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Splatcatcher review

Free#26 of 29 in Gaussian Splatting Software

A focused iPhone LiDAR path to COLMAP datasets and local Gaussian splat training.

6.0/10Editor score
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Splatcatcher is an iPhone LiDAR capture app for producing training data for 3D Gaussian Splatting. It records images, camera poses and a colored point cloud, then exports a standard COLMAP folder for desktop training. Live coverage views, motion-blur warnings, feature checks and tracking-drift alerts help guide capture. The workflow is aimed at solo creators and small to mid-market teams using iPhone Pro hardware, including iPhone 12 Pro or later.

The published Free (limited time) plan costs $0 USD as a one-time price and includes LiDAR capture, COLMAP export, on-device pose refinement and iPhone splat viewing. After capture, Forge supports transfer to a local Mac or PC training workflow. Integrations include Spirula Studio, LichtFeld Studio, Postshot, COLMAP-compatible trainers and Forge, giving the exported dataset several desktop destinations without moving processing to a hosted web service.

Its strongest distinction is capture guidance on the device: the app shows surfaces seen from different angles, refines camera pose, corrects autofocus drift and supplies a colored LiDAR point cloud for splat initialization. The built-in viewer supports orbit, pan and zoom for checking results on the phone. The trade-off is a narrow mobile-to-desktop pipeline: iOS and LiDAR-capable iPhone Pro hardware are required, and there is no scene editor or web viewer. Choose Splatcatcher when capture quality and COLMAP handoff matter; choose another tool if you need cross-platform capture, browser review or in-app scene editing.

Splatcatcher pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Live coverage and tracking-drift warnings guide capture quality.
    • On-device pose refinement and autofocus-drift correction improve datasets.
    • Exports standard COLMAP files with colored point-cloud initialization data.
  • Where it doesn't
    • Capture requires an iPhone Pro with LiDAR and runs only on iOS.
    • There is no scene editor or web viewer for broader review workflows.
    • The $0 plan is offered for a limited time rather than as a permanent tier.

Splatcatcher fact sheet, pricing and score →

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