Best sources for aerial LiDAR databases?

[Berth]

I want to get solid aerial LiDAR data for a project, and I'm wondering where everyone here usually pulls from. I've checked a few state GIS portals and USGS 3DEP, but the coverage can be quite unreliable depending on the area so is there like a go to database you rely on for consistent quality and easy access? bonus marks if it's free or open source, but I'm open to paid options too if the data is worth it.
Also, how do you usually handle format conversions and prepping the data once you've downloaded it?

 

[canoester16]

Yeah, finding completely free LiDAR is sometimes a wild goose chase. I remember finally paying for a clean dataset for one headache project. Many folks find OpenTopography useful beyond the state portals and USGS then get ready for some data wrangling with something like QGIS.

 

[Chocolateeggs]

@canoester16 is right. The free ones are hit and miss and sooner or later you'll end up paying anyway. For paid recommendations I'd say Airbus OneAtlas, Hexagon HxGN, or NV5 Geospatial are excellent options.

 

[Theobserver]

Yeah, finding completely free LiDAR is sometimes a wild goose chase. I remember finally paying for a clean dataset for one headache project. Many folks find OpenTopography useful beyond the state portals and USGS then get ready for some data wrangling with something like QGIS.

I've been playing around with opentopoghray for some personal projects and I say it's not too bad, considering it's free.

 

[McNelly]

Most people start with USGS 3DEP for free aerial LiDAR, but coverage isnt always as good depending on your area. State GIS sites can help but aren't super reliable either. If you want consistent, high quality data, paid services like Quantum Spatial are worth trying. For prepping and converting data, tools like LAStools or CloudCompare are easy to use and get the job done.

 

[canoester16]

@canoester16 is right. The free ones are hit and miss and sooner or later you'll end up paying anyway. For paid recommendations I'd say Airbus OneAtlas, Hexagon HxGN, or NV5 Geospatial are excellent options.

I've been playing around with opentopoghray for some personal projects and I say it's not too bad, considering it's free.

Appreciate both of you chiming in. OneAtlas and Hexagon are new to me, so I'll check those out. If the data's clean and current, it might be worth the spend. What kind of workflows are you both running your LiDAR through once you've got it downloaded?