The Best 3D Gaussian Splatting Software in 2026 (Including Free Postshot Alternatives)

Guide · 2026-06-10 · 9 min read · by SplatMart Team

The 3DGS tool landscape shifted hard this year: Postshot went subscription-only and free alternatives surged. Here's the current best software for capturing, training, editing, and viewing gaussian splats — with a fully free pipeline that rivals paid tools.

The gaussian splatting software landscape changed dramatically over the past year: Postshot — long the default desktop trainer — moved to a subscription with no free .ply export, and a wave of free, open-source alternatives matured fast. Here's what's actually worth using in 2026, whether you want one-click phone capture or full control of a local pipeline.

Quick picks

Best fully free pipeline: RealityScan (alignment) → Brush or LichtFeld Studio (training) → SuperSplat (editing).
Easiest start: Polycam, Luma AI or Scaniverse on your phone, or Teleport by Varjo for guided capture.
Best all-in-one desktop (paid): Jawset Postshot — still the smoothest video-to-splat workflow if the subscription fits your budget.
Best editor/publisher: SuperSplat (free, in-browser, also hosts a community gallery).

The free desktop pipeline that replaced Postshot for many

When Postshot 1.0 went subscription-only, the community converged on a free three-step workflow. Step one: align your photos in RealityScan (free from Epic) or COLMAP — export the camera registration plus images. Step two: train the splat in Brush (open source, runs on Windows/Mac/Linux and even AMD GPUs) or LichtFeld Studio (newer, fast-moving, excellent results). Step three: clean floaters and crop bounds in SuperSplat, then export. The results rival paid tools; the cost is a little more setup friction.

Phone and cloud apps — zero setup

Polycam and Luma AI process captures in the cloud and hand you a finished splat; Scaniverse (Niantic) trains on-device and is completely free; Teleport by Varjo walks you through capture for notably consistent quality. Cloud services like vid2scene turn an uploaded video into a downloadable .spz/.ply for free. The tradeoffs: less control over training, and check each app's licence before commercial use of the output.

Postshot in 2026 — still good, now paid

Jawset Postshot remains the most polished drop-a-video-in, get-a-splat-out desktop app, with strong training quality and an integrated viewer. The 1.0 release introduced subscription licensing and removed .ply export from the free tier, which pushed hobbyists to the free pipeline above. If you produce splats commercially and value the streamlined workflow, it can still be the right tool.

Pro and survey-grade tools

For georeferenced, scale-accurate work there's a separate tier: Pix4D produces survey-grade georeferenced splats used by utilities and inspectors, and SLAM scanners from XGRIDS (with CyberColor software) capture huge spaces fast. Expect pro pricing.

Don't forget the editor

Whatever trains your splat, you'll want SuperSplat for cleanup — deleting floaters, cropping bounds, adjusting orientation — before publishing or selling. It runs free in the browser. When your splat is clean, you can sell it on SplatMart and keep 90% of each sale.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free gaussian splatting software?

The strongest free pipeline in 2026 is RealityScan or COLMAP for alignment, Brush or LichtFeld Studio for training, and SuperSplat for editing. On a phone, Scaniverse is free with on-device training.

What are the best Postshot alternatives?

Brush and LichtFeld Studio are the leading free desktop trainers (paired with RealityScan/COLMAP for alignment). For zero-setup options, Polycam, Luma AI, and cloud converters like vid2scene cover most needs.

Can I make gaussian splats on a Mac?

Yes — Brush runs natively on Apple Silicon, dedicated Mac training apps exist, and all the phone/cloud apps work regardless of your computer. Heavy local training is still fastest on an NVIDIA GPU.

Do I need a powerful GPU for gaussian splatting?

For local training, a recent NVIDIA card with 8GB+ VRAM is the comfortable baseline (more for big scenes). Cloud apps and services remove the requirement entirely by training server-side.

Which software do professionals use?

Pros mix tools: RealityScan/Metashape or COLMAP for alignment, Postshot/Brush/LichtFeld for training, SuperSplat for cleanup, and Pix4D or XGRIDS gear for georeferenced survey work.