Home / Compare / DroneDeploy vs Propeller
DroneDeploy vs Propeller
Two drone-based site measurement platforms. DroneDeploy spans aerial and ground (360) capture with AI add-ons; Propeller focuses on earthwork survey and production. Vendor-published facts only.
DESK RESEARCH, NOT TESTED. Compiled from vendors' public websites (accessed Oct 14, 2026). Vendor claims are not verified by Means & Methods Lab. No scores or rankings.
Side by side
| Sheet row | DroneDeploy | Propeller |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reality capture (aerial & ground) | Drone survey & earthwork measurement |
| AI role (our label) | AI features added to established product | Not AI-first |
| What it does | Reality capture platform combining drones (including docked drones), 360° cameras, robots, fixed cameras, and smartphones. Aerial plans cover maps, 3D models, design overlays, and earthworks cut/fill; Ground plans cover 360 walks, BIM/drawing overlays, and phone-based 3D scans. Add-ons include Progress AI (progress reports from 360 walks and aerial imagery, no 3D model required) and Safety AI (OSHA risk detection). Integrations: Procore, Autodesk, Esri, and others. Vendor says it is SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 certified and is used on 3 million sites in 180 countries (vendor claims). | Cloud, map-based site platform that combines surface data from drones, GNSS rovers, total stations, and handheld scanners to measure volumes, distances, heights, and grades, overlay CAD designs, track daily production, and organize site documents. Products: Propeller (core hub), survey processing (photogrammetry and lidar), DirtMate (GNSS receiver for machine telematics), and AeroPoints (smart ground control points). Integrations listed include Trimble Connect, Procore, Autodesk BIM 360/Build, Aconex, OneDrive, and HCSS. The homepage does not describe AI features, so we tag it Not AI-first. |
| Who it's for | General contractors, civil and infrastructure teams, owners, and engineering/specialty firms. | Earthmoving, civil, mining, aggregates, and waste-management site teams. |
| Pricing (as publicly stated) | Team plans are custom quotes. Individual Flight & Analysis plan $4,188 billed annually (single admin user). 14-day free trial. (Checked Oct 14, 2026.) | Not publicly listed (14-day free trial offered). |
| Test status | Not tested. No scores. | Not tested. No scores. |
| Vendor links | ||
| Sources |
Facts last checked: Oct 14, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor page before relying on them.
Where the vendor descriptions differ
- Capture: DroneDeploy covers drones (including docked), 360 cameras, robots, fixed cameras, and phones. Propeller combines drones, GNSS rovers, total stations, and handheld scanners, with its own AeroPoints ground control and DirtMate machine receivers.
- Earthwork: both describe cut/fill against design surfaces and volume measurement. DroneDeploy's Aerial Pro lists automated GCP tagging and expert map review.
- AI: DroneDeploy sells Progress AI and Safety AI add-ons. Propeller's homepage does not describe AI.
- Integrations: both list Procore and Autodesk; Propeller also lists Trimble Connect, Aconex, and HCSS.
- Pricing: DroneDeploy lists an individual pilot plan at $4,188/year and quotes team plans; both offer 14-day free trials. Propeller does not list prices.
Paraphrased from the sources listed above. Vendor claims are reported as claims.
What we can't tell you yet
Which tool is better for your work. That needs testing on the same package with a verified answer key. Planned measures for this comparison:
- Volume agreement against a surveyed surface on the same stockpile
- Hours from flight to usable quantities
See the methodology and leaderboard status.
Related
- Category hub: Heavy civil estimating & earthwork takeoff tools
- Compare: Togal.AI vs Kreo
- Compare: HCSS HeavyBid vs B2W Estimate
- Compare: AGTEK vs Trimble Business Center
- Compare: Document Crunch vs Provision
- Compare: Nomic vs Buildcheck vs InspectMind
- Compare: Exayard vs Togal.AI
- Compare: Beam AI vs Civils.ai
- Compare: Downtobid vs BuildingConnected
- Compare: Bluebeam Max vs Nomic
- Compare: STACK vs Handoff AI
- Compare: Countfire vs Exayard
- Compare: ALICE vs nPlan
- Compare: OpenSpace vs Buildots
- Compare: PlanHub vs ConstructConnect
- Compare: Trunk Tools vs Provision
- Compare: Doxel vs Buildots
- Compare: Kreo vs Exayard
- Compare: Handoff AI vs Beam AI
- Compare: ALICE vs Karmen
- Compare: nPlan vs SmartPM
- Compare: Part3 vs AutoSpecs
- Compare: Firmus vs Buildcheck
- Compare: Propeller vs AGTEK
- Compare: SitesAI Estimate vs Foreman AI
- Compare: DESTINI Estimator vs Ediphi
- Compare: viAct vs Intenseye
- Compare: Tenna vs Trackunit
- Compare: Tenna vs Tenderd
- Compare: Bedrock Robotics vs Gravis Robotics
- Compare: One Click LCA vs EC3
- Compare: HammerTech vs WakeCap
- Compare: MaintainX vs Brightly
- Compare: Raken vs CompanyCam
- Compare: Fieldwire vs PlanRadar
- Compare: Outbuild vs Planera
- Compare: Voxel vs Intenseye
- Compare: Track3D vs Buildots
- Compare: Cintoo vs DroneDeploy
- Compare: viAct vs Voxel
- Compare: Civils.ai vs Exayard
- Compare: Togal.AI vs STACK
- Compare: Karmen vs Planera
- Compare: Outbuild vs SmartPM
- Compare: WakeCap vs viAct
- Compare: Samsara vs Tenna
- Compare: Built Robotics vs Bedrock Robotics
- Compare: OpenSpace vs DroneDeploy
- Compare: Reconstruct vs OpenSpace
- Compare: Procore AI vs Autodesk Assistant
- Compare: Dodge One vs ConstructConnect
- Compare: Shovels vs Dodge One
- Compare: C.Scale vs One Click LCA
- Compare: Trayd vs Miter
- Compare: Riskcast vs Raken
- Compare: Pelles AI vs Trunk Tools
- Compare: Kwant.ai vs WakeCap
- Compare: Skydio vs DroneDeploy
- Compare: Matterport vs Cintoo
- Compare: Reconstruct vs Track3D
- Compare: CivCheck vs CodeComply.AI
- Compare: PermitFlow vs GreenLite
- Compare: Civ Robotics vs Dusty Robotics
- Compare: Okibo vs KEWAZO
- Compare: Rebar vs Countfire
- Compare: Rebar vs Pelles AI
- Compare: Davis AI vs TestFit
- Compare: TraceAir vs TestFit
- Compare: Trendspek vs ConeLabs
- Compare: Citylogix vs Trendspek
- Compare: Voliro vs Skydio
- Compare: SmartPM vs Document Crunch
- Compare: SewerAI vs ITpipes
- Compare: Exodigo vs GroundedAI
- Compare: Sitewire vs Built Technologies
- Compare: Converge vs Giatec
- Compare: Cloud Cycle vs Giatec MixPilot
- Compare: CivilGrid vs Exodigo
- Compare: OneCrew vs HCSS HeavyBid
- Compare: All3 vs Reframe Systems
- Compare: Reds10 vs All3
- Compare: Reframe Systems vs Reds10
- Compare: Foldcast vs Strong by Form
Means & Methods Lab has no commercial relationship with any vendor on this page. Rankings and placement are never for sale. See how we make money.