Free online PLY to LAZ converter

A scanner or modeling application may save a point cloud as PLY, while a survey or GIS workflow may require compressed LAS-family data. Converting the point data to LAZ can reduce storage and make it easier to share or archive.

What the PLY format is

PLY (Polygon File Format) stores 3D geometry as points or polygon meshes, with optional properties such as color and normals. 3D scanners and programs such as MeshLab and Blender can create PLY files; they are also common for exchanging scanned models and point clouds.

What the LAZ format is

LAZ is the compressed form of LAS, a format used for lidar and other 3D point-cloud data. It is useful when a workflow expects LAS-compatible points but smaller files are preferable for storage or transfer. LAZ retains point data and supported attributes, not polygon-mesh connectivity.

How to convert PLY to LAZ

Online on 101convert.com

1. Upload the PLY file using the converter on this page.
2. Choose LAZ as the output format and start the conversion.
3. Download the converted file when it is ready. Multiple files can be converted in one batch; the page shows the per-file size limit.

Offline with desktop software

PDAL is free, open-source software available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. With a build that includes PLY reading and LAZ compression support, run:

pdal translate input.ply output.laz writers.las --writers.las.compression=true

Replace the filenames with your paths. If the command reports an unsupported PLY reader or compression backend, use a PDAL build that includes those components.

Quality and compatibility

PLY mesh faces are not represented in LAZ, so this conversion produces point data rather than a connected surface. PLY properties do not all have direct LAS equivalents; check that needed colors or other attributes appear in the output. LAS-family coordinates use scaled integer values, so check coordinate scale and offset settings when precision is critical.