A comprehensive side-by-side comparison of two leading Earth observation companies, representing contrasting approaches to satellite imagery: high-frequency small-sat coverage vs. ultra-high-resolution large-format imaging. In October 2025, Maxar Technologies split into Vantor (Earth observation imagery and geospatial intelligence) and Lanteris Space Systems (satellite manufacturing and robotics); this comparison covers the combined former-Maxar business lines against Planet Labs.
Figures as of Aug 2026.
| Metric | Planet Labs | Maxar (Vantor / Lanteris) |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 | 2017 (via merger; SSL/DigitalGlobe histories to 1990s) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, CA | Westminster, CO |
| Public Status | Public (NYSE: PL, SPAC 2021) | Taken private by Advent International (2023) |
| Revenue (Annual) | ~$220M (FY2025 est.) | ~$1.8B (before go-private) |
| Primary Customers | Government, agriculture, NGOs, finance, defense | U.S. government (NRO, NGA), defense, commercial |
| Constellation Size | 200+ active satellites (PlanetScope, SkySat) | ~10 high-resolution satellites (WorldView, GeoEye, Legion) |
| Best Resolution | ~50 cm (SkySat) | ~30 cm (WorldView-3, Legion) |
| Revisit Rate | Daily global (PlanetScope) | Less frequent per target (~1–4 days typical) |
| Satellite Type | CubeSat / small sats (mass-produced) | Large LEO satellites (custom, high-value) |
| Acquisition History | Acquired Terra Bella (from Google) 2017; BlackBridge 2015 | Formed from DigitalGlobe + SSL + MDA + Radiant Solutions merger |
| Data Products | PlanetScope, SkySat, Planet Basemaps, Planetary Variables | WorldView imagery, Maxar ARD, SecureWatch, 3D surface data |
| AI / Analytics Platform | Planet Platform (APIs + analytics) | Maxar Intelligence (SecureWatch, GBDX successor) |
Planet Labs and Maxar represent two distinct philosophies in Earth observation. Planet operates the world's largest commercial Earth-imaging constellation by satellite count, with 200+ small satellites providing daily global coverage at 3–5 m resolution (PlanetScope) and 50 cm resolution on-demand (SkySat). Its model prioritizes temporal frequency — the ability to detect change anywhere on Earth every day — over raw resolution. This approach serves agriculture monitoring, deforestation tracking, financial intelligence, and broad-area change detection at scale.
Maxar (formerly DigitalGlobe) occupied the opposite end of the spectrum: a small fleet of large, expensive satellites delivering sub-30 cm native resolution imagery that is unmatched commercially, and the primary supplier of high-resolution satellite imagery to the U.S. government under EnhancedView and follow-on contracts with the NGA and NRO. Taken private by Advent International in 2023, the company built out its Legion constellation of next-generation high-resolution satellites. In October 2025, Maxar split into Vantor — which carries the WorldView/GeoEye/Legion imagery business and the NGA/NRO relationships compared here — and Lanteris Space Systems, which took the satellite manufacturing and robotics side of the business.
Track both companies with real-time data on SpaceNexus