360° photo tour or 3D scan: which do you need?
A 360° photo tour or a 3D scan like Matterport's? What each makes, what it needs to shoot, what it costs, and which to choose for a listing, a hotel or a venue.
By Ben Kenyon, Founder of PanoramrUpdated 4 min read
In short
A 360° photo tour is a set of linked 360° photos you walk through, made with any 360° camera. A 3D scan, such as Matterport's, captures the space as a 3D model, a digital twin, that can be measured and viewed from above as a dollhouse. Choose a photo tour for a branded tour you can build in a browser with a camera you may already own; choose a scan when measurements or a dollhouse view are what you need. The two answer different needs, and many properties need only the first.
Two kinds of virtual tour
People say "virtual tour" for two different things.
- A 360° photo tour is made of 360° photos, one for each place a visitor would stand, linked so they walk from one to the next. Each photo is a picture taken from one spot: the visitor looks all round, up and down, but moves between the fixed spots. You make it with any 360° camera and a tour maker.
- A 3D scan captures the space as a 3D model, a "digital twin" in Matterport's words. The visitor walks through the model, can see it from above as a dollhouse, and can measure it. It is captured with a scanning camera, some 360° cameras or a phone, depending on the service.
Panoramr makes 360° photo tours. It does not make 3D scans, measurements or a dollhouse view.
Side by side
| 360° photo tour (Panoramr) | 3D scan (Matterport) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Linked 360° photos | A 3D model of the space, a digital twin |
| What you shoot with | Any 360° camera whose photo exports as a JPEG twice as wide as it is tall | Matterport's Pro3 and Pro2 3D cameras, some 360° cameras (Ricoh, Insta360) or a phone |
| Measurements | No | Yes |
| Dollhouse view | No | Yes |
| Floor plan | On every plan, from your own floor plan picture | See Matterport's site |
| Your own branding | Yes, on a hosted tour | See Matterport's site |
| Free to start | Yes: free to make; 10 published tours with Panoramr's branding | A free plan |
| How you pay to keep it online | Free to make; hosting with your own branding from £19 a year for one tour in a Vault, or £99 a year on the Pro plan | A subscription set by the number of active spaces |
Matterport's facts are from its own website, checked on 6 October 2026: its plans and its cameras. Plans and prices change, so check its site before you decide. Panoramr vs Matterport compares the two in full.
When a photo tour is the better fit
- You want the tour in your own brand and on your own website. A photo tour is designed in the browser: your colours, buttons, notes, a floor plan, a booking link, other languages.
- The visitor's question is "what is it like?" A guest choosing a hotel room, a couple viewing a wedding venue or a buyer deciding whether to book a viewing wants to see the light, the view and the feel of the place. Photos show that well.
- You want to start with the camera you have, or a low cost. Any 360° camera works, and many properties need 8 to 40 photos. Making the tour is free in Panoramr.
- You shoot often. A new listing can have a tour the same day, from a pocket 360° camera and a tripod.
When a 3D scan is the better fit
- You need measurements from the tour. The scan can be measured; a photo tour cannot.
- You want a dollhouse view or technical files drawn from the scan.
- You already scan with a Matterport camera, or a phone with Matterport's app.
Can I use both?
Yes. They are different files made from different shoots, so a property can have a scan for its drawings and a photo tour for its listing. If you already have the original 360° photos of a space, as JPEG or TIFF files twice as wide as they are tall, they go straight into a Panoramr tour; a 3D model's data does not. Create your first tour in Panoramr shows how.
How to choose
- Write down what the visitor has to do. Choose a room? Book? Measure for furniture? Check the layout?
- If they need to measure or see a dollhouse, choose a scan. If they need to feel the place and click through to a booking, choose a photo tour.
- Check the cost over a year, including the hosting: how much a virtual tour costs lists each.
- Try the cheaper one first. Making a Panoramr tour is free: make one from your own 360° photos and see whether it answers your visitors' questions.
Questions
Is a 360° photo tour the same as a Matterport tour?
No. A Matterport tour is a 3D scan of the space; a 360° photo tour is linked 360° photos. They look different and are made differently, and each suits different needs.
Can I make a virtual tour without a Matterport camera?
Yes, as a 360° photo tour. Any 360° camera whose app exports a JPEG twice as wide as it is tall works with Panoramr, and nine current cameras are compared. A 3D scan needs a service that makes one.
Does Panoramr make 3D scans or dollhouse views?
No. A Panoramr tour is a set of linked 360° photos, with a floor plan that shows where each one is and which way the visitor is looking.
Which is cheaper, a photo tour or a 3D scan?
It depends on the camera, the hosting and how many properties you have. In Panoramr, making a tour is free, and hosting with your own branding is from £19 a year for one tour in a Vault, or £99 a year on the Pro plan; Matterport charges a subscription by the number of active spaces. Check its site for its current prices.