Postshot vs SplatMart (2026): Local GPU or Cloud Leighton?
Comparison · 2026-07-14 · 9 min read · by SplatMart Team
Postshot trains Gaussian splats locally on a Windows PC; SplatMart's Leighton trains them on cloud GPUs from any browser. This honest comparison covers hardware, privacy, inputs, pricing, control, editing, and who each workflow suits.
Postshot and SplatMart's Leighton solve the same core problem in opposite ways. Postshot installs on your Windows PC and trains on your NVIDIA GPU. Leighton runs on SplatMart's cloud GPUs, so you upload photos or video from a browser and download the finished splat. Full disclosure: this comparison is written by the SplatMart team. We have kept it focused on verifiable workflow differences rather than claiming one trainer always produces better images.
The short version
- Choose Postshot if you already own a compatible NVIDIA GPU, want footage to remain on your device, and value detailed local training controls.
- Choose SplatMart if you do not own the right GPU, use a Mac or lightweight laptop, prefer pay-per-generation pricing, or want generation, editing, publishing, and selling connected in one browser workflow.
- Both accept photos and video. Postshot is the more flexible local production tool; Leighton is the lower-setup cloud route.
The biggest difference: whose GPU does the work?
Postshot processes every reconstruction locally. Jawset currently lists Windows 10 or later and an NVIDIA GPU with compute capability 7.5 or higher, starting around a GeForce RTX 2060 or Quadro T400/RTX 4000. That is excellent if the hardware is already under your desk: processing starts immediately, footage stays local, and repeated training does not consume cloud credits.
Leighton moves that requirement to SplatMart. Upload from a modern browser, select a reconstruction model, and the job runs on a server GPU. Your own computer only handles upload, progress, preview, and download. This is the practical difference for Mac users, teams with ordinary office laptops, and anyone who does not want to buy or maintain a CUDA workstation.
Photos and video input
Both workflows accept image sets and video. Postshot supports a broad production-oriented list including JPG, PNG, TIF, EXR, DNG, RAW, MOV, MP4, and MKV, with unlimited image count and video length advertised by Jawset. Leighton accepts up to 3,000 photos or up to 3,000 sampled frames from one video per generation. For most objects, rooms, and properties that is ample; extremely large or specialist datasets are a clearer fit for Postshot's local workflow.
Leighton's video path removes the manual frame-extraction step: upload the original clip and it samples viewpoints across the full duration before training. See the video-to-Gaussian-splat guide for capture technique and large-input pricing.
Training control versus reduced setup
Postshot is built for operators who want to see and steer training. It offers a live preview, region-of-interest training, image masking, camera and point imports, scene merging, colour-space handling, command-line features on its Studio plan, and integrations for Unreal Engine and After Effects. That control matters in VFX, georeferenced work, and repeatable studio pipelines.
Leighton deliberately exposes fewer knobs. You choose the reconstruction tier, name the job, submit it, and monitor progress. The server, training schedule, and infrastructure are managed for you. Less control is the trade-off for not configuring software, drivers, alignment tools, or a local GPU.
Pricing: subscription and hardware versus pay per result
Postshot has a free plan for non-commercial work. Its free plan keeps saved files inside that plan and does not include PLY or SPZ Radiance Field export; commercial use and those exports are paid-plan features. The paid plans are recurring subscriptions, and you also supply the computer and electricity. That model can be economical for a busy studio that trains constantly on hardware it already owns.
SplatMart has no generation subscription. Leighton 1.0 Lite starts at $2, Leighton 1.0 at $4, and Leighton 1.0 Max at $6 per job. The base price covers the first 500 inputs; every started block of 50 above 500 adds 10% of the chosen model's base credits and projected time, with the full quote shown before generation. Occasional users pay only when they train a model.
Output, editing, and what happens next
Postshot's paid tiers export PLY and SPZ files for third-party tools, and its desktop application includes selection and editing. Leighton returns an editable PLY and can open the result directly in SplatMart's free browser editor, where you can remove floaters, crop bounds, and export. The same account can then publish the splat to the marketplace or keep it in My Splats.
Who should choose Postshot?
- Windows creators with a compatible NVIDIA GPU who train frequently.
- Studios that cannot upload source footage and need fully local processing.
- Technical users who need masks, imported cameras, regions of interest, command-line automation, HDR workflows, or direct production integrations.
- Very large datasets that should not be capped at 3,000 inputs.
Who should choose SplatMart and Leighton?
- People who want Gaussian splatting without buying an NVIDIA GPU.
- Mac, laptop, and browser-first users who want the shortest route from capture to PLY.
- Occasional creators who prefer a small per-job charge over another subscription.
- Creators who want one account for generation, browser cleanup, publishing, selling, and commissioning capture work.
Verdict
Postshot is the stronger production workstation when privacy, dataset size, and training control matter and you already have the supported hardware. Leighton is the easier on-ramp when the GPU is the obstacle: it turns the infrastructure into a per-job service and connects the result to an editor and marketplace. The best choice is less about an abstract quality contest and more about whether you want to operate the training machine yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Is SplatMart a Postshot alternative?
Yes, for creators who want to turn photos or video into a Gaussian splat without running training locally. SplatMart's Leighton uses cloud GPUs and returns an editable PLY. Postshot remains the better fit when you need local privacy or advanced training controls.
Does Postshot require an NVIDIA GPU?
Yes. Jawset currently requires Windows 10 or later and an NVIDIA GPU with compute capability 7.5 or higher, with an RTX 2060 or Quadro T400/RTX 4000 listed as the entry point.
Can Postshot and Leighton both process video?
Yes. Postshot imports common video formats for local processing. Leighton accepts one raw video upload, samples frames across it, and trains the reconstruction in the cloud, capped at 3,000 sampled frames.
Is Postshot free?
Postshot has a free plan for non-commercial work, but Radiance Field export to PLY or SPZ and commercial use are paid-plan features. Check Jawset's current pricing before choosing a plan.
Which is cheaper: Postshot or SplatMart?
It depends on volume and hardware. Leighton costs $2–$6 base per generation with no subscription, which suits occasional work. A Postshot subscription can make more sense for frequent training if you already own a compatible GPU.
Want to test the cloud side of the comparison? Generate a splat with Leighton, or read the existing Postshot quick-start guide before setting up a local project.