DroneDeploy Reviews

“Very happy with it!

Pros

DroneDeploy is a lot like an iPhone, MacBook or iPad but it is a smooth, polished tool that makes everything easy for the user like us. Also the interface is really intuitive and pilots can quickly create and share plans, updates and drafts. Even though we have come across a couple of minor issues while using it but these were likely due to user mistakes. The support team is amazing and always quick to respond. Andrea Ku in particular, was super helpful, patient and understanding. She even made a step by step video to show me where I went wrong and offered resources to prevent future problems. It was probably one of the best support experiences I have had.

Cons

Similar to other Apple products, it is quite expensive. Remote pilots or their businesses have to make a substantial investment to get into its ecosystem. Customization is also limited to what it allows. While the high cost and restrictions ensure stability and minimize issues it really confines it to large organizations, established pilots or institutions. So I feel like smaller companies or new pilots won't be able to afford it. And the new pilots are more likely to use affordable alternatives like Litchi, Drone Link or other reality capture software.

“Does the job but has some problems

Pros

The processing time is great, it is fairly easy to use and it is also quite efficient. Also there are some features that look promising but I feel like they still need some work for example, the stand counts are not quite accurate yet.

Cons

I have noticed that it has glitches during mission flights with major delays in updating the drone's status. Also it usually takes 8 to 10% of the battery before it starts the mission and begins collecting data.

“Excellent tool

Pros

I love the Esri integration. The 3D mapping and volumetric measurements are awesome too. Also the tech support has been extremely helpful.

Cons

Well I have had to experiment with different flying heights to achieve the results I wanted which is not really the software's fault. Also the upload speeds are sometimes slow but this might happens because we are processing a lot of data. And I have not used the flight planning tool yet since we're still on the trial version.

“Been using this for years and still very pleased

Pros

It is great being able to plan flights over tough terrain. And with it uploading the data is simple and the deliverables always show up exactly as I expected.

Cons

I ran into some issues figuring out if it worked with a specific drone and its camera. I am still not sure but I ended up selling the drone.

“Our success credit goes to DroneDeploy

Pros

DroneDeploy makes collaboration with my clients so much easier and less complicated. My business relies on DroneDeploy to provide the best product possible and they always deliver.

Cons

It is a bit expensive but honestly that is the only issue I have.

“It is an exceptional software

Pros

It uses a single pricing plan, so there are no surprise charges at the end of the month. Also it is quick to process and has an interface that is easy to navigate which makes it simple for most uses. And with a solid set of features, it stands out as a trustworthy product. The customer support team is also very nice as they are super knowledgeable, fast to respond and genuinely dedicated to resolving issues with personalized help, not just generic answers.

Cons

One big issue of the platform is how time consuming some tasks are. For example setting up the crop area for a map with over 3,000 images takes a long time as each point adjustment can take more than 30 seconds. If a map has 100 points that is almost an hour just moving them around. This could be solved with a feature that lets you upload, download and save KML files, which would cut down on manual adjustments. Also if a job needs to be restarted due to misaligned GCPs, you have to upload everything again, wasting time and bandwidth. A better solution would be to allow reprocessing the same map but only redo the GCP process. The GCP workflow could be much more efficient too as currently marking each GCP takes over a minute and marking 50 can take 1 to 2 hours. It would be great if you could automatically exclude poorly aligned GCP images especially those at the edges with lens distortion or blurry ones. Lastly it is frustrating that customers can't use the measurement and volume calculation tools without an account. Most of our customers just need basic measurements like drawing lines or calculating volumes, but they do not need the data saved. Forcing them to sign up for a $1,000+ yearly account just to do a few simple tasks is too much. Removing this barrier would make the platform much more accessible.

“Loved it!

Pros

One thing I like the most about it is that the turnaround time for large maps is really fast.

Cons

The time it takes to get smaller maps back can be quite long. Also I feel like the image quality on facades could be improved.

“Great all-in-one product

Pros

DroneDeploy is really easy for beginners to pick up. Plus it has lots of extra features and can connect to a lot of different GIS systems which I find a nice bonus. The website is also really simple to manage which allows me to easily keep track of all my projects.

Cons

Well I just wish the live streaming features could be easier to implement for drones.