Choosing the right satellite imagery provider can feel overwhelming, but it really comes down to two things: your goals and the features you need to reach them.
Before you start, ask yourself a few critical questions. What type of data do you need? Do you require high-resolution images? Will you collect data over the same area of interest (AOI) more than once? How will the data ultimately be used? Your answers will shape which provider — and which type of provider — makes sense for your project.
What Type of Data Are You Looking For?
People often use “satellite imagery” interchangeably with other kinds of aerial data. The real differences lie in how that data is captured and processed. Depending on your goals, you might consider imagery from drones, aircraft, direct data providers, a marketplace, or free open-source options like Google Earth.
Defining the Sources
Here’s what each data source means, and how the data is obtained:
- Drone data — commercial drones fly over an AOI to capture imagery.
- Aerial data — photographs taken from an aircraft or other airborne platform, such as a balloon.
- Direct data providers — satellite companies that launch units into space and sell imagery and data directly to customers.
- Marketplace — a platform that connects multiple direct data providers to consumers, who request imagery through one interface.
- Aggregator — a platform like SkyWatch that aggregate multiple data types and providers, making it easy for users to browse and buy multiple imagery types with normalized pricing and licensing.
- Google Earth / free sources — these show satellite, aerial, 3D, and Street View imagery contributed over time by various suppliers, but they won’t show real-time changes.
Every source has value. The key is to understand what each offers and how they compare against your project’s needs.
The Right Provider for You: Seven Factors to Weigh
Once you understand the sources, it helps to compare them across seven practical factors. If you’d like deeper guidance, see our Ultimate Satellite Imagery Guide.
1. Resolution Type
High, medium, and low resolution are fairly intuitive. The right choice depends on what you’re analyzing. A high-resolution image shows fine detail — ideal if you need to see exactly what’s on a piece of land. But if you only need to count cows in a field, lower resolution may be enough and will save money.
If you choose drone or aerial imagery, you’ll generally buy high-resolution data and pay fees beyond the imagery itself. Pricing varies by provider, but most charge per square kilometer with a higher base cost for higher resolution.
2. Resolution Range
“How high is high?” is the real question. Resolution is measured in distance per pixel, and ranges differ by source. Based on the figures cited here: drone data reaches about 0.05 m, aerial data can be very fine, direct data providers and marketplaces reach about 0.3 m, and Google Earth reaches about 0.15 m.
3. Contracts
Contracts can feel intimidating to newcomers. Working directly with a direct data provider usually means committing to a minimum quota. Buyers who aren’t ready for that often turn to marketplaces, where the same imagery is available with no minimum commitment — so you can pay only for what you need and scale your budget up or down anytime.
4. Fees
Some sources carry operational fees to launch the product. Drones need a pilot, and so does aerial photography. With satellite imagery, you don’t pay to put the unit in space.
5. Recency of Images
Some sources offer both historical and new imagery; others don’t. Free sources like Google Earth are great for picturing an area at no cost, but the images are often out of date.
6. Pricing
Pricing varies by provider and source. In our experience, aggregators like SkyWatch offer the most competitive pricing. Aerial data carries the highest fees, with drones close behind. Direct data providers cost less than drones, and free sources are, of course, free. Check out our guide to learn how satellite imagery is priced.
7. Speed
Why are drones, aerial, and direct providers slower? Each has limited hardware and can serve only a few customers at a time, which creates wait times. Google Earth is fast if your AOI has already been covered, but it doesn’t prioritize up-to-date imagery.
If you need fast tasking, an aggregator is often the best route. Aggregators offer data options from multiple providers, so when you task imagery with specific requirements, the next available satellite that can meet them captures the scene — and the data reaches you quickly.
Get Help Choosing a Provider
Now you know the main factors to weigh and how data sources compare. Let us know if we can help you source the data you need.
