SkyFi is a self-service marketplace where any registered buyer can order satellite imagery without a sales call or contract. As of October 2026, SkyFi lists archive images from $15 and newly tasked captures from $200 for a 25 square kilometer area.
Based in Austin, Texas, SkyFi sells data from partner operators such as Vantor, Planet, ICEYE US, and Umbra through one app, one account, and one price list. That model suits a farmer checking a field, an insurer checking storm damage, or an analyst who needs one image this week.
What SkyFi Sells and Who Buys It
SkyFi sells Earth observation data by the image, by the capture, and by the analytics run. A buyer draws an area of interest on a map, picks a sensor, and sees a price before paying.
The catalog covers optical, SAR (synthetic aperture radar), multispectral, hyperspectral, thermal, stereo, and aerial imagery. SAR matters because radar sees through cloud and darkness, so a buyer can still get a usable image of a flooded town at night. SkyFi’s About page lists more than 40 analytics and data partners. The named operators include Vantor (the former Maxar Intelligence), Planet Labs, ICEYE US, Umbra, Satellogic, Vexcel, and Pixxel.
SkyFi was founded by Bill Perkins, listed as founder and owner, and Luke Fischer, the CEO and co-founder. In January 2026 SkyFi announced a $12.7 million Series A co-led by Buoyant Ventures and IronGate Capital Advisors, as reported by Via Satellite. SkyFi’s own platform page claims more than 100,000 users and more than 10,000 organizations.
The buyers fall into two groups. Commercial users monitor energy infrastructure, track construction progress, watch land and water change, and document ESG compliance, the uses SkyFi lists for recurring tasking. Government and defense buyers have a separate SkyFi offering, backed by an advisory board that includes Robert Ashley, a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
How Ordering Works on SkyFi
SkyFi runs three order types. Each one has different rules about price, timing, and cloud cover.
- Archive images. These are pictures a satellite already took. You search the SkyFi archive explorer, preview a low-resolution version, and buy the full image. Archive images are sold as they are, so the preview is your only cloud check.
- Tasking. You ask a satellite to photograph your area in the future. The minimum area is 25 square kilometers, and a standard order includes a 20% cloud cover limit. If you lock in one specific satellite pass, that limit no longer applies.
- Recurring tasking. SkyFi resubmits the same tasking order monthly, quarterly, or twice a year. You set the area, resolution, sensor, and cloud tolerance once, and each capture starts at $200 for 25 square kilometers.
Standard delivery takes under 24 hours, according to the SkyFi platform page. Files can land in the app or go straight to an AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, or Azure Blob bucket. 3D products such as surface models arrive in under 12 hours.
Analytics sit on top of the imagery. SkyFi lists 34 analytics products, including NDVI for crop health, NDWI for surface water, change detection, and maritime AIS vessel tracking. Analytics start at $5 a run.
Where SkyFi Stands Out
Low entry pricing comes first. A first tasked capture on SkyFi costs $200, which puts a fresh satellite photo of a 5 by 5 kilometer square within reach of a small business. Most operator price lists start much higher, as the comparison table below shows.
One account covers many satellites. A buyer who needs Vantor optical imagery on Monday and ICEYE radar on Thursday uses the same login, the same card, and the same delivery folder. Without SkyFi, that buyer would sign separate agreements with each operator.
SkyFi’s software also runs another operator’s storefront. SkyFi built the platform behind Planet Select, Planet’s own pay-as-you-go portal for SkySat tasking and archive imagery. Planet Labs is a public company with its own satellites, and it chose SkyFi’s ordering software for its self-serve sales channel.
AI agents can order too. SkyFi’s MCP server lets Claude and other MCP clients search the archive, price an area, and place orders after an OAuth sign-in. A validation step returns the exact price without charging, so an agent can quote before it buys.
Field teams get an ATAK plugin on Google Play, so soldiers and first responders can request imagery from the Android Team Awareness Kit map they already carry.
SkyFi Pricing as of October 2026
SkyFi publishes starting prices on its pricing page and states there are no subscriptions, long-term commitments, or minimum spend. The figures below are floors. Your final price rises with area, resolution, and sensor type, and the app shows it before you confirm.
| SkyFi product | Starting price |
|---|---|
| High-resolution optical archive image | $15 |
| High-resolution optical tasking (25 km² minimum) | $200 |
| Recurring tasking, per capture (25 km²) | $200 |
| SAR imagery | $450 |
| Aerial imagery | $35 |
| Analytics run | $5 |
| Open data (public satellite imagery) | Free |
The $200 tasking floor buys a 25 square kilometer capture, which works out to $8 per square kilometer. SAR tasking starts at $450, more than twice the optical floor, because radar satellites are the only way to see through cloud on a fixed date.
SkyFi Compared with UP42, EOS Data Analytics, and Planet
SkyFi’s closest rivals are other imagery storefronts and the operators’ own sales channels. We compared what each one publishes about the cheapest way to place a first order. The minimum spend column is our own arithmetic from each company’s published figures.
| SkyFi | UP42 | EOS Data Analytics | Planet (direct) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per order, no subscription | Prepaid credits (100 credits = €1) | Per km² from a price list | Planet Select pay-as-you-go, or enterprise contract |
| Smallest first purchase | $15 archive image | €100 credit top-up | 25 km² archive at $14/km² (SuperView-1) | SkySat orders through Planet Select |
| Minimum new tasking | $200 for 25 km² | Varies by provider | $1,900 (100 km² at $19/km², SuperView-1) | Priced at checkout in Planet Select |
| Number of operators | 40+ partners | Multiple providers | Multiple sensors on one price list | Planet satellites only |
| Best fit | One-off and small recurring orders | Developer teams with budgets in credits | Larger areas on one sensor | Programs built on Planet data |
UP42, a geospatial data marketplace, prices orders in credits. A Professional account starts with a 10,000 credit top-up (€100), and credits expire after 24 months. UP42 also sells annual Enterprise agreements with budget controls, which suit organizations with many teams.
EOS Data Analytics lists per-kilometer prices. SuperView-1 archive imagery at 0.5 m starts at $14 per square kilometer with a 25 km² minimum, which is $350 for the smallest order. A new SuperView-1 tasking starts at $19 per square kilometer with a 100 km² minimum, so the smallest tasking order costs $1,900. That is nearly ten times SkyFi’s $200 tasking floor.
Planet Labs sells to enterprises directly and runs Planet Select for one-off SkySat orders. SkyFi’s comparison page describes Planet’s Tasking Dashboard as built for ongoing programs with dedicated teams. A buyer who only wants SkySat data can use Planet Select. A buyer who wants SkySat plus radar plus aerial gets all three in the SkyFi app.
Choose SkyFi when you need a small number of images from more than one operator and want a price in minutes. Choose UP42 or a direct operator contract when you run a standing program with procurement rules and annual budgets.
SkyFi Drawbacks to Weigh
Starting prices are not quotes. The $15 and $200 figures are floors for high-resolution optical imagery, and a sharper sensor or a bigger area raises the bill. Draw your exact area in the SkyFi app to get the real number before you plan a budget around it.
Cloud risk falls on the buyer in two cases. Archive images are sold as they are, and a specific-pass tasking order drops the 20% cloud cover limit. Check the archive preview, and use a standard tasking order unless the timing of the capture matters more than the weather.
Agent orders are final. SkyFi states that charges placed through its MCP server are not reversible. Run the free validation step first, and give the agent a spending rule before it places live orders.
SkyFi’s partner and source counts differ from one SkyFi page to the next, so the size of the catalog is hard to pin down. A partner list also cannot tell you whether a given sensor covers your area. Search your coordinates in the archive explorer and look at which images come back.
Who SkyFi Is Not For
SkyFi is a weak fit for national mapping agencies and large insurers that buy thousands of square kilometers every month. Those buyers usually get volume discounts and service guarantees through an annual contract with an operator such as Vantor or Planet Labs, or through UP42 Enterprise.
It is also more than a student or hobbyist needs for free medium-resolution imagery. Sentinel and Landsat data are free from the Copernicus Browser and the USGS EarthExplorer, although SkyFi also offers open data at no charge.
Our Verdict on SkyFi
SkyFi is the simplest published route to one commercial satellite image or one new capture without a contract. Its $200 tasking floor for 25 square kilometers sits far below the $1,900 SuperView-1 tasking minimum at EOS Data Analytics. The multi-operator catalog means one account covers optical, radar, and aerial needs. The trade-off is that SkyFi is a reseller layer, so heavy buyers may get better rates by contracting directly with the operators.
What Would Change Our Answer
We would rate SkyFi lower if it added a subscription or a minimum spend, since no-commitment ordering is its main advantage. We would also revisit the comparison if UP42 or EOS Data Analytics cut their tasking minimums below 25 square kilometers, or if Planet Select added other operators’ satellites.
To test SkyFi on your own area, open the SkyFi archive explorer, draw your site, and compare the archive price with a $200 tasking order before you buy.