Buying or commissioning
Buy a 3D scanner or use a service?
Price the same finished file on both routes. Compare your complete setup and running costs with a written service quote, then check who can deliver the result.
Start with one representative part and the file you need. A scan-only mesh quote and a rebuilt CAD model quote cover different work. Neither a low scanner price nor a low service headline tells you the cost of the finished job.
Equipment, fixed running costs and your work on each completed job.
A service quote for the agreed file, checking and delivery.
Same finished file. Same pass rule.
Define one comparable job
Write down the object, preparation permission, critical features, file format and a check in the application that will use the file. Then ask both routes to finish that job.
| You need | Agree on the result |
|---|---|
| Mesh for printing or reference | File, declared units, coverage and the required scale or slice check |
| Editable solid | Your CAD app, solid geometry and the specific direct edit |
| Native parametric project | Named parameter, required change and successful rebuild in your CAD app |
Use the mesh, solid and native CAD exercises if a quote only says "CAD compatible." File format alone does not settle the requested edit.
Compare your first-year costs
Compare the same completed job on both routes. Enter all five values in USD; use 0 only for a known zero. Keep unknown costs blank until you have a quote.
Use the formulas and worked example below if the controls are unavailable.
Your first-year comparison
See the calculation
The comparison covers the first year, with the full setup outlay charged to that year. It uses your entered costs, with no assumed resale value, financing or depreciation.
- In-house total = one-time setup + other first-year fixed costs + jobs x your cost per completed job.
- Service total = jobs x the comparable service quote per completed job.
- When the service price exceeds your variable cost, divide the fixed costs by that per-job difference. The first whole job count strictly above that result has a lower in-house total.
At an exact tie, neither route is cheaper. If your variable cost is at least the service price, extra jobs do not recover additional fixed costs in this model.
Worked example
These are example amounts, not market prices: USD 4,000 setup, USD 500 other first-year fixed costs, USD 50 per in-house job and USD 250 per service job.
| Comparable jobs | In-house first year | Service first year |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | USD 4,750 | USD 1,250 |
| 20 | USD 5,500 | USD 5,000 |
| 23 | USD 5,650 | USD 5,750 |
Here the in-house total first becomes lower at 23 jobs. Change the workload, labor or required deliverable and the result can change.
Include the work after capture
For ownership, list the scanner, compatible computer, required software editions, fixtures, preparation, initial training and recurring support. For each completed job, include operator time for scanning, cleanup, reconstruction and checking. Use the itemized kit worksheet (new tab) to assemble the equipment side.
For a service, ask whether the written total includes preparation, capture, reconstruction, inspection, revisions, transport or travel, and applicable tax. Allocate any one-time service setup across the quoted number of comparable jobs before entering a per-job figure.
Artec's cost guide identifies object size, complexity, quantity and the required application as factors in a quote. Its older published price ranges are not used in this calculator. Creaform's service description separately lists STL scan meshes and CAD reconstruction deliverables.
Check the practical decision
For an occasional part, request a finished-file quote before committing to a complete setup. For recurring work, test a representative job with the intended operator and record the time through the final acceptance check. Also confirm your team's available capacity, skill and delivery time.
If the object cannot leave the workshop, compare on-site service with an in-house setup. Agree on preparation, handling, permitted file access and delivery time before work begins. Artec maintains a directory of scanning service providers ; an individual provider still needs to quote your exact job.
Ready to evaluate equipment? Build a scanner shortlist or plan the complete reverse-engineering system. Already have a file? Check the CAD handoff.
Sources for the service scope
- Artec: factors affecting scanning cost , published April 30, 2021. Read October 20, 2026 for cost factors, not current price ranges.
- Artec: scanning service directory , read October 20, 2026. A way to locate providers, not an endorsement or a quote.
- Creaform: measurement and reverse-engineering services , published September 16, 2021. Read October 20, 2026 for service scope.
Use the same delivered file and acceptance check for both routes.