a hosted classification service.
• WhiteboxTools offers free open tools with more than 700 tools through Python, R or QGIS, plus a LiDAR and Forest Analytics entry plan at $740 a year; it fits users who prefer a broad desktop or scripting toolkit.
• LidarView is open source under Apache 2.0 with no licensing fees on Linux and Windows, making it a free alternative for users who do not need Pointly's managed AI workflow.
• Open3D is a free API and toolkit across Linux, macOS, Windows, web and self-hosted environments; consider it for programmable 3D processing.
• LP360 targets web and Windows users, with DJI cloud batch processing at $620 a year and Cloud Collaborate at $930 a year; it is the alternative to assess for DJI-oriented workflows.
• Entwine is a free Linux option.
• Leica Cyclone 3DR is a paid Windows application with a free plan.
• PDAL is a free point-cloud option for Linux, macOS and Windows.

Verdict

Pointly is a strong choice for professional LiDAR teams that need automated classification, validated workflows, vector exports and a choice of API, EU hosting or air-gapped deployment. Choose it when your point volumes and class requirements justify the per-million-point or monthly package costs. Look elsewhere if you need an unrestricted free toolkit, a general-purpose viewer, or pricing that does not depend on quotas, custom quotes and VAT-exclusive terms.