Matterport vs 360° tour vs digital twin: which do you need?
Four technologies get called “virtual tours”. They solve different problems and cost different amounts. Here is how to pick the right one for your property or project.
Get a quote360° virtual tour
Panoramic photos taken from several points and linked together. Visitors look around and jump between points. Fast to shoot, light to load and ideal for listings, hotels, restaurants and showrooms, published to your website and Google Maps.
Matterport style 3D tour
A depth sensing camera captures the space so visitors can walk through it smoothly, open a dollhouse view, read a floor plan and take rough measurements. The standard for premium residential listings, hotels and retail. Matterport is a trademark of Matterport, Inc.; similar results are possible with other 3D capture systems.
Digital twin
A measurable 3D model of a building, site or factory used for work, not only marketing: precise measurements, asset tagging, construction progress tracking, facility management and exports for architects and engineers (point cloud, OBJ, E57). Factories can link live machine data to the model.
Interactive 3D masterplan
Built from plans and renders before anything exists. Buyers explore the whole compound from above, see which units are available, then fly into a unit and walk through every room. Built for off plan sales.
Side by side
| 360° tour | 3D tour | Digital twin | 3D masterplan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Needs a built space | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dollhouse and floor plan | Floor plan optional | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Measurements | No | Approximate | Precise | From plans |
| Best for | Listings, hotels, venues | Premium homes, hotels, retail | Construction, facilities, factories | Off plan compounds and towers |
Which one for your project?
- Apartment or villa for rent or resale: 360° tour, or a 3D tour for premium listings.
- Hotel, resort or venue: 360° or 3D tour published to Google Maps and your booking site.
- Compound or tower that is not built yet: interactive 3D masterplan with unit walkthroughs.
- Construction site: digital twin captured at each stage to track progress.
- Factory or large facility: digital twin, optionally connected to live machine data.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Matterport tour the same as a digital twin?
A Matterport style tour is a kind of digital twin focused on presentation. A full digital twin adds precise measurement, asset data and links to building or machine systems for operations.
Can I have both a tour and a digital twin?
Yes. Both can be captured in the same site visit, so one shoot serves marketing and operations.