Custom Satellite Image vs. Custom Aerial Image — What’s the Difference?

Custom Satellite Image Requests are ideal for capturing places at a local to regional scale. This option works best for cities, lakes, national parks, coastlines, and other large areas. Satellite imagery has excellent availability, meaning it’s the best choice if you’re set on a specific date or season. Most requests can be fulfilled quickly and reliably.

Custom Aerial Image Requests offer much higher spatial resolution, revealing fine-scale details not visible from satellites. This makes aerial imagery perfect for golf courses, real estate, farms, and small properties. However, aerial data has limited availability, and matching an exact date is often unlikely.

In short:

• Choose Satellite for broader areas and better date availability

• Choose Aerial for maximum detail at a smaller scale, with less flexibility on timing

If you’re unsure which option is best for your request, we’re always happy to help guide you. Check out the examples above and below to visually compare the differences.