There’s a huge difference in pricing between 3D scanners, which is affected by factors including:

1. Size and complexity of the object you want to scan
2. The scanner type and technology
3. 3D scan quality (accuracy, resolution)
4. Time the project takes (for renting a 3D scanner)
5. The ability to 3D scan in color
6. Shipping costs
7. Software and post-processing

Fortunately, there are scanners for all budgets and applications, and we’ll explain in more detail what specs and uses you can expect in each price range.

Here’s How Much Each Type of 3D Scanner Costs

To better understand the cost associated with 3D scanners, we’re diving into the different types of 3D scanners you can buy.

Entry-Level 3D Scanners: Under $1,000

3D scanners priced under $1,000 are considered entry-level and are aimed at hobbyists and small businesses with modest needs.

Though we have a dedicated guide to the best cheap 3D scanners, here are some of the top-rated scanners in this price range:

These low-cost scanners work well for applications like 3D printing, basic digital archiving, product modeling for e-commerce, basic design work, and simple AR/VR. They rarely capture with accuracy below 0.1 mm, limiting the detail level they can reproduce in scan results. This limits their applications beyond hobbyist fun projects.

They are by no means geared to professional or industrial applications like reverse engineering, that demand uncompromising dimensional accuracy and scan quality.

For the lower price, you also sacrifice usability. While professional-grade scanners allow you to scan an entire object with a single press of a button, scanning with low-cost models is time-consuming, and scan times tend to be much longer due to slower capture speeds, which rarely go higher than 30 FPS.

That said, for under $1,000, you can still expect features like full-color scanning, robust post-processing software, handheld/static scan modes, anti-shake technology to improve scan quality, and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity to speed up data transfer speeds after scanning an object.

We cover a number of scanners in this price range in our top 3D scanners buying guide.

You can even use your phone as a 3D scanner. Even more basic Android models and older iPhones can use photogrammetry 3D scanning apps to create 3D models, and the newer iPhones have LiDAR sensors for better quality 3D scanning. However, these are still not as high quality as specialist 3D laser scanners.

Handheld 3D Scanners: $2,000 to $30,000

Handheld 3D scanners are designed for portability and mobility – without sacrificing quality. Prices for professional handheld 3D scanners range anywhere from $2,000 to $30,000. Many jewelry scanners also fall into this category.

Typically, handheld and professional 3D scanners are used for reverse engineering, conservation work, digital archiving, jewelry design and repair, floor plans, interior design, and product design in the automotive and aerospace fields.

Professional scanners offer much better accuracy than lower-cost options. Expect around 0.5 mm as standard, dropping as low as 0.04 mm for the pricier options. With this level of detail, you can capture the intricacies of both large and small objects, such as engine parts, intricate jewelry, and subtle facial details. They also excel in use cases like inspection and quality control.

Here’s a selection of the most popular handheld 3D scanners on the market:

Industrial 3D Scanners: $10,000+

Industrial 3D scanners are top-of-the-range scanners that cost upwards of $10,000. 

Due to their price, industrial scanners are typically reserved for larger businesses specializing in specific fields where extreme accuracies and tight tolerances are essential. These include:

• Reverse engineering
• Product design
• Architecture
• Rapid prototyping
• CGI, and AR/VR
• Scientific measurements
• Automobile and aerospace applications

These commercial 3D scanners have the highest accuracy, resolution, and resolution. Expect an accuracy below as low as (or even lower than) 0.009 mm, which will bring out the smallest surface details with almost flawless dimensional accuracy.

Many also offer larger maximum scan volumes for car, human body, and room scanning. Most also come with commercial software that improves workflow and makes scanning easy, while offering various advanced options to refine and export 3D models.

Here’s a selection of the most popular industrial 3D scanners on the market today:

3D Scanning Service Costs – To Rent

3D scanner services cost anywhere from around $200 for a simple scan of a small object, up to more than $2,000 for large, complex objects. Per-hour costs fall roughly around $150-200/hour in the majority of cases. 

However, these are ballpark figures and prices can vary greatly depending on several factors. For this reason, most 3D scanning services will offer you a specific price based on the project, rather than set pricing.

Here are the factors that affect the cost of 3D scanning:

1. Size and complexity of the object

Larger objects typically take longer to scan than smaller ones, which costs more. 3D scans are made using individually captured frames that are then stitched together to create a finished model. Larger objects involve more frames and time to capture.

However, the complexity of the object also affects the price. For example, an ornate heirloom ring with intricate details, edges, gaps, and a reflective surface will take longer to scan (around 20-30 minutes) than a large object with flat, featureless surfaces like a hammer or wrench (5-10 minutes). 

It’s not just the scanning time that affects cost, either. It will also take longer to process and post-process the ring 3D model, which adds to the cost.

2. Time the project takes

Because 3D scanning services typically work on an hourly basis, projects that require more hours to complete will cost more than fast scans. 

For example, if you’re scanning an entire house for a real estate listing, expect to pay upwards of $3,000, while if you want to scan a single part, for example a radiator grill, budget for between $500 to $800.

3. Color scanning

A full-color scan with texture and surface details typically adds to the overall price. Color is generally needed for applications like digital media, e-commerce, VR/AR, and game design. 

The extra cost comes from the extra time needed to set up suitable lighting for the scanning process and the more demanding post-processing of scan data.

4. Shipping costs

It’s important to factor in the cost of sending an object to the service if you cannot deliver it in person. 

Larger objects incur higher shipping fees, as do multi-object projects. For example, shipping a 50lb object in an extra large box with Fedex from New York to Boston costs around $200.

5. Software, post-processing, and additional services

Though some services will give customers the raw scan data, most factor software and post-processing into their costs to finish the 3D model. 

Many also offer additional services such as CAD modeling, color texturing, and texture mapping, which add to the cost. Expect to pay an additional $100-$200 for these, though the complexity and size of the part factor here as well.

6. Scanner type, quality, and resolution

The better quality and more expensive the scanner costs, the more expensive the service will be. Pricier scanners offer better dimensional accuracy and precision, so you get what you pay for.

A hobbyist using a budget scanner like the CR-Scan Ferret may charge $15 per object, while an established service running a Artec Micro II may charge $300 for the same scan.

7. Service fees

3D scanning costs are also affected by what we’ll call “service fees,” which include:

• Manual labor costs
• The expertise of the operator and the cost put into their training
• Maintenance and running costs, such as repairs, utility costs, unforeseen issues, and the depreciation of the 3D scanner

Should You Buy Or Rent a 3D Scanner?

Given the cost of hiring a 3D scanning service, there is a point where it becomes more cost-effective to buy one outright. You need to evaluate how often you need to use the 3D scanner, and how complex the objects are, to gauge whether it’s better value to rent or buy.

For example, if you were to scan two fairly large and complex car parts a week at $800 each, this would cost $1,600 per week, or $6,400 a month. 

If you were to buy an industrial-grade scanner like the Einscan Pro HD for $5,000, you’d recoup the cost in less than a month. If you opted for a more precise model like the Artec Eva for $16,000, you would pay off the cost in less than three months.

Of course, this requires the skill to operate the 3D scanner (or training costs to gain this expertise). It’s hard to pin an exact number on these, but setting aside $500 a month for repairs is sensible. The scanner will also depreciate and lose value over time, but overall, for heavy users even with these costs factored in, buying a 3D scanner is cheaper than renting.

If you need to scan lots of objects within a short period of time, and then have months where you don’t need to scan at all, renting a 3D scanner is better. For example, Artec offers a rental service, which costs roughly $300 a day for the Artec Eva.

If you’re looking to buy a 3D scanner, I recommend reading our reviews and recommendations. We’ve broken these down into different categories:

• The best professional and industrial 3D scanners
• The best lower-cost 3D scanners

The best 3D scanner overall right now is the Revopoint POP 3. 

In our hands-on tests, the POP 3 outperformed all other 3D scanners in its price range, and overall it’s one of the most portable, versatile, and accurate 3D scanners under $1,000.

For a super budget scanner, you can go either for the older Revopoint POP 2, or the Creality CR Scan Ferret.

Super budget pick	Best under $1000 overall	Premium pick
Creality Scan Ferret	Revopoint POP 3	EinScan Pro HD
$329.00	$659	$8,000-$10,000
3DSourced Rating:	3DSourced Rating:	3DSourced Rating:
3DSourced Rating: 4.2	3DSourced Rating: 4.7	3DSourced Rating: 4.6
Precision: 0.1 mm	Precision: 0.05 mm	Precision: Up to 0.4 mm
Point Distance Resolution: 0.016 mm	Point Distance Resolution: 0.05 mm	Point Distance Resolution: 0.2 - 3 mm
Scan Speed: 30 FPS	Scan Speed: 12-18 FPS	Scan Speed: Up to 30 FPS
Minimum Scan Volume: 50 mm x 50 mm x 50 mm	Minimum Scan Volume: 20 mm x 20 mm x 20 mm	Minimum Scan Volume: 100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm
Single Capture Range: 560 x 820 @ 700 mm	Single Capture Range: 225 mm x 125 mm	Single Capture Range: 209 x 160 mm minimum; 310 x 240 mm maximum
Working Distance: 150 mm - 700 mm	Working Distance: 150 mm - 400 mm	Working Distance: 510 mm
Creality here	Revopoint here	Dynamism here

Super budget pick

Creality Scan Ferret

$329.00

3DSourced Rating:

3DSourced Rating:

4.2

Precision:

0.1 mm

Point Distance Resolution:

0.016 mm

Scan Speed:

30 FPS

Minimum Scan Volume:

50 mm x 50 mm x 50 mm

Single Capture Range:

560 x 820 @ 700 mm

Working Distance:

150 mm - 700 mm

Creality here

Best under $1000 overall

Revopoint POP 3

$659

3DSourced Rating:

3DSourced Rating:

4.7

Precision:

0.05 mm

Point Distance Resolution:

0.05 mm

Scan Speed:

12-18 FPS

Minimum Scan Volume:

20 mm x 20 mm x 20 mm

Single Capture Range:

225 mm x 125 mm

Working Distance:

150 mm - 400 mm

Revopoint here

Premium pick

EinScan Pro HD

$8,000-$10,000

3DSourced Rating:

3DSourced Rating:

4.6

Precision:

Up to 0.4 mm

Point Distance Resolution:

0.2 - 3 mm

Scan Speed:

Up to 30 FPS

Minimum Scan Volume:

100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm

Single Capture Range:

209 x 160 mm minimum; 310 x 240 mm maximum

Working Distance:

510 mm

Dynamism here

For a higher quality scanner:

• For around $1,000 the top pick is the Shining 3D Einstar. 
• The EinScan SP is the best in the $2,000 range.
• And the EinScan Pro HD is the best in the $5K-$10K range.

We have separated our reviews into three main price categories:

• Budget 3D scanners (Under $1,000)
• Professional 3D scanners ($1,000 to $10,000)
• Industrial 3D scanners ($10,000+)

Full Comparison

Budget 3D Scanners (Under $1,000)

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1. Revopoint POP 3: Top Pick Overall

• Price: Check latest price at Revopoint here
• Precision: 0.05 mm
• Point Distance Resolution: 0.05 mm
• Scan Speed: 12-18 FPS
• Minimum Scan Volume: 20 mm x 20 mm x 20 mm
• Single Capture Range: 225 mm x 125 mm
• Working Distance: 150 mm – 400 mm

The Revopoint POP 3 is an upgrade on the excellent POP 2, our previous budget pick based on our hands-on POP 2 test. It balances performance and price to bring quality 3D scanning capabilities to lower budget users.

For the low price, it has a 0.05 mm single-frame precision, 0.05 mm point distance resolution, full-color scanning, and up to 18 FPS capture, all powered by a dual-camera infrared structured light setup. These specifics make it a versatile general-purpose scanner useful for 3D printing modeling, digital media, conservation, design, and AR/VR. 

However, professionals and businesses will find that the performance of the POP 3 is somewhat lacking for precise, low-tolerance applications. This focus on catering to many applications means that the POP 3 tends to tail off when it comes to small objects with intricate details such as jewelry. For that, you’re better served elsewhere with a dedicated small object 3D scanner like the Revopoint MINI.

Baked into the Revopoint POP 3 is ease of use, with a sleek, refined workflow from the actual scanning process all the way to seamless WiFI 6-enabled data transfer then processing and editing a scan in the Revo Scan software. You also get two modes, handheld and static, with all the accessories needed to juggle both depending on your needs.

Virtually every aspect of the POP 2 has been improved for the POP 3, including capture speed, brightness, and color capture, so if you want the best Revopoint has to offer the choice is clear. 

However, if you’re after a budget alternative, the POP 2 is a steal, especially if you’re 3D scanning for a hobby. And, if you want to scan smaller objects, such as jewelry, then go with the Revopoint MINI.

Revopoint POP 3

Scanner Features:

Single-frame precision of up to 0.05mm 

Fast scanning speeds of up to 18 fps

An RGB camera with 30% larger aperture

Better color accuracy

9-axis IMU for a better tracking and frame stitching

Single capture range: 244 x 180mm

Revopoint here

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2. CR-Scan Ferret: Best Budget 3D Scanner For 3D Printing

• Price: Check latest price at Creality here
• Accuracy: 0.1 mm
• Point Distance Resolution: 0.016 mm
• Scan Speed: 30 FPS
• Minimum Scan Volume: 50 mm x 50 mm x 50 mm
• Single Capture Range: 560 x 820 @ 700 mm
• Working Distance: 150 mm – 700 mm

An upgrade on the CR-Scan 01, the CR-Scan Ferret is Creality’s newest affordable 3D scanner for 3D printing enthusiasts. The CR-Scan Ferret is the real deal, with an affordable $329 price tag for hobbyists on a tighter budget.

Despite the price, it’s pretty versatile. The CR-Scan Ferret has a high-accuracy mode to capture small and medium objects like minis and figurines, powered by a 0.1 mm accuracy and 0.16 mm precision for improved dimensional accuracy.

There’s also the wide-range mode, with a roomy 560 x 820 mm single capture range. This is useful for scanning medium to large objects such as statues, furniture, and body scans. If there’s something in the real world you want to 3D print, the CR-Scan Ferret can stitch it into a 3D model.

However, compared to pricier alternatives like the Revopoint POP 3, there’s a noticeable drop in scan quality, and the CR-Scan Ferret’s scan positioning can be a little difficult to master. But, for the price, the quality is higher than what you’d expect, with full-color scanning, a compact handheld design, included tripod, speedy 30 FPS capture, and bright sunlight outdoor scanning capabilities.

If you want a better scanner, consider upgrading to the Scan Ferret Pro. It has Wi-Fi 6 transfers, a slightly crisper 0.1 precision, and anti-shake technology to improve scan results. The Ferret Pro is a solid option for dabbling in AR, e-commerce, basic design, and digital archiving.

Creality Scan Ferret

Creality here

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3. SOL 3D Scanner by Scan Dimension

• 3D scanner price: Check latest price at Amazon here
• Accuracy: up to 0.1 mm
• Scan volume: up to 170 x 170 mm
• Scan speed: 10 min in Turbo mode, 20 min normally

SOL is a desktop laser scanner designed for scanning small yet detailed items, with good accuracy for the price.

The actual scanner itself weighs just 7 pounds, and can scan objects that weigh up to 2kg. This light weight makes it a perfect portable 3D scanner if you’re on the move.

It has two different modes depending on what you’re scanning:

• Near mode: for scanning objects of up to 100 mm in diameter and 100 mm in height.
• Far mode: for scanning objects up to 170 mm in diameter and 170 mm in height.

The SOL boasts an accuracy of around 0.1 mm, extremely good for the price range. You scan objects with their included SOL 3D software, and can then easily export your scans as OBJ or STL files and import them into a 3D slicer for 3D printing.

Danish company Scan Dimension promotes this impressive 3D visualizer not only for makers or hobbyists, but also for entrepreneurs. They sell the SOL 3D scanning camera as a way for entrepreneurs to show their products off with a 360-degree view, with easy ways to share these scans on Facebook.

Additionally, Scan Dimension say the scanner is also perfectly suited for education, for teaching students STEM education through scanning and editing structures.

Overall, it’s well suited as both a 3D scanner for businesses and as a home 3D scanner for hobbyists.

4. Matter and Form V2 MFS1V2: Portable Scanner Under $1,000

• 3D scanner cost: Check latest price at Amazon here / Matterhackers here
• Scan volume: 250 x 180 mm
• Accuracy: within 0.1 mm
• Scan speed: up to 65 seconds

The Matter & Form V2 is an updated version of the original M&F desktop 3D scanner. It uses 2 lasers and an HD-CMOS sensor to produce high-resolution, full-color 3D scans. A main selling point is its portability – all you have to do is fold it up and transport it.

The Matter & Form V2 scans objects in sizes up to 25 cm tall and 18 cm in diameter. It’s compatible with every major OS, so Mac users needn’t worry. It’s accurate up to around 0.1mm, and is easily connectable to your computer through USB to transfer over your scans.

However, it is only a stationary scanner, and can’t be used as a handheld body or face scanner like the Revopoint POP 3 for example can.
For editing scans, the Matter and Form scanner comes with specialized Mfstudio, and Quickscan which boosts scan speed to up to 65 seconds. You can then export the STL files and print them with your 3D printer.

5. Revopoint MINI: Best For Jewelry & Small Objects

• Price: Check latest price at Revopoint here
• Accuracy: 0.05 mm
• Point Distance Resolution: 0.02 mm
• Scan Speed: 10 FPS
• Minimum Scan Volume: 10 mm x 10 mm x 10 mm
• Single Capture Range: 40 x 50 @ 100 mm minimum; 118 x 100 @ 200 mm maximum
• Working Distance: 100 – 200 mm

The Revopoint MINI is designed exclusively for scanning small, detail-rich, and intricate objects. Applications include jewelry replication, design, and repair, scanning miniatures for 3D printing, reverse engineering small mechanical parts, and conservation of small artifacts and other historical objects.

This ability to capture small objects with excellent dimensional accuracy and true-to-life details is down to a combination of a 0.5 mm single-frame accuracy, 0.2 mm point distance resolution, and 0.2 mm single-frame precision. 

These are specs rarely seen in this price range. It can scan objects as small as 10 x 10 x 10 mm, for example, small rings and gemstones. When I tested the Revopoint POP 2, and the POP 3, neither could scan objects this small with any kind of detail. This makes the MINI all the more impressive.

However, the Revopoint MINI performs poorly when scanning medium-sized objects, so I still recommend a more general scanner like the POP 3 if you want to scan different-sized objects.

If you’re a small business, jeweler, or enthusiast with a decent budget dabbling in areas where the Revopoint MINI shines, I recommend it as one of the best 3D scanners for small objects and jewelry.

Revopoint Mini

$799

Revopoint here

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Professional 3D Scanners ($1,000 to $10,000)

6. Shining 3D EinScan SE: Best Under $2,000

• Price: Check latest price at Amazon here / Dynamism here
• Scan accuracy: within 0.1 mm for single shots
• Scan range: single scan = 200 x 150 mm, maximum scan range = 700 x 700 mm
• Scan speed: a single shot is under 8 seconds

Shining 3D have made a name for themselves in the medium-range 3D scanning sector, with cheaper options such as the EinScan-SE as well as more expensive scanners like the EinScan Pro 2X Plus.

The EinScan SE is one of the best 3D object scanners in its price range. It scans in around 8 seconds (versus 4 seconds for the EinScan SP) and can complete a whole 360-degree scan in its Automatic Scan mode in around 2 minutes.

It can scan objects up to around 200 mm wide and 150 mm tall, with a single shot accuracy of within 0.1 mm — making it one of the best 3D scanners under $2000. For a fixed scan without the turntable, max scan volume increases up to 700 x 700 mm.

Overall, this 3D model scanner is accurate, reliable, and makes it easy to quickly scan stationary objects and 3D print them with ease. The EinScan SP — described in more detail further in this guide — is more precise, but costs more. Therefore, it’s a matter of your budget and how important this additional quality is for you personally.

7. Shining 3D EinScan Pro HD: Best Under $10,000

• Price: Check latest price at Dynamism here
• Accuracy: Up to 0.4 mm
• Point Distance Resolution: 0.2 – 3 mm
• Scan Speed: Up to 30 FPS
• Minimum Scan Volume: 100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm
• Single Capture Range: 209 x 160 mm minimum; 310 x 240 mm maximum
• Working Distance: 510 mm

The EinScan Pro HD is a professional industrial-grade 3D scanner that offers both handheld and static modes to capture high-resolution 3D models of objects of all sizes. 

Whether you’re looking to reverse engineer a car part or scan an ornate historical artifact, the EinScan Pro HD produces superb quality scans that are both accurate and richly detailed. For example, scanning a human face delivers a 3D model that captures every wrinkle, blemish, and subtle feature, something that simply isn’t possible on low-cost scanners.

It achieves this by balancing a 0.4 mm accuracy and 0.2 point distance resolution, which means highly accurate scans regardless of scan volume and the target object’s size. Capture speed is also impressive given the level of detail on offer, with up to 30 FPS in handheld mode and less than 0.5 seconds per single frame in Fixed Scan Mode.

Thanks to some clever positioning work, the EinScan Pro HD makes scanning easy, allowing the user to move both the scanner and object during the scanning process without any negative effect on the model’s quality. It also includes lighting projection hardware and software to scan dark and reflective surfaces, typically an area where many scanners struggle.

All this versatility makes the EinScan Pro HD suitable for a wide range of applications including reverse engineering, demanding and low tolerance design, conservation, AR/VR, digital archiving, rapid prototyping, architecture, and much more. For businesses looking for a no-compromises option and with the budget to spare, it’s hard to go wrong with EinScan Pro HD.

EinScan Pro HD

Dynamism here

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8. Scantech 3D iReal M3

• Price: $6,980 – Check here on iReal 3D
• Accuracy: 0.1 mm
• Resolution: 0.1 mm
• Max Field of View: 580 x 550 mm
• Scanning Distance: 280 – 1000 mm
• Scanning Rate: 60 FPS
• Technology: Dual-infrared lasers (parallel laser & structured light)

The iReal M3 is a new professional-grade 3D scanner that uses 2 invisible infrared light sources – parallel laser, and structured light. This allows for fast and accurate data scanning across various applications, whether you’re scanning humans or objects, or whether you’re inside, or outside in natural light.

The iReal M3 balances high-quality scanning at a cost-effective price. Using new scanning modes harnessing 7 infrared parallel laser lines, you can scan dark, shiny, and reflective mechanical parts without needing to treat the surface. 

With a resolution of up to 0.1 mm, the scanner can reconstruct high-precision geometric structures and capture fine details of edges, easily handling scanning tasks for objects over 5cm.

The infrared VCSEL structured light is designed for human body scanning and art, and invokes a wide field of view and flexible working distance. 

Beyond this, you can also do:

• Full body or medium and large-sized object scanning
• Algorithmic optimization on human body scanning
• Invisible-light scanning
• Human hair 3D scanning
• Markers-free scanning for objects featuring continuous, non-repetitive, and richly varied geometric/textural features
• Hybrid alignment modes

Although priced at $6,980, iReal M3 falls roughly in the affordable range and is a versatile tool suited for industrial design, art design, medical design, human body digitization, etc.

9. Shining 3D EinScan SP: Best in the $2,000 Range

• Price: Check latest price at Amazon here / Dynamism here
• Scan range: single scan = 200 x 150 mm, max scan range = 1200mm³
• Accuracy: within 0.05 mm for single shots
• Speed: single shot speed of under 4 seconds

The EinScan SP is a mid-range stationary 3D scanner. It costs more than the EinScan SE, but this comes with better accuracy of up to 0.05 mm (vs the EinScan SE’s 0.1 mm), and scans in half the time (4s vs 8s).

To save you time: it’s double the price, offers double the accuracy, and scans in half the time.

The scanner uses white light scanning technologies to make very accurate scans of objects as small as 30 x 30 x 30 mm. This is ideal for intricate object scanning such as of jewelry and small figurines.

Full objects are typically scanned in less than a minute, and images in less than four seconds.

The 0.05mm scan quality is excellent, and it is competitive with scanner costing far more than the $2,000 price range it sells for. Overall, it’s a great and versatile mid-range professional 3D scanner.

Industrial 3D Scanners ($10,000+)

10. Artec EVA: Powerful Handheld 3D Scanner

• Price: $19,800
• Accuracy: up to 0.1 mm + 0.3mm/m
• Resolution: up to 0.2 mm
• Speed: captures up to 16fps in HD and full-color
• Working distance: 0.4m – 1m

The Artec Eva is one of the world’s most popular industrial 3D scanners. The Eva is a handheld, industrial 3D object scanner, and an excellent solution for medium-sized objects ranging from motorcycle wheels to car exhaust systems, human busts, and facial close-ups.

Light, quick, and versatile, Artec Eva captures precise measurements in high resolution, while structured light scanning technology makes the scanner safe to use in any situation. Even difficult-to-scan surfaces such as black or shiny surfaces are effectively captured by Eva.

Ideal for use in industries including product design, heritage preservation, healthcare, and reverse engineering, this market leader can accurately scan full-color objects at a range of up to 100cm with color and texture, making it a great solution for fast and accurate 3D models.

11. Scantech SIMSCAN: Hand-Sized Portable 3D Scanner

• Accuracy: up to 0.020 mm
• Resolution: up to 0.025 mm
• Scanning area: up to 410 x 400 mm

Scantech’s SIMSCAN consists of two sets of industrial black & white cameras, a laser projector with 30 laser lines, and a set of multifunctional buttons. Its high-quality components ensure fast and stable 3D scanning.

It features three scanning modes: ultra-fast, hyperfine, and deep hole scanning optimized for different scanning situations. With its intelligent auxiliary lights, it can even scan darkly lit objects.

Powered by a robust algorithm, SIMSCAN’s measurement rate can be up to 2.02 million measurements/s with an accuracy of up to 0.020 mm. It has a field of view of up to 410 x 400 mm.

With a net weight of 570g, SIMSCAN can be among the top list of the most lightweight and portable 3D scanners in the market. It is designed for both beginners and professionals to conduct 3D scanning regardless of ambient conditions. Thanks to its compact size and portability, SIMSCAN enables on-site and efficient 3D scanning, and it suits well for scanning hard-to-reach areas.

Made from aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, Scantech’s SIMSCAN scanner is sturdy and durable and performs well in heat dissipation. Its material ensures a prolonged use of the 3D scanner. With an anti-slip shell and a hand strap, you can orient this scanner in any way you choose to suit your 3D scanning needs.

12. Scantech KSCAN-Magic: Industrial Handheld 3D Scanner

• Resolution: 0.010 mm
• Scanning rate: 1,350,000 measurements/second
• Scanning area: 1440 x 860 mm

The software will take time to get used to.

Esteemed 3D scanner company Scantech have announced the launch of their latest KSCAN 3D scanner, with 5 five different modes for all types of scanning. These include a large area scanning mode, fast scanning mode, photogrammetry, as well as a fine scanning mode. Featuring both infrared lasers and blue laser technologies allows the KSCAN-Magic to accomplish a wide range of scanning functions effectively.

It scans accurately, quickly, can handle small and large objects, and is designed to accelerate time-to-market. The 41 equipped laser lines can handle an incredible 1.35 million measurements per second, creating detailed scans in record time.

If you are looking for leading-edge 3D solutions for your business, KSCAN definitely surpasses expectations with its resourcefulness and precision.

Buyer’s Guide – Factors To Consider When Buying A 3D Scanner

• Budget: 3D scanners cost from $300 to over $100,000. Entry-level scanners cost less than $1,000, but more robust machines for professional scanning sell for $5,000 and up. For more information, read our article on how much 3D scanners cost.
• Speed: 3D scanners record speed in points per second or frames per second (FPS). If you’re buying a professional 3D scanner, where productivity is critical, we recommend frame rates of around 20 FPS or higher.
• Resolution and Accuracy: For a budget 3D scanner, 0.1-0.2 mm is a solid reference point, while much more expensive industry scanners can reach accuracies of 0.009 mm. Though similar to accuracy, resolution refers to the smallest possible distance between points on a 3D scan.
• Use case: If you’re just looking to 3D scan objects to 3D print fun projects at home, you’ll just need an entry-level 3D scanner. If you want to scan larger models such as people, rooms, or other large objects, we recommend a handheld 3D scanner with a larger max scan volume. For small objects or jewelry scanning, pick a very accurate stationary 3D scanner, ideally with a turntable, tripod, and an optimized alignment algorithm.

Types of 3D Scanners

The main types of 3D scanners include:

• Laser triangulation 3D scanners
• Structured light 3D scanning
• Photogrammetry
• LIDAR (time-of-flight)
• Metrology 3D scanners
• Intraoral 3D scanners for dentistry
• 3D body scanners

The two most-used technologies are structured light scanning and laser triangulation.

Structured Light Scanning

Structured light scanning is often used in handheld 3D scanners. It works by projecting a pattern of light onto an object. This pattern is typically captured by two cameras positioned on either side of the light projector. These cameras record how the light pattern deforms when it strikes the surface of the object.

The key to structured light scanning lies in the measurement of these deformations. By analyzing the light pattern from multiple angles, and triangulating data points across the different images taken by each camera, you can precisely calculate the object’s dimensions at every point within their field of view.

This method is particularly valued for its portability and accuracy, making it a popular choice in various applications. For example, in dentistry, structured light scanning is used to create detailed models of patients’ mouths for the production of dental implants and other prosthetics.

The technique has also found use in fields beyond healthcare. Architects and historians use structured light scanning to create digital archives of historical monuments, and space exploration agencies like NASA use it for mapping terrains of other planets for interplanetary research.

However, structured light scanning does have its limitations, particularly in its sensitivity to ambient lighting conditions. Since it relies on projecting and measuring light patterns, external light sources can affect the accuracy of the scan. This makes it less effective in outdoor environments, or other settings where the lighting conditions can vary.

Laser Triangulation

Laser triangulation involves projecting a laser beam onto an object’s surface and then using sensors to detect the reflected light from the laser. These sensors are positioned at a known angle and distance from the laser source and detect the light reflected.

When the laser light reflects off the object, the sensors capture the reflection at a specific angle. The scanner then determines the distance between the scanner and various points on the object’s surface using trigonometry. This data is then used to reconstruct the 3D shape of the object, including textures and surface features.

However, there are some limitations to laser triangulation. Laser scanners can struggle with shiny or reflective surfaces, as they can scatter or reflect the laser beam in unpredictable ways, leading to inaccuracies in the data. Transparent materials also create issues because they do not reflect the laser light effectively, making it difficult to capture accurate measurements.

For these reasons, laser triangulation is often less accurate and does not offer as high resolution as structured light scanning. Structured light scanning also generally scans objects with less noise (unwanted extras in the scan).

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 3D Scanning:

LiDAR technology is used in advanced applications, and the latest iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max include LiDAR sensors. It works by emitting laser beams towards an object or surface and then measuring the time it takes for each beam to bounce back to the sensor. 

This time measurement, combined with the speed of light, lets the LiDAR system calculate the distance to various points on the object or surface, which is used to create the point cloud for a 3D model.

LiDAR is particularly effective for capturing large-scale environments. It’s widely used for topographical mapping, forestry, and urban planning, as well as in autonomous vehicle technology for real-time navigation and obstacle detection.

Time of Flight (ToF) 3D Scanning:

Time of Flight (sometimes called ToF) 3D scanning is a broader category that includes LiDAR, but also encompasses other 3D scanning technologies. 

While LiDAR is specifically emitting lasers, ToF scanners can use various kinds of light sources and are not limited to lasers. 

Handheld 3D Scanners

Portable and versatile by design, handheld scanners allow you to efficiently and freely scan large objects, narrow spaces, or all the details of a human subject, for example.

Stationary 3D Scanners

Fixed scanners are a solid option if you plan to scan small objects and want the device to do most of the heavy lifting. They generally come with a stand or tripod and turntable. Automated scanning is also typically part of the deal here, with different modes of alignment to choose from.

3D Body Scanners

3D body scanners are specialized devices designed to capture a complete 3D representation of the human body. They’re used in various fields, such as:

• Health and Fitness: 3D body scanners are used for body shape analysis, posture assessment, and tracking changes in the body over time.
• Fashion and Apparel: These scanners are used in custom clothing design, ensuring a perfect fit by capturing accurate body measurements.
• Entertainment and Animation: 3D body scanners are used to create lifelike digital doubles for use in movies, video games, and VR.

These scanners work by using different scanning technologies, such as structured light scanning, laser scanning, or photogrammetry, to capture the shape and size of the body from multiple angles. The data collected is then processed to create a detailed 3D model of the body.

What’s Changed?

The first edition of our best 3D scanner buyer’s guide was published back in 2018. Since then, we’ve kept this article updated for over 5 years with our latest recommendations.

In November 2023 we overhauled this article with the following changes:

• We replaced the Revopoint POP 2 with the POP 3. However, we still recommend the POP 2 as a budget option.
• We removed the SOL 3D scanner, and EinScan SE. The Einstar, and the Revopoint POP 3, perform most of their uses but at a cheaper price.
• Removed the BQ Ciclop. It’s been a great run for this DIY 3D scanner, but over the last 5 years it has become outdated.
• Added the Creality CR-Scan Ferret. It’s a great super cheap 3D scanner under $350.
• Added the Shining 3D Einstar. It’s one of the best 3D scanners under $1,000 and a top pick for us.
• Replaced the Shining 3D EinScan Pro 2X with the newer EinScan Pro HD

Jan 2024 updates:

• We updated pricing information across the site now in 2024.

The best cheap 3D scanner is the Revopoint POP 3. 

The POP 3 is ideal for 3D printing, digital media, and e-commerce 360-degree object scans. It’s an all-rounder capable of impressive quality scans thanks to a 0.05 mm point distance resolution, plenty of in-the-box goodies, and a seamless scan-to-model workflow. 

Super Budget Pick	Best Overall	Premium Pick
Creality Scan Ferret	Revopoint POP 3	Einstar Portable Handheld 3D Scanner
3DSourced Rating:	3DSourced Rating:	3DSourced Rating:
Primary Rating: 4.3	Primary Rating: 4.7	Primary Rating: 4.6
$329.00	$659.00	$959.00
Resolution: 0.16 mm	Resolution: 0.05 mm	Resolution: 0.1 mm
Max Scan Volume: 560 x 820 x 700 mm	Max Scan Volume: 2500 x 2500 x 2500 mm	Max Scan Volume: 434 x 379 x 400 mm
Technology: Dual-camera infrared structured light	Technology: Dual-camera infrared structured light	Technology: Structured light scanning
Speed/Frame Rate: 30 FPS	Speed/Frame Rate: 12-18 FPS	Speed/Frame Rate: 14 FPS
Export File Format: OBJ, STL, and PLY	Export File Format: PLY, OBJ, and STL	Export File Format: OBJ, STL, PLY, P3, and 3MF
Creality here	Revopoint here	Einstar here

Super Budget Pick

Creality Scan Ferret

3DSourced Rating:

Primary Rating:

4.3

$329.00

Resolution:

0.16 mm

Max Scan Volume:

560 x 820 x 700 mm

Technology:

Dual-camera infrared structured light

Speed/Frame Rate:

30 FPS

Export File Format:

OBJ, STL, and PLY

Creality here

Best Overall

Revopoint POP 3

3DSourced Rating:

Primary Rating:

4.7

$659.00

Resolution:

0.05 mm

Max Scan Volume:

2500 x 2500 x 2500 mm

Technology:

Dual-camera infrared structured light

Speed/Frame Rate:

12-18 FPS

Export File Format:

PLY, OBJ, and STL

Revopoint here

Premium Pick

Einstar Portable Handheld 3D Scanner

3DSourced Rating:

Primary Rating:

4.6

$959.00

Resolution:

0.1 mm

Max Scan Volume:

434 x 379 x 400 mm

Technology:

Structured light scanning

Speed/Frame Rate:

14 FPS

Export File Format:

OBJ, STL, PLY, P3, and 3MF

Einstar here

However, if you’re looking for a super cheap 3D scanner, I recommend the Creality Scan Ferret. It’s by far the best under $400, but still offers a 0.16 mm resolution, speedy 30 FPS capture, and user-friendly scanning process. 

If you have the money, the Shining3D Einstar is the best premium option. It’s a mid-range scanner for under $1,000 that bundles in advanced features like smart tracking, a 0.1 mm resolution, and impressive color accuracy ideal for digital archiving, light reverse engineering, body and face scans, VR/AR, and design projects.

1. Revopoint POP 3 – Best Overall

• Price: $659 – Available at Revopoint here
• Resolution: 0.05 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 2500 x 2500 x 2500 mm
• Technology: Dual-camera infrared structured light
• Speed/Frame Rate: 12-18 FPS
• Export File Format: PLY, OBJ, and STL

The Revopoint POP 3 is the best cheap 3D scanner overall. It’s not a premium scanner, but it’s also far better quality than other entry-level scanners.

It’s a generalist scanner suitable for everything from sneakers and ornaments to digital media and models for 3D printing. It employs a dual-camera infrared structured light technology that can still scan up to a 2500 x 2500 x 2500 mm max scan volume, a solid 0.05 mm point distance resolution, and smooth 18 FPS capture.

What makes the Revopoint POP 3 unique however is the frictionless workflow. The scanning process is effortless, and the POP 3 is very versatile, offering handheld scanning or stationary scanning using the tripod. Then when you’re done scanning, you can manually edit your scan to remove noise, or have the AI tools within the Revo Scan software remove artifacts and scanning oddities.

We were impressed with the POP 2 when we tested it out for review, and the POP 3 has significantly upgraded on the POP 2. The POP 3 has upgraded color date, brightness, capture speed, and more.

Though, if you want to save a few hundred dollars, the POP 2 is still a good budget alternative. And, if your scanning use cases revolve around smaller objects, such as jewelry, then go with the Revopoint MINI. It’s the cheapest specialist jewelry 3D scanner around. There’s also the Revopoint INSPIRE, which is the cheapest and worst-quality scanner, but it still performed adequately when we tested it.

However, for even more savings, there’s also the Creality Scan Ferret. Though the quality isn’t as good as the POP 3, it’s respectable for the price, especially if you just want a starter scanner.

And, if you have a few extra hundred dollars to spare, the Shining3D Einstar is a more powerful 3D scanner overall. It’s better for quality digital duplications, enthusiast reverse engineering, and scanning for 3D printing.

Revopoint POP 3

Scanner Features:

Single-frame precision of up to 0.05mm 

Fast scanning speeds of up to 18 fps

An RGB camera with 30% larger aperture

Better color accuracy

9-axis IMU for a better tracking and frame stitching

Single capture range: 244 x 180mm

Revopoint here

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2. Creality Scan Ferret – Best Budget Pick

• Price: $329.00 – Available at Creality here
• Resolution: 0.16 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 560 x 820 x 700 mm
• Technology: Dual-camera infrared structured light
• Speed/Frame Rate: 30 FPS
• Export File Format: OBJ, STL, and PLY

Creality’s take on the budget scanner, the Creality Scan Ferret, is ideal if you’re put off by the higher prices of the Revopoint POP 3 and Shining3D Einstar. 

The Creality Scan Ferret is noticeably worse in scanning quality than the POP 3 and Einstar, but the results are good enough for hobbyist projects, especially if you’re willing to be patient and put in the work to tame the Ferret’s sometimes obtuse scan positioning. 

With a 0.16 mm resolution, small footprint, provided tripod, handheld mode, and 560 x 820 x 700 mm max scan volume, the Scan Ferret works well for on-the-go scanning for 3D printing. 

With 30 FPS capture, it’s also quite a bit faster than our other cheap 3D scanner picks. This makes for a pleasant scanning experience when paired with the no-nonsense, user-friendly Creality Scan software. 

At under $350, it’s an affordable first scanner to get a sense of the technology’s capabilities. Just don’t expect to be reverse engineering or doing true-to-life conservation work. You’ll need a more expensive scanner for this.

For an extra $100, you can upgrade to the Creality Scan Ferret Pro, which has anti-shake technology to improve scan quality, a sharper 0.1 mm accuracy, full-color scanning, and Wi-Fi 6 transfer to speed up the scanning workflow. This version will suit you if you want better performance for e-commerce product scanning, basic AR work, some light digital archiving, and other forms of digital media.

Creality Scan Ferret

Creality here

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3. Shining3D Einstar – Best Premium Pick

• Price: $959 – Available at Einstar store here
• Resolution: 0.1 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 434 x 379 x 400 mm
• Technology: Structured light scanning
• Speed/Frame Rate: 14 FPS
• Export File Format: OBJ, STL, PLY, P3, and 3MF

Shining 3D is better known for professional 3D scanners, but also entered the budget scanner market with the Einstar.

What’s most interesting here is that they’ve ported over many of the features from their high-precision industrial and dental scanners to produce by far the best scan quality of any low-cost 3D scanner under $1,000.

The Shining3D Einstar captures significantly better quality scans than the POP 3 and Creality Scan Ferret. This comes from better quality of captured features, positioning quality, higher-density point cloud data, and color fidelity. There’s also smart tracking and auto-alignment to speed up your scanning workflow.

This makes the Einstar suitable for a wider range of applications, including 3D printing modeling, digital archiving, body and face scans, VR and AR, light reverse engineering, design work, and e-commerce. 

However, the Shining3D Einstar is by no means an industrial scanner, so don’t expect premium scan results like those produced by Shining3D’s EinScan H range, or EinScan SP. 

If you have the budget for even higher quality, consider the desktop EinScan SE scanner, or the EinScan SP. These are more premium and expensive Shining 3D scanners, costing over $1,000, but they’re better for small object scanning, and medium-size scans for reverse engineering and design work.

Einstar Portable Handheld 3D Scanner

Einstar here

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4. BQ Ciclop – DIY Pick For Under $200

• Price: Check latest price at Amazon here
• Resolution: 0.5mm
• Scan time: 2-8 mins
• Maximum scan volume: 200 x 200 x 205 mm

The BQ Ciclop is a completely open-source 3D scanner that you can either build yourself at home if you prefer a DIY project, or buy it pre-assembled online.

This nifty budget 3D scanner has a good up to 250 x 205 mm scanning volume. It utilizes laser triangulation technology, so you don’t need to hold the scanner and move it around the object.

And since it’s open-source, you can modify it however you want — following the RepRap 3D printer philosophy. It’s a great cheap laser scanner, and one of the best value 3D scanners out there.

In terms of specs, it’s actually very good for the price — with resolutions between 0.3-0.5mm. You can easily scan to a free 3D software tool (the BQ Ciclop comes with Horus) via Bluetooth or USB, though experienced makers may prefer to work in a more professional 3D software package.

However, do keep in mind that we first included this on our budget 3D scanner recommendations back in 2018. In those 5 years since, the technology has improved greatly, and the Ciclop scanners are not cutting edge anymore. The scan times of 2-8 minutes were normal back then, but are insanely slow now.

Now in 2023 and beyond, we recommend picking up a scanner like the Revopoint POP 3 or MINI, for much faster and more accurate scanning.

Though, the Ciclop is a great DIY project for anyone who wants to build their own DIY 3D scanner. If you are going to embark on this DIY journey however, keep in mind that it isn’t the easiest scanner to assemble, and so you may want to buy it pre-assembled for a few dollars more.

Factors To Consider When Buying

• Portability: A handheld and portable scanner gives you more freedom of movement to capture scans of all shapes and sizes, even those located in hard-to-reach places.  A lightweight scanner also makes scanning more manageable and less of a strain on your arm when capturing an object from multiple angles.
• Versatility: A scanner with both stationary and handheld modes offers the best of both worlds.
• Resolution: Even on a budget, expect under 1mm scan accuracy. Aim for 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm minimum to get good results even if you’re on a budget. The Revopoint POP 3, for example, offers 0.05mm precision for under $800.
• Scan volume: Lean towards 3D scanners with large scan volumes if you plan to make full-body scans, as these reduce the number of angles you’ll need for a complete scan. If you’re scanning small objects like jewelry, go for a scanner like the Revopoint MINI with a small scan volume but high precision.
• Ease of use: Look for scanners with one-touch scanning, multiple optimized modes, and user-friendly accompanying software. From testing several Revopoint 3D scanners, I personally recommend these as the most user-friendly, with the Revo Scan software letting you one-click edit your scans right after scanning.
• Export file formats: Good cheap scanners offer the ability to export scans to file formats compatible with all CAD software. STL, OBJ, and PLY are generally available on most budget 3D scanners, but check beforehand if you need a less common file format.

Here’s what you can (and can’t) do with budget 3D scanners

Unfortunately, you can’t expect the world if you’re paying under $1,000 for a 3D scanner. Expect lower-quality scans, longer scan times, and a less effective workflow. 

In the same vein, you can’t expect to reverse engineer complex parts, scan both entire rooms and tiny objects with perfect detail, or scan extremely quickly. 

However, here are some use cases most low-cost scanners can manage:

• Education and Schools – For developing 3D CAD modeling skills, design lessons, and general STEM education where high quality is not essential.
• 3D Printing – Scan real-world objects and convert them into 3D printed objects. Especially useful for those that don’t want to create 3D models from scratch in CAD software.
• Design – Rough, rapid prototypes based on real-world objects.
• 3D Room Scans – Renovation, digital real estate house viewings, interior design. Only scanners with larger scan volumes can do this however.
• AR and Animation – basic scans for game development, app development, and digital art.

What’s Changed?

In November 2023, we made a number of updates to this article:

• Replaced the Revopoint POP and POP 2 with the newer POP 3. However, we still recommend the POP 2 as a budget alternative to the POP 3.
• Removed the SOL 3D scanner, XYZ Handheld 2.0, Matter & Form V2 3D scanner, and Shining 3D SE and SP scanners. Some we felt were now out of date, and we also felt the Einstar was now a better budget alternative to the Shining 3D EinScan SE.
• Added the Shining 3D Einstar as the premium option among sub-$1,000 3D scanners.
• Added the Creality Scan Ferret as our new budget recommendation.

Jan 2024:

• Updated pricing information for 2024.

Other articles you may be interested in:

• Professional 3D scanners buyer’s guide
• DIY 3D scanner kits you can build at home
• The best 3D scanners – ranked
• Top 3D scanner apps (for iOS and Android)

The Revopoint MINI is the best budget jewelry scanner under $1000. It offers high precision and detailed scans thanks to 0.05mm accuracy and 0.02mm resolution powered by dual camera blue light technology. It’s perfect for hobbyists or small jewelry businesses.

For professional jewelers, the $20,000+ Artec Micro 2 leads the pack with exceptional 5-micron accuracy and 2-micron resolution from 4 built-in 12MP cameras. Its automated scanning mode also delivers efficiency.

Other top options include the desktop B9 Scan 500, which is designed exclusively for all jewelry applications, from bespoke designs to repairs and replication. It mostly matches the Artec Micro 2’s accuracy – but at half the cost. The $6,000 D3D-s Jewelry Scanner also impresses with clever space-saving design, 5MP camera, and 0.010mm resolution.

The Best Jewelry 3D Scanners in 2023 – Reviews

1. Revopoint MINI: Best Budget Jewelry Scanner

• Price: $799 – Available at Revopoint here
• Accuracy: 0.05 mm
• Resolution: 0.02 mm
• Scan speed: 10 FPS
• Max Scan Volume: 500 x 500 x 500 mm
• Technology: Dual-camera blue structured light

At a fraction of the cost of the other options on our list, the Revopoint MINI brings reliable, precise jewelry scanning to those of a much tighter budget, making the technology accessible to hobbyists and smaller businesses.

Revopoint is best known for its POP range of 3D scanners, and the MINI borrows many of the POP range’s best features. However, the Revopoint MINI is specifically focused towards capturing small, complex, and intricate objects, from rings to pendants by way of heirlooms and earrings. 

It even works well for conservation of small, high-detail artifacts like coins or small animal skeletons.

The MINI achieves these precise scans through a combination of 0.05 mm accuracy, 0.02 mm resolution, and an industrial-grade blue light setup that provides better dimensional accuracy than any other 3D scanner under $1,000.

With the Revopoint MINI, you can scan high-precision models, rich with tiny details suitable for both amateur jewelry making, a small bespoke professional design and restoration business, or even prototyping new designs.

However, the drop in price compared to other jewelry scanners does come with some sacrifices. 

The main loss is in automation and efficiency: the Revopoint MINI scan process is very hands on. You are expected to pivot and move the scanner to capture an object in handheld mode, or set up the mini turntable for static scanning. This is very different to the automated chambers found on advanced jewelry scanners like the Aurum LT, or Shining3D AutoScan Sparkle.

You also have to accept a loss in scan quality if you choose the MINI over a more professional jewelry 3D scanner. Though scans captured with the MINI are excellent, you can’t expect the same results as on a $30K scanner. Although, for the price, the Revopoint MINI has some of the best scan quality around for jewelry projects.

Revopoint Mini

$799

Revopoint here

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2. Artec Micro 2: Best Professional Jewelry 3D Scanner

• Price: $20,000-$35,000
• Accuracy: 5 microns
• Resolution: 2 microns
• Max Scan Volume: 200 × 200 × 150 mm
• Technology: Structured light

The Artec Micro 2 is a professional, fully automated desktop-sized 3D scanner engineered to capture high-quality scans of objects up to 20 cm in size, making it a perfect match for even medium-size jewelry scanning.

It achieves this mainly due to a metrology-grade point accuracy of 5 microns and a capture speed of 140 million image points per second. The heavy lifting is done by four high-resolution full-color 12 MP cameras suited to scanning the sharp edges and intricate, minuscule details of jewelry such as rings.

It improves several aspects of the original Artec Micro, which was already one of the best 3D scanners for jewelry. It retains the compact, semi-enclosed shell design but adds key improvements with a larger field of view, improved accuracy and precision, and double the number of cameras for even better quality digitization of the smallest objects.

The excellent fully automatic mode returns, which zeroes in on the optimal scanning path and frame count to balance out scan times and quality. 

The Micro 2 is still powered by the excellent Artec Studio software that delivers a seamless workflow suited to a professional jeweler. This includes features for editing, repairing, refitting, and replicating based on professional-grade digitizations of everything from heirlooms and bracelets to rings and earrings.

3. B9 Scan 500

• Price: $14,955.00
• Accuracy: 5 microns
• Max Scan Volume: 90 x 80 x 55mm
• Technology: Structured light

In line with its predecessor, the B9 Scan 350, the B9 Scan 500 is specifically for accurately 3D scanning jewelry with a high degree of accuracy for replication and repair, to banding and bespoke design.

It achieves this thanks to a 5-micron accuracy enabled by a powerful 1.3 MP camera and blue LED 100 ANSI-lumen structured light to capture every last detail, facet, or cut. The accuracy equals much pricier alternatives such as the Artec Micro 2.

All this is housed in a desktop-sized format with a fully enclosed design. The scanning process is intuitive and efficient, and can capture a piece of jewelry as intricate as a heirloom ring in minutes thanks to in-built automatic, but fully customizable, scanning. 

It can even scan individual gemstones for bezel and mounting work. However, due to its smaller turnable size, it will struggle to scan larger pieces of jewelry such as necklaces.

It’s easy to use, and the Leios 2 scanning software is intuitive. And, the fact that the B9 Scan 500 works as a standalone device with its onboard computer with a 1 TB SSD to store a huge volume of scans and no more than a monitor and mouse/keyboard to function, is very handy.

4. D3D-s 3D Jewelry Scanner

• Price: $6,000-$8,000
• Resolution: 0.010 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 100 x 130 mm
• Technology: Structured light

Born of a successful Kickstarter campaign, the D3D-s 3D Jewelry Scanner is one of the most affordable jewelry 3D scanners available.

D3D-s offers such a low price by producing in small batches to keep costs down without sacrificing the quality of the scanned models.

Instead of the industry-standard light pattern scanning method, the D3D-s Jewelry Scanner uses LED-line technology to create a more uniform capture.

The scanner has six degrees of freedom, meaning it can tilt and rotate to capture every aspect of an object for a complete scan with next to no user input.

It features a 5 MP camera capable of a 0.010 mm resolution, a roomy 100 x 130 mm scan area, and compatibility with in-house D3D-s-developed software that allows export to popular CAD suites like Blender, Maya, ZBrush, and many others.

How To Pick A Jewelry Scanner

When choosing a jewelry 3D scanner, consider:

• Scan quality: both accuracy and resolution are essential. These largely determine what jewelry you can scan, and the quality and precision of these scans. We recommend at least a 0.01 mm accuracy and 0.2 mm resolution for good results.
• Workflow: the best jewelry scanners have efficient workflows, with automations to speed up the scanning process, and editing (they often have their own software).
• Price: expect to pay anywhere from $8,000 for the lowest cost professional jewelry 3D scanner to $30,000 for the most advanced, high-precision options. However, there are now $1,000 options, though you sacrifice efficiency and some scan quality.

Uses of 3D Jewelry Scanning

• Replication: Jewelry scanners can quickly create a digital replica model of an antique, custom, or heirloom piece. This is done both as insurance for precious items, as well as to create a copy for customers to wear while the original remains under lock and key for safekeeping.
• Repairs: A modifiable 3D model of a broken piece of jewelry lets jewelers create modified, custom molds to cast a replacement. With a 3D model, jewelers can also quickly understand what needs repairing without dismantling the piece.
• Design: With the ability to scan objects from the world around them, jewelers can quickly create new designs and ideas. From personalized pieces for specific customers to radically new designs, jewelry 3D scanners blow the creative possibilities wide open.
• Setting: By scanning stones, jewelers can create settings, rings, and designs perfectly sized and shaped to fit. Similarly, 3D scanning existing engagement rings to capture fit and design details greatly simplifies the creation of matching wedding bands.

• Quality Inspection: 3D scanning pieces or even molds to obtain exact measurements helps jewelers pick up on discrepancies or faults before committing to an entire production run, saving time and money.
• Archiving: 3D scanning jewelry is a cost-effective way to create a digital archive for valuation, insurance, or the conservation of degraded old pieces prone to decay.

FAQs

What’s Changed?

This article was majorly overhauled in November 2023, updating it from the original content published in 2021:

• Replaced the Artec Micro with the Micro 2. This advanced, updated version is more relevant in 2023 and 2024.
• Removed the Shining 3D AutoScan Sparkle, Open Technologies Aurum LT
• Replaced the B9 Scan 350 with the newer B9 Scan 500.

Other articles you may be interested in:

• The Revopoint POP 2 hands-on review
• The best cheap 3D scanners
• DIY 3D scanners and 3D printable 3D scanners reviewed
• The best 3D scanner apps
• The best professional 3D scanners

For unmatched scan quality from a mid-range handheld 3D scanner, the EinScan Pro and Pro HD series offer up to 0.04mm accuracy, leveraging versatile hybrid structured light and infrared scanning.

However, the $16,000 Artec Eva remains the most popular and best professional 3D scanner for its balance of 0.1mm resolution, 18 FPS speed, and automated workflows ideal for medium objects across manufacturing, healthcare, and beyond. Its versatile full-color scans excel from reverse engineering to quality control, CGI, and heritage preservation applications.

Best Professional 3D Scanners in 2023 – Reviews

1. Shining 3D EinScan SP – Most Affordable

• Price: $2,300
• Accuracy: 0.05 mm
• Resolution: 0.2 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 200×150 mm
• Technology: Structured light
• Speed/Frame Rate: 4 secs/scan

Leading industrial 3D scanner manufacturer Shining 3D offers affordability with good precision and accuracy with the EinScan SP. A stationary scanner, the EinScan SP offers 0.05 mm accuracy and 0.2 mm resolution, delivering a level of detail and precision you’d expect to pay much more for.

The EinScan SP captures a single scan in four seconds, and a full 360° scan in around a minute. The Auto Scan mode takes care of all aspects of scanning, with effortless, one-click scanning of small to medium-sized objects. 

A compact footprint and solid post-processing software are further benefits. We also like that the scanner can be mounted either onto the provided turntable or paired with a tripod, offering a helpful degree of flexibility.

Suitable applications include reverse engineering, product design, animation, CGI, virtual reality, and digital archiving.

2. Einscan Pro & Pro HD

• Price: $5,000/$12,000/$8,500
• Accuracy: 0.05 mm/0.04 mm/0.045 mm
• Resolution: 0.25 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 420 x440 mm/310 x 240 mm
• Technology: Hybrid Structured light and infrared
• Speed/Frame Rate: 1,200,000points/s, 20FPS/3,000,000 points/s, 10 FPS

The EinScan H, HX, and Pro professional 3D scanners distinguish themselves from the competition as industrial-grade handheld solutions, but at a lower price range than those by Artec and other commercial 3D scanner manufacturers.

The EinScan ranges 3D scan using a hybrid technology featuring LED structured light and infrared technology. This makes them ideal for capturing trickier surfaces and outdoor objects via infrared, as well as standard scans thanks to the structured light scanning.

Depending on the model, accuracy wavers between 0.5 mm and 0.4 mm. This is good enough for demanding applications like reverse engineering, quality control, and straight design work. Thanks to a 0.25 mm resolution, these scanners perform well when capturing human faces, pieces of art, and intricate mechanical parts.

3. SIMSCAN

• Price: Available for quote here
• Accuracy: 0.020 mm
• Resolution: 0.020 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 700 x 600 mm
• Technology: Laser Triangulation 
• Speed/Frame Rate: 2,800,000 measurements/s

SIMSCAN is a palm-sized portable 3D scanner specially designed for 3D scanning narrow and hard-to-reach areas and edges.

With its built-in HD cameras and carefully tuned scanning algorithm, it offers high-precision scanning with an accuracy of up to 0.020 mm, as well as a resolution of up to 0.020 mm. This is significantly more accurate than Scantech’s iReal M3 scanner (though the M3 is cheaper), with the SIMSCAN targeted towards industries where you need to quickly create extremely accurate 3D scans.

What’s more, the SIMSCAN portable 3D scanner is light and compact, weighing only 570g and measuring 203 × 80 × 44 mm. You can easily scan with one hand while holding it steady without issue. It’s handy and portable, and easily fits in your palm.

Because of the accuracy and resolution, the SIMSCAN scanner is very versatile: you could use it for inspection, product development, reverse engineering, and many other uses across the aerospace, automotive, and energy industries.

4. Creaform HandySCAN Silver 307

• Price: $18,000-$20,000
• Accuracy: 0.040 mm
• Resolution: 0.1 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 275 x 250 mm
• Technology: Laser Triangulation
• Speed/Frame Rate: 480,000 points/s

Equipped with metrology-grade, patented technology, the Creaform HandySCAN Silver 307 is a handheld 3D scanner designed to tackle even the most demanding applications.

It offers a 0.040 mm accuracy and 0.1 resolution to reliably scan complex objects with various surface types. It’s versatile and can handle small objects as well as medium-sized objects within the 275 x 250 mm maximum scan volume.

However, with an $18,000-$20,000 price tag, the Creaform HandySCAN Silver 307 doesn’t come cheap. 

Still, its sleek and ergonomic design, and excellent specs make it ideal for engineering fields, product development, and manufacturing applications.

5. Artec Eva

• Price: $16,000-$17,000
• Accuracy: 0.1 mm
• Resolution: 0.2 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 536 × 371 mm
• Technology: Structured light
• Speed/Frame Rate: 18,000,000 points/s, 16 FPS

Artec’s bestselling handheld Artec Eva professional 3D scanner is a powerful solution for scanning medium-sized objects.

The Artec Eva is among the most popular and sought-after industrial 3D scanners. Much of its appeal comes from its ability to deliver highly accurate, full-color scans of medium-sized objects suitable for applications like reverse engineering, health care, and manufacturing at a roughly mid-table price of $16,000-$17,000.

Quick and efficient, the Artec Eva delivers high-quality results with up to a 0.1 mm accuracy and 0.2 mm resolution. It has full-color scanning features, and a lightweight design for easy, portable scanning.

The Artec Eva’s versatility is a main reason why it’s so popular in industry. The Eva is heavily used across aerospace, orthopedics, industrial design, reverse engineering, archeology, CGI, prosthetics, plastic surgery, rapid prototyping, and custom hearing aids.

6. Zeiss Gom Scan 1

• Price: $26,000-$27,000
• Accuracy: 0.1 mm
• Resolution: 0.037 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 400 x 250 mm
• Technology: Structured light
• Speed/Frame Rate: 6,000,000 points/s, 16 FPS

Through blue light technology, the Zeiss Gom Scan 1 adapts to different conditions by filtering out interfering ambient light for quality scans every time. Though technically a stationary scanner, the Zeiss Gom Scan 1’s compact shape and low weight still allow for scanning flexibility, even in tight spaces.

Under the hood, the Zeiss Gom Scan 1 offers a resolution up to an impressive 0.037 mm. This makes it one of the most accurate 3D scanners on the market, for complete surface detail scans. It’s best for smaller objects with fine details, though it can scan larger objects up to 400 x 250 mm in size.
The powerful GOM Inspect Suite 3D scanning software is a nice extra and saves time within your workflow. Within the software, you can quickly and intuitively refine your 3D scans and export them in all common file formats.

7. eviXscan Optima+ M

• Price: $30,000
• Accuracy: 0.009 mm
• Max Scan Volume: 320 x 190 mm
• Technology: Structured light
• Speed/Frame Rate: 1.2 secs/scan

With an ultra-fine resolution of 0.009 mm, the eviXscan Optima+ M offers a level of detail few other industrial 3D scanners can match. This precision makes it ideal for low-tolerance reverse engineering, non-contact quality control, and rapid prototyping for manufacturing, automotive, and general design.

Aside from this main appeal, the eviXscan Optima+ M uses a duo of high-speed 7 MP cameras and keeps scan time down to 1.2 seconds while maintaining excellent quality. Lightweight and compact, the eviXscan Optima+ M is usable as a stationary scanner mounted on a tripod, or paired with a robotic arm.

How To Pick a Commercial 3D Scanner

• Resolution and accuracy: we recommend a minimum of 0.1mm for both resolution and accuracy for most commercial scanning uses. Some industrial scanners can reach below 0.01mm for extremely fine object scanning. 
• Price: the most advanced models cost in excess of $30,000, though there are a growing number of good-quality low-cost scanners under $2,000. 
• Use case: the specs you need (and the price) depend on what you want to scan, and the tolerances you require. 
• Speed: some scanners scan much faster, with a small drop in scan quality. Consider whether you prioritize speed or precision and pick based on your priority

Uses

Industrial 3D scanners are used specifically for applications where lower-cost scanners are not accurate or robust enough. These uses include:

• Preserving artifacts and heritage
• Manufacturing and engineering precision parts
• Architecture
• Quality control in manufacturing
• Medical aids
• CGI and VR
• Jewelry 3D scanning
• Classic car restoration
• Custom orthotics and implants
• Dental 3D modeling
• Game development
• Crime scene documentation

What’s Changed?

In November 2023, we updated this article significantly from when it was first published in 2021:

• Removed the Polyga S1 Compact, and the Peel 3D Peel 2, as they are not as relevant in the sub-$10K 3D scanner category in 2023.
• Updated the EinScan SP section for the V2 version which has replaced the original version.
• Updated information on the EinScan H models, as newer versions have since released which we recommend over the originals.

Other articles you may be interested in:

• The best 3D scanners buyer’s guide
• Best low-cost 3D scanners
• Best DIY 3D scanner kits
• Photogrammetry software
• Best 3D scanner apps

It has the easiest workflow with the excellent and intuitive Revo Scan 5 software, and the scanner itself is extremely easy to get started with – it took me 5 minutes to get scanning from unboxing it.

The software makes it extremely easy to edit scanned meshes on the fly, and it’s easy to merge and export scans so you can use them for 3D printing projects, 3D animations or VFX, or any other fun project you might want to use your scans for.

However, it is not as accurate as some more expensive 3D scanners. For example, the 0.2mm max precision is 10x larger than the Revopoint MINI (at 0.02mm), and 4x higher than the Revopoint POP 3’s 0.05mm. So, if you want to scan small, intricate objects at high resolutions, this is not powerful enough for you.

You can get the Revopoint Inspire by supporting this Kickstarter campaign.

Main Specs

• Minimum Point Distance: 0.3mm
• Precision: up to 0.2 mm
• Scan Speed: up to 14-18fps
• Min Scan Size: 50 x 50 x 50 mm
• Connectivity: via USB, WiFi
• Exportable File Formats: STL, PLY, OBJ
• Dimensions: 132 × 45 × 27 mm
• Price: $272 if backing the Kickstarter, then $439 at retail

Revopoint Inspire Pros and Cons

Pros

• Cheapest Revopoint scanner: ideal for entry-level 3D scanning needs.
• Beginner-friendly: extremely easy to get set up and started.
• Lightweight and portable: easy to carry around for scanning people or faces, and weighs just 140g.
• Fast scanning speed: up to 14-18 FPS
• Accurate: accurate up to 0.2mm

Cons:

• Not accurate as the Revopoint POP 3: as a cheaper, home 3D scanner, it does not have the premium features that the POP 3 does.
• Not suited for small scans: therefore, it’s less suited for jewelry and other intricate objects. For these precise applications, you are better off with the Revopoint MINI.
• Color meshing is not as accurate as more expensive scanners: though I was still impressed with the quality for such a low price, it is not as good as a more professional 3D scanner.

My First Thoughts on Unboxing

The Revopoint Inspire comes in a compact and smart box, with some useful accessories.

It took less than 5 minutes to take everything out of the box, attach the tripod to the 3D scanner camera, and plug the wire into my laptop. It comes with a USB-C adaptor, which is useful as I use a Macbook.

The accessories that come with the Revopoint Inspire include:

• The 3D scanner
• Tripod (which extends, and can also be held to use for handheld 3D scanning)
• Turntable and turntable extension kit
• Marked board for calibration
• USBs and USB-C adaptor for connecting the scanner and turntable
• Markers you can stick on any surface for scanning
• Blue tack
• A “Magic mat”
• Test scanning model of a statue

Testing the Revopoint Inspire: Statue Scan & Mesh Editing and Merging in Revo Scan 5

I first tested the statue that came with the Revopoint Inspire. It looks the same as the statue model that came with the Revopoint POP 2 when I tested it, and so I tried it in the same way.

I scanned the statue model stood up, and on its side, as I wanted to not only test its ability to scan accurately, but also the mesh editing, and merging features in Revo Scan 5.

Before merging the two 3D scans, I cleaned up the models within Revo Scan 5 using the Fusion, Isolation and Overlap features. These are easy to use and very intuitive, and if you’re a beginner you won’t struggle to use these features. 

Though, if you are brand-new and this intimidates you, you can use the “One-Click Edit” button – though there’s no guarantee it’ll get everything right.

Merging 3D scans together is very easy. You just select each of the scans in your project, and once you’ve cleaned up the noise, you merge them.

The final result was a good-quality merge overall. Sometimes merging can fail, and create distorted objects, but this one came out well.

If your 3D scan merging does fail, there are also ways to increase the chances of success.

If you switch to “Marker” merging mode, and carefully place markers in the same place for each of your mesh clouds, this increases the chance of a successful and high-quality merge.

There was a small bit of noise left over after the merge, but these are very easy to remove. Just select the Rectangle or Lasso select tools, drag these over the noise, and then remove them.

Color 3D Scanning

I tested the Revopoint Inspire’s color 3D scanning tools using this colorful Rubix cube. I had heard mixed reviews about the color meshing ability of the Revopoint Inspire, but actually I was very impressed by how well it captured each of the colors.

I 3D scanned the first angle of the Rubix cube and removed the noise, before scanning it from another angle to capture all six sides.

After I 3D scanned the other angles of the Rubix cube, I cleaned each point cloud up and prepared to merge them.

It was tricky to get the color 3D scans to merge properly on this model. This is because the sides were difficult to align, and I struggled to get the right face of the cube to align with the correct face of the other scan, causing the colors to mix with each other.

Here’s an example:

However, I did eventually get it to align and merge properly. The color 3D scanning features are passable, and for such a cheap price you can’t expect much more.

The Revopoint Inspire isn’t really designed for smaller objects like these, or for detailed color 3D scanning, so I’m fairly impressed with what it managed here.

Dark and Black Object Scanning

3D scanners notoriously struggle to read information on black surfaces, so I wanted to try a model with black parts to see if it could pick them up.

This toy model has visible black wheels, and unsurprisingly, the Revopoint Inspire can’t pick them up. You’d need to use a spray to make them visible to the scanner’s cameras.

These can be added in post editing, but it’s best to just use a matte spray here. There are also DIY options like hairspray or dry shampoos.

I tried another color 3D scan merge, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t:

It struggled to align the models perfectly, even after using the Marker mode. But, this can be easily done manually, so it’s not a big issue.

So, is the Revopoint Inspire it worth it?

Yes, the Revopoint Inspire is definitely worth the low price of $439. It’s cheaper than almost any other budget 3D scanner out right now, and it’s extremely easy to use for beginners looking to get started and scan at home.

It is not suited for very intricate scanning (get the Revopoint MINI for this), or for very large object 3D scanning (Revopoint offer the RANGE 3D scanner for large objects).

But is is an excellent entry-level 3D scanner for fun projects, 3D printing, and for creating fun assets for your animation, VFX, 3D modeling design, and other fun projects.

You can get the Revopoint Inspire by supporting this Kickstarter campaign.

Alternatives: How it compares vs other Revopoint 3D scanners

The Revopoint Inspire is an excellent entry-level 3D scanner, but there are better options if you have the budget.

If you want to 3D scan larger objects, the Revopoint RANGE is far better. It can capture larger objects and maintain high quality.

If you want to capture very small and intricate objects, the Revopoint MINI is better. It is ideal as a lower-priced jewelry 3D scanner and for other intricate objects like miniatures, dental casts, and more.

For a generally better quality 3D scanner that costs a few hundred dollars more, upgrade to the Revopoint POP 3. I have the POP 2 and it’s a great scanner, and the POP 3 builds on this with upgrades across the board.

Difference between the Revopoint Inspire and other Revopoint 3D scanners

Applications

Here’s some other 3D scanning applications the Revopoint Inspire is well suited for:

1. 3D modeling and design
2. 3D printing
3. Personal projects
4. Reverse engineering
5. Video game development modeling
6. Car modification
7. Art and cultural relics protection
8. VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality)
9. Education

This article will explain the differences between the iReal 2E and iReal M3, as well as how to choose the right 3D scanner based on your specific needs and goals.

Quick Verdict

Testing shows that the iReal M3 is capable of scanning humans and objects of different sizes and various materials with very precise accuracy, while the iReal 2E is designed for the human body and medium and large-sized objects larger than 30cm. 

The iReal M3 is the better option for very high-detail reproductions, with the iReal 2E more suited to projects where very intricate details are less important – like stoned sculptures and car floor mats, or if you don’t have the budget to use the M3.

The iReal 2E also requires a scanning spray to treat the surface to accurately scan black and reflective objects, while the M3 does not require this.

Differences Between iReal 2E and iReal M3

The common light source that both iReal M3 and iReal 2E utilize is infrared VCSEL structured light, referring to projecting infrared speckles for 3D reconstruction.

It supports invisible light scanning, hair scanning, and markers-free scanning (geometrical feature and texture data alignment), suitable for the human body and medium and large-sized sculptures.

The newly-launched iReal M3 dual-infrared laser 3D scanner added a different light source – 7 parallel infrared laser lines. This is a real difference-maker. 

Some of the main advantages compared with the infrared speckle mode include:

• No need to use scanning spray to treat the surface for most dark, black, and reflective objects.
• Higher accuracy for edge reconstruction and better detail reproduction.

This new light source makes up for the lack of infrared speckle when scanning items, especially when scanning items for industrial design, and small objects of 5-30cm.

For a more in-depth look into the differences in the performance is shown in the detailed data comparison below. This shows how the new infrared system compares during the 3D object scanning process.

As is clearly shown from these test 3D scans, you can see there are sharper details on many of the objects that were scanned. This is especially apparent when the iReal M3’s infrared parallel lasers scanned sharp edges, and intricate details, and produced far better results than the iReal 2E’s scans.

Additionally, large improvements in 3D scanning quality were seen when the iReal M3 scanned black surfaces, and shiny light surfaces – which are traditionally difficult for 3D scanners to capture accurately. The iReal M3 captured these objects, such as the black tire, far better than the 2E managed.

Therefore, I recommend the iReal M3 if you are working in reverse engineering and product design, industrial design, or if you need to scan wider objects (above 5cm), items with intricate detailing or corners, and shiny metal parts.

However, if you are aiming to scan human bodies, and larger objects above 30cm, then the iReal 2E is a fantastic, cost-effective choice. 

Overall, I found it very easy to use, it has generous free limits (though I upgraded to the premium version), and generated high-quality 3D scans using its clever AI features that remove background artifacts.

KIRI Engine Pros and Cons

Pros

• Full access to scanning capabilities, even in the free version
• Available for both iOS and Android
• Easy-to-use UX
• No artifacts or noise in scans
• Color scans
• Active Discord with responsive founding team
• Web version for desktop editing, and use with DSLR cameras or drones

Cons

• Limit of 3 weekly scans on free version
• No in-app scan editing tools, you’ll need to use ZBrush, Meshmixer, or similar

Introduction to KIRI Engine

KIRI Engine is made by KIRI Innovations, who you may recognize as they produced the Phiz 3D scanner that had a successful Kickstarter campaign before being released more widely. It was a low-cost 3D object scanner that used your phone, but they no longer sell physical scanners.

Since then, KIRI Innovations have moved purely to working on their 3D scanning app, KIRI Engine, and have focused on making it the most advanced and versatile photogrammetry app, also featuring LiDAR scanning features if you have one of the latest iPhones.

Differences Between Free and Premium Versions

There are no differences in scan quality between the free and versions of KIRI Engine, which is one of the best parts about the free scanning app version.

But, there are some differences in the number of photos, scans you can export, and your priority in the queue to use server resources to export your scan. The details are below:

Other feature differences include being able to upload images from your local storage for photogrammetry, rather than just taking the photos with your phone in the app.

If you use the free version, expect to wait 15-20 minutes from uploading your scan, to having the final OBJ, MTL, and image files ready to download. It’s much faster with the Pro version.

Test 3D Scans and My Review

Clean Quality Scans with No Artifacts

After testing out KIRI Engine, I was impressed with the clean, artifact-free models it generated. For some hardcore projects I’m working on that need very detailed 3D models (1M+ polycounts), like for 3D printing, I found that KIRI Engine is able to produce great quality scans. 

For example, here’s my scan of the statue that comes with the Revopoint POP 2 that I tested to compare:

You can view the file on the 3DSourced Sketchfab.

This came out well, and after some minor editing to remove the background would look even better.

To save time and storage, one handy feature is the ability to choose between low, medium, and high poly counts based on my needs. So if you need a lightweight scan that will render quickly for gaming or AR uses, you can. In the Pro version, you can set specific poly counts, too.

The KIRI Engine team themselves tested the app using a $3 camera with just 2 megapixels, and a $5 lens, and managed to create a very accurate 3D model.

I tried a more intricate scan next, using a shell I had in my house.

It managed to scan the textures very well, and I was impressed with the quality in some of the more precise parts. If I had taken more photos I think the minor imperfections would have been fixed. You can see it here:

You can view the full shell 3D scan on the 3DSourced Sketchfab.

The awesome thing about KIRI Engine is that it can easily export 3D scans with quad mesh and even AI-generated PBR materials. Quad meshes are great because they can accurately represent the surface’s local geometry, and PBR materials make the 3D model look even better when rendered.

There’s also new features (still in Beta) such as KIRI’s Featureless Object Mode, powered by NeRF. Traditionally, smooth, blank-colored objects have been difficult to pick up with photogrammetry. But, KIRI Engine combines photogrammetry with NeRF to make scanning these objects much easier. For a more detailed explanation with more technical specifics, KIRI have written up an excellent blog post on the differences and how NeRF is a game-changer.

In another test I did, you can see in this 3D scan of two ammonites that it correctly removed the background, keeping only the main objects to be scanned:

Particularly impressive was the detail on the left ammonite, with all the ridges and details kept in the color scan.

AI Object Masking

KIRI Engine’s AI object masking means you can move the object, rather than it being stationary and you taking pictures around it, so that you can capture the bottom of the object and any other places that you can lose otherwise.

For example, the first time I scanned this statue, it was stationary and the bottom of the statue did not come out correctly. But, using the AI object masking features and holding the statue in my hand to change its angle, I could capture the entire object.

For a more in-depth example, this video shows this feature well.

Exporting Scans

I am impressed with the range of options available, including popular formats like STL, FBX, OBJ, PLY, GDTF, XYZ, USDZ, and even upcoming formats on our roadmap. KIRI does not paywall any file formats, which is a big advantage.

This flexibility allows me to seamlessly transfer my models to any 3D editor I prefer, including renowned software like Z-Brush, Blender, Maya, Unity, and Unreal Engine, and you can easily import your scans into Cura or another 3D slicer for 3D printing.

Once you’ve taken all the photos of your object that you need, you choose the format, scan quality, whether you want to make the scan public, and click upload. The upload process is very quick as my scans were generally 60-120mb, but then if you do not have the Pro version, it will take longer to process and export, as you do not have priority in the queue for server resources.

Once exported, a download link is generated and emailed to you, which is valid for 24 hours. It used to just be one hour, but KIRI has increased this more recently.

Then, if you’re uploading these to Sketchfab or want to edit the color versions, remember you need to upload the MTL and JPG files to combine the textures and colors, not just the OBJ file or your chosen file type.

Quality vs Professional 3D Scanners

KIRI Engine is, in my opinion, the best photogrammetry scanning app on Android and iOS.

However, you still can’t expect scan qualities from your phone’s camera to seriously rival a specialized professional 3D scanner.

Even cheaper $500 3D scanners like the Revopoint POP range are powerful machines designed specifically for depth-sensing fine details and textures for reverse engineering. Your phone’s camera is unlikely to rival a precision 3D scanning machine.

So, consider these photogrammetry and LiDAR uses mostly for fun projects, for more basic 3D modeling and 3D printing needs, and for creating initial base projects in animation or CGI uses. It does all of these fantastically, and if you’re proficient in Blender or ZBrush, you can use these 3D scans as the base for some fantastic 3D modeling, animation, gaming and VFX projects.

LiDAR Features

If you have an iPhone 12 Pro/Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro/Pro Max, or iPhone 14 Pro/Pro Max, you’ll have LiDAR features that KIRI Engine also supports.

One extra feature is RoomScan, which lets you capture an entire room’s layout in 3D, and automatically generate detailed and intricate floor plans with precise measurements. 

Overall

Overall, I think KIRI Engine offers an unbeatable set of features on a free scanning app that finally makes Android 3D scanning viable, and is still better than other iPhone scanner options.

It’s free to try, and then if you want unlimited scans and more photos per scan, you can upgrade to the very affordable Pro version.

Revopoint 3D scanners are known for their incredible precision and ease of use, and their POP 3 3D scanner is one of their best products to date. Here are just a few reasons why the POP 3 is a game-changing addition to Revopoint’s already impressive range:

Handy Quick Start Guide

The Quick Start Guide provided with your new POP 3 3D scanner gives a concise and easy-to-understand rundown of how to set up your new device and how to adjust it depending on what you want to scan.

This guide is very handy if the POP 3 is your first 3D scanner or you’re not yet confident in your skills.

The quick guide is a good starting point and also recommends the extra steps you’ll need to take to scan complex objects, like those with transparent, dark, or reflective surfaces.

Accurate Scans Every Time

With single-frame precision of up to 0.05mm and a scanning speed of 12-18 frames per second, even the smallest details and most intricate shapes are easy to 3D scan and model.

The auxiliary lighting in the LEDs makes scanning particularly vivid colors a much simpler process compared to less well-equipped scanners, making for accurate 3D scans with realistic color and texture.

The Revopoint POP 3 also has intelligent motion tracking, which accounts for and corrects movement and camera shake. These features are designed to generate high-resolution, accurate, and well-detailed 3D models quickly and efficiently.
This is thanks to a 9-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU), which automatically detects and gets rid of faulty frames for highly accurate models.

However, it is difficult to accurately 3D scan in particularly bright light. So, even though the POP 3 can scan indoors and outside, you should still avoid scanning objects in direct sunlight for the best results.

Ideal For Medium Size Object Scanning

The POP 3 3D scanner is designed for small to medium-sized models. With a capture range of up to 125 x 225mm and a working distance of up to 400mm, you can both scan medium-sized prototypes with ease.

Intuitive Controls

The Revopoint POP 3 uses a three-button touch screen, making it easy to use, even for complete beginners.

It comes equipped with a pause/continue button as well as focus and depth-of-field adjustment. So, if you notice errors while scanning, you can simply pause and correct them without having to start again.

High-Speed Connection

The POP 3 speeds up not only the scanning process but also the uploading process so you can manage and edit the scanned mesh cloud.

With a strong Wi-fi 6 connection, scanned objects are modeled and uploaded at very high speeds. As well as being fast, the connection is built to be stable, making transferring your scans from the POP 3 to your computer a reliable experience.

Compatibility with every operating system

The Revopoint POP 3 3D scanner is very versatile. The free Revo Scan software for editing your scans is compatible with iOS (for tablets), MacOS, Windows, and Android, and imports seamlessly into 3D modeling software like Blender, Unreal Engine, Unity, and many others.

Some 3D scan software is Windows-only or desktop-only, so the flexibility to scan and interact with your scans with your phones, tablets, and Mac devices is an advantage.

You can also choose between STL, OBJ, and PLY file formats, which are all compatible with most 3D modeling software.

At 3DSourced, we previously tested the Revopoint POP 2, and we were very impressed with it. The POP 3 improves on this in several key areas, solidifying Revopoint as one of best low-cost 3D scanner companies in the world.

These effective yet budget-friendly 3D scanners are great for both DIY makers and businesses on a tighter budget.

In this article, I’ll compare the Revopoint POP 2, MINI, Creality CR-Scan 01, and Creality CR-Scan Lizard and help you choose the right 3D scanner for your needs.

I’ve got hands-on experience with scanners including the Revopoint POP 2, which I recently reviewed.

Overall, I recommend Revopoint scanners over Creality, as Revopoint are a specialist company focusing only on optimizing their scanners for the best quality scans.

As a result, for close-up small scans, I recommend the Revopoint MINI, and for general mid-range scanning I recommend the POP 2 as a budget option, or the POP 3 if you’re willing to spend a bit more.

OVERALL TOP PICK

Revopoint MINI

Precision: 0.02mm

Scan Speed: 10 FPS

Minimum Scan Volume: 10 x 10 x 10 mm

Single Capture Range: 64 x 118 mm

Working Distance: 100 – 200 mm

Point Cloud Distance / Single-Frame Accuracy: 0.05 mm

Available at:

Revopoint here

CONSISTENT PICK

Creality CR-Scan Lizard

Precision: 0.05mm

Scan Speed: 10 FPS

Minimum Scan Volume: 15 x 15 mm

Single Capture Range: 200 x 100 mm

Working Distance: 150 – 400 mm

Point Cloud Distance / Single-Frame Accuracy: 0.1 – 0.2 mm

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

Revopoint 3D Scanner vs Creality: Quick Summary

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Revopoint POP 2

• Price: $699.00 – Available at Revopoint here / Check price on Amazon here
• Precision: 0.05 mm
• Scan Speed: 10 FPS
• Minimum Scan Volume: 20 x 20 x 20 mm
• Single Capture Range: 210 x 130 mm
• Working Distance: 150 – 400 mm
• Point Cloud Distance / Single-Frame Accuracy: 0.15 mm

The Revopoint POP 2 is an upgraded and improved version of the original Revopoint POP. Revopoint took the solid foundations of the POP and enhanced precisions, improved color capture performance, generally it’s a much easier scanner to work with overall.

I own own the POP 2, and I was impressed by the many improvements the POP 2 has over the original Revopoint POP.

It’s designed mostly for applications such as design, 3D printing, reverse engineering, and modeling. This is possible thanks to a 0.15 mm point cloud distance, which equates to excellent precision for medium-sized scanning of objects, including face and body models, with top-tier accuracy. 

Elsewhere, it also has a 20 x 20 x20 mm minimum scan distance geared towards smaller objects (it didn’t work well with small jewelry 3D scanning tests unfortunately), while the 150 mm maximum scan size suits most mid-size model scanning.

At 10 FPS scan speed, it gets through captures quicker than before, while a 6 Dof Gyroscope also helps deliver neater point cloud stitching and accurate spatial positioning for true-to-life scans. 

It also offers more accurate color reproduction courtesy of clever communication between the camera and the RGB exposure sensor built into the scanner.

I also like the Revopoint POP 2 for the stripped-down, functional approach. It works with little fuss, pivoting from stationary to handheld mode seamlessly. And everything runs off a simple USB connection. 

I recommend the Revopoint POP 2 to makers and businesses that want great quality at a low cost. It has enough advanced features for professional applications but keeps the cost under $700.

Revopoint MINI

• Price: $769.00 – Available at Revopoint here
• Precision: 0.02 mm
• Scan Speed: 10 FPS
• Minimum Scan Volume: 10 x 10 x 10 mm
• Single Capture Range: 64 x 118 mm
• Working Distance: 100 – 200 mm
• Point Cloud Distance / Single-Frame Accuracy: 0.05 mm

Launched after the Revopoint POP and POP 2, the Revopoint MINI, unlike its siblings, which take aim at versatility, is designed to capture small objects. This makes it a solid option for those looking for a quality scanner for fields such as jewelry making, intricate reverse engineering, industrial part design, demanding quality control, small artifact archiving, measurements, and healthcare applications.

With a shift to producing more precise and intricate scans, Revopoint has upped the cost, but the MINI comes with plenty of features to justify this. The Revopoint MINI offers a 0.05 mm precision allied to a 0.02 mm point cloud distance. These two specifications work in tandem to deliver high accuracy on smaller objects. 

In tow, we also see the minimum scan distance drop to 10 x 10 x 10 mm and the single capture range to 64 x 118 mm. From the numbers alone, it’s clear Revopoint has pulled out all the stops to allow users to capture small, feature-rich items and objects.

The MINI employs high-resolution structured blue light technology, different from the straight camera/infrared combo of the POPs, to help with the ever-present issue of ambient light spoiling and distorting the scanning process. Much like the POPs, the MINI doubles as both a stationary and handheld device, with a sleek turntable to improve workflow available in the premium bundle. The 10 FPS scan speed also carries over from the POP family.

In keeping with its name, the Revopoint MINI is also a compact device, comes with USB plug-and-play, weighs a feathery 160g, and has a bundle of easy-to-use software that covers everything from scanning to model editing through to calibrating the scanner. 

You can also buy a handheld stabilizer, detachable tripod kit, and the aforementioned turntable should your scanning plan require these.

Creality CR-Scan 01

• Price: $739.00 – Available at Creality here / Check price on Amazon here
• Scan Resolution: 0.5 mm
• Accuracy: 0.1 mm
• Scan Speed: 10 FPS
• Single Capture Range: 536 x 378 mm
• Working Distance: 400 – 500 mm

Creality, a 3D printing heavyweight and ever-reliable peddler of value, was bound to jump onto the 3D scanner wagon at some point. It did just that with the Creality CR-T, followed closely by the Creality CR-Scan 01, one of the most affordable scanners on the market.

The Creality CR-Scan 01 features a 0.1 mm accuracy powered by the popular budget tech, structured light scanning, and a scan resolution of 0.5 mm. These aren’t the most striking stats out there, but given the price, they are serviceable if a little missuited to smaller objects. 

With this in mind, the Creality CR-Scan 01 slots in alongside the Revopoint POP 2 as a good option for medium objects. To that end, it has a scanning range of 400 to 500 mm and a total scanning area of 536 x 378 mm, again great value for the price and quite a lot more on offer here than what’s on the cards over at Revopoint.

Behind the specifications, the Creality CR-Scan 01 runs on a sleek alignment algorithm that ensures automatic calibration, stitching, and grid alignment without the need for makers, a positive for anyone that’s dabbled with those tiny dots. Elsewhere, the scanner features a handheld and turntable mode for on-the-fly and more targeted scanning. There’s also easy one-click scanning, 24-bit true color scanning, and a solid 10 FPS scan speed.

With all this in mind, the Creality CR-Scan 01 is an option for those who want the ability to scan large objects. Applications like complete body scanning, large artifact archiving, 3D design and modeling, and general 3D printing spring to mind.

Creality CR-Scan Lizard

• Price: $599.00 – Available at Creality here / Check price on Amazon here
• Precision: 0.05 mm
• Scan Speed: 10 FPS
• Minimum Scan Volume: 15 x 15 mm
• Single Capture Range: 200 x 100 mm
• Working Distance: 150 – 400 mm
• Point Distance: 0.1 – 0.2 mm

A fresh 2022 addition to Creality’s 3D scanner line-up, the CR-Scan Lizard emerged after a highly successful Kickstarter campaign, but a copyright claim from Artec, a manufacturer of high-end professional scanners, soured proceedings. 

Creality and Shenzhen Jimuyida Technology, a second company involved in developing the Lizard, had allegedly pillaged the code from Artec’s Studio software and recycled it to make CR Studio, the software shipped alongside the Lizard. Months later, the lawsuit remains in legal limbo, yet the Creality CR-Scan Lizard is on the market and available to buy.

Legal proceeding aside, the Creality CR-Scan Lizard is an exciting proposition: cheaper than the CR-Scan 01, improved accuracy, a more compact design, and vastly better light adaptability suited to outdoor and direct sunlight scanning.

The Creality CR-Scan Lizard has a 0.05 mm accuracy, positioning as a scanner suited to small objects and able to capture all their details down to a 15 x 15 x 15 mm minimum scan volume. Elsewhere, it can scan anywhere from a distance of 150 to 400 mm at 10 FPS, courtesy of a combined LED and NIR scanning technology and marker-less stitching.

Two modes exist alongside one another: turntable for 15 to 300 mm objects, and handheld for objects anywhere from 500 to 1500 mm, and a combination mode for 300 to 500 mm objects mixing the flexibility of handheld and the precision of stationary scanning. The scanner also offers true color thanks to some clever software wizardry that allows you to snap a high-quality image of the object with a phone/DSLR and map it to the scanned data for one-click color restoration.

There’s plenty to pique the interest here, with Creality aiming to package professional features and accuracy into an affordable package suited to ambitious makers and small businesses. Applications such as prototyping, design, modeling, and 3D printing spring to mind.

Revopoint POP 2, MINI, Creality CR-Scan 01, and Lizard Head-to-Head Comparison

Precision and Accuracy

The Revopoint POP 2 delivers precision up to 0.05 mm and a 0.15 mm point cloud distance. The Revopoint MINI has a precision of 0.02 mm alongside a point cloud distance of 0.05 mm.

Over to Creality, the CR-Scan 01 offers 0.5 mm precision and accuracy of 0.1 mm, while the CR-Scan Lizard features a precision of 0.05 mm and 0.1 mm point distance.

Different definitions and naming conventions for specifications can confuse when looking at the numbers alone, so let’s break down where each scanner is best suited. 

The Revopoint POP 2 and Creality CR-Scan 01 are general use scanners suitable for capturing a broad range of items, but the richness of detail tends to tail off for smaller objects. This makes them ideal for face and body scans, for example. 

Here’s an example statue scan I tried on the POP 2:

You can see the quality of the final 3D printed model here:

On the other hand, the Revopoint MINI and Creality CR-Scan Lizard are geared towards small objects almost exclusively, thanks to their professional-grade precision and accuracy.

Cameras

The Revopoint POP 2 employs two IR sensors, a Class 1 laser projector, and a high-resolution RGB sensor for dual camera infrared structured light scanning. The Revopoint MINI uses dual camera blue structured light technology provided by two IR sensors, a Class 1 blue light projector, and an RGB sensor.

The Creality CR-Scan 01 also relies on structured light scanning technology using an LED white light. Finally, the Creality CR-Scan Lizard includes binocular cameras and LED with near-infrared.

The scanning technology used across all four devices is identical for all intents and purposes. There are subtle differences, such as the MINI and Lizard’s ability to capture scans outdoors and in full sunlight. The Lizard is also designed to capture black surfaces and objects, which the others struggle to do.

Elsewhere, the Revopoint scanners feature in-built RGB sensors, which allow them to capture color texture detail during the scanning process, while the Creality Lizard relies on post-processing high-fidelity software color restoration, or at least that’s the plan.

Color Scanning

As mentioned above, both the Revopoint POP 2 and MINI offer color scanning courtesy of high-precision color texture capture, but the POP 2 edges slightly ahead of the MINI with better color accuracy thanks to a higher-quality high-resolution global RGB exposure sensor.

Over to the Creality, and we have a mixed bag. The Creality CR-Scan 01 matches Revopoint with 24-bit high-fidelity color reproduction achieved by snapping color images of the object and slapping them onto the scanned data.

The Creality CR-Scan Lizard is expected to include hybrid full-color scans in the future. Creality explains that users will be able to capture photos using either a smartphone or DSLR camera, then map those colors to the scanned models through one-click automated software color restoration. There’s no word on when the feature is set to become available.

Scan Speed

The Revopoint POP 2, MINI, Creality CR-Scan 01, and CR-Scan Lizard all four offer 10 FPS scan speed. Therefore, nothing to set them apart here, and 10 FPS is standard for sub-$1000 scanners.

Scan Modes

The Revopoint POP 2 includes a variety of modes: stationary, handheld, markers, features, face, body dark/hair, and head scanning. Outdoor scanning isn’t possible here as direct sunlight can distort the capture process.

The Revopoint MINI features both a handheld mode and a stationary mode, the latter via a dual-axis stationary turntable with a 30° pitch that ships with the scanner and is said to improve stitching by capturing a more complete scan of an item or object. The MINI is suited to outdoor and sunlight scanning.

The Creality CR-Scan 01 has both a stationary turntable and handheld mode. Much like the Revopoint POP 2, it isn’t designed for outdoor use.

The Creality CR-Scan Lizard features a turntable mode, a handheld mode, and a hybrid turntable/handheld mode combining the hands-on movement of a turntable with the flexibility of handheld scanning.

In terms of flexibility, the four scanners are on equal footing, though the hybrid mode on the Lizard offers an extra bit of versatility. The additional modes on the Revopoint POP 2 are great if you’ll use them but may be an unneeded nicety for many.

Software and File Compatibility

The Revopoint POP 2 comes bundled with the Revo Scan scanning program and Revo Studio modeling program. Output formats are PLY, OBJ, and STL.

The Revopoint MINI ships with three different software applications: Revo scan (scanning application), Revo Studio (professional-grade model editing software), and Revo Calibration (simple and easy-to-use calibration suite). The Revopoint exports to PLY, OBJ, and STL.

The Creality CR-Scan 01 ships with Creality’s in-house CR Studio app, which covers scanning and one-click post-processing optimization with noise removal, auto-alignment, auto-hole filling, and more functions. Output formats include OBJ and STL.

The Creality CR-Scan Lizard uses CR Studio 2.0, the very software at the heart of the Artec dispute. It features a wealth of optimization features, an improved visual tracking algorithm, in-built tutorials, and cloud storage. Supported output formats included OBJ, STL, and PLY.

Price

Compared to professional-grade 3D scanners priced in the thousands of dollars, all four scanners scream affordability. Both Revopoint and Creality’s respective scanners offer substantial value if we consider the features, scan quality, and asking price.

Between them, the Revopoint MINI is priced the highest but is arguably the best of the four for high-precision, small object scanning, and it warrants the extra cost. We can’t help circling back to the $600 Creality CR-Scan Lizard for pure value. 

Legal dispute aside, it’s astounding what Creality has managed to squeeze into that low price. There’s no doubt that the POP 2 offers more value for larger scans: it’s cheaper and trumps the CR-Scan 01 for features.

Revopoint POP 2, MINI, Creality CR-Scan 01, and Lizard – The Bottom Line

The Revopoint POP 2 is a solid option for makers and businesses looking for an affordable and compact 3D scanner to capture larger objects and items. The added modes are also excellent additions, making it the best option out of the four for body/face scanning.

Those needing a scanner capable of capturing the subtle textures and intricacies of small objects like jewelry should strongly consider the Revopoint MINI. It’s accurate, reliable, and has the added benefit of working outdoors. It’s a great pick for quality control, measurements, archiving, and jewelry applications.

For more Revopoint comparison: Revopoint POP vs POP 2 vs MINI compared

While a solid statement of Creality’s intentions in the 3D scanner space, the CR-Scan 01 is bested by the Revopoint devices and the newer Lizard. Unless available on sale, we’d suggest the Revopoint POP 2 as a more value-packed alternative.

Lastly, the Creality CR-Scan Lizard rivals the Revopoint MINI for the high precision scanning of small objects but $150 cheaper. The legal dispute with Artec does sour the offering here, but there’s no doubt it’s a quality budget scanner suited to a broad range of applications.

OVERALL TOP PICK

Revopoint MINI

Precision: 0.02mm

Scan Speed: 10 FPS

Minimum Scan Volume: 10 x 10 x 10 mm

Single Capture Range: 64 x 118 mm

Working Distance: 100 – 200 mm

Point Cloud Distance / Single-Frame Accuracy: 0.05 mm

Available at:

Revopoint here

CONSISTENT PICK

Creality CR-Scan Lizard

Precision: 0.05mm

Scan Speed: 10 FPS

Minimum Scan Volume: 15 x 15 mm

Single Capture Range: 200 x 100 mm

Working Distance: 150 – 400 mm

Point Cloud Distance / Single-Frame Accuracy: 0.1 – 0.2 mm

Available at:

Creality here Amazon here

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