How much RAM does OpenDroneMap need?
Enter how many drone images you want to process. The minimum RAM comes from OpenDroneMap's own hardware table; between rows we interpolate linearly.
Minimum RAM (or RAM + swap)
Your options: add RAM or swap (swap counts toward ODM's minimum, but disk is far slower than memory), split the job with ODM's split-merge, or process it in the cloud with us.
Too big for your machine?
Point Refinery processes drone imagery and point clouds in the cloud, for your team or for your AI agents (API and MCP). You get a price before the run, an accuracy report with every result, and your data stays in your own bucket and region.
We're in private beta. Tell us about your data. Early-access users we accept get one sample dataset processed free (up to 1,000 drone images or 2 GB of LiDAR).
OpenDroneMap's RAM table
"Minimum RAM needed for N images", from the OpenDroneMap installation docs (checked 26 October 2026):
| Number of images | RAM or RAM + swap |
|---|---|
| 40 | 4 GB |
| 250 | 16 GB |
| 500 | 32 GB |
| 1,500 | 64 GB |
| 2,500 | 128 GB |
| 3,500 | 192 GB |
| 5,000 | 256 GB |
"For processing more images, add more disk space and RAM linearly to the number of images you need to process." (OpenDroneMap docs)
FAQ
How much RAM do I need for 1,000 drone images?
About 48 GB. ODM's table lists 32 GB for 500 images and 64 GB for 1,500 images, and 1,000 sits halfway between them.
Does a GPU make OpenDroneMap faster?
Not according to ODM's docs: "A CPU with more cores will allow for faster processing, while a graphics card (GPU) currently has no impact on performance."
Can swap replace RAM?
It counts: ODM's table header reads "RAM or RAM + Swap". But swap lives on disk, which is far slower than memory, so expect long processing times.
What if my machine doesn't have enough RAM?
ODM's split-merge mode lets you "split up very large datasets into manageable chunks (called submodels)", and the docs note it "will require less memory". Two limits from the same docs: textured 3D meshes are not merged, and with ground control points each submodel needs at least 3 of them. See ODM's large-datasets guide. Or process it in the cloud with us.
How much disk space do I need?
ODM's docs list 20 GB as the bare minimum, 100 GB for "a few hundred images", and say to add disk space linearly with the number of images.
How are numbers between table rows calculated?
Linear interpolation between the two nearest rows. Above 5,000 images we extend the last row's slope (64 GB per 1,500 images), which is an estimate, not an ODM figure.