Top 5 Matterport Alternatives

Matterport is a leading spatial data platform that enables users to digitize spaces such as offices, hotels, shops, factories, and homes. Also, Matterport lets users manage the digitized images stored as 3D models via an online dashboard. Even so, the 3D digital transformation/virtual tours space has various other players. Each of these service providers has a unique selling point that appeals to users who may not wish to use Matterport. So, what are the top 5 Matterport alternatives? 

Following intense research and comparisons, we have come up with this list of the top 5 Matterport alternatives:

1. Metareal Stage
2. 3D Vista
3. EyeSpy360
4. Zillow 3D Home
5. VPiX

But before discussing each of these alternatives in detail, let’s first explore exactly what Matterport is; its features, tools, capabilities, and pricing. Let’s get into it. 

Before We Begin: About Matterport

History of Matterport

Founded in 2011, Matterport has grown tremendously and is, in fact, publicly traded on the Nasdaq capital markets. It has processed more than 15 billion square feet of spatial data from working with hundreds of thousands of customers located in more than 150 countries. Its customers are spread across different industries, including:

• Real Estate
• Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC)
•  Retail, 
• Travel and Hospitality
• Insurance and Restoration
• Facilities Management 

Matterport Offerings

Matterport offers a complete suite of tools, integrations, applications, and services that enables you to transform the built environment into three-dimensional (3D) digital images as well as manage the resulting 3D twins. It also offers the Capture app that enables you to capture 3D models using a mobile phone (iPhone) or tablet (iPad). 

In addition, Matterport also offers a professional scan service that lets you book the services of a technician to capture the images. The company also has a dashboard that enables you to manage your 3D tours. Matterport can automatically generate 3D Revit models and 2D computer-aided design (CAD) files. 

The company supplies you with a zip folder containing raster files (PNG) and a PDF of the CAD files. If you intend to import the files into a CAD program, you can use Scan2CAD to convert the Matterport-generated PNG or PDF files to DWG or DXF. 

At the same time, you can use the Matterport Dollhouse View to visualize the relationships between rooms and the space. It offers a 3D floor plan perspective that you can fully interact with, acting as a convenient way to navigate any section of the model.

Matterport Dollhouse View (source)

Matterport Pricing

Customers can enjoy these offerings by choosing from the following tiered pricing packages:

1.     Free Lifetime Package 
2.     Starter Package at $9.99/month
3.     Pro & Business Package at $69.00/month
4.     Enterprise Package (available on inquiry)

Top 5 Matterport Alternatives

To some, these packages and the features offered may not be appealing or may be expensive. So, what are the alternatives? In this section, we explore the top 5 Matterport alternatives, which include: 

1.  Metareal Stage
2. 3D Vista Virtual Tour PRO
3. EyeSpy360
4. Zillow 3D Home
5. VPiX

It is noteworthy that these Matterport alternatives are based on specific attributes as summarized in the table below:

1. Metareal Stage

Metareal Stage Virtual Tour (source)

Brief Overview of Metareal Stage 

Metareal Stage markets itself as “the easiest, most affordable true 3D virtual tour solution.” To use the service, you simply have to create an account. Then, you have to use a DSLR, 360° camera, or mobile phone (you first have to install the Nodalview Smartphone Capture app) to take panoramic images of the space. Of course, you can take as many photos as you wish – Metareal is not restrictive.

Next, upload the images to the cloud and subsequently reconstruct the 3D environment manually. Once you are satisfied with the 3D environment, publish the virtual tour to make it public. In the event, you are unable to reconstruct the 3D environment on your own, Metareal Stage has a team of artists to build the virtual tour on your behalf. 

Pricing of Metareal Stage 

Metareal Stage Service Type 

Metareal Stage is a web-based platform (online service). It has a portal that allows creators to upload their images and manage the processed 3D virtual tours.

Matterport vs. Metareal Stage

Metareal Stage does not rely on AI to process your images. Instead, the company has a team of certified artists to accomplish this task. That said, the service is cheaper than Matterport but offers several similar features. For instance, visitors can use Metareal Stage’s measure tools to take measurements. 

However, it does not let you (as the creator) embed labels that offer more information. Furthermore, it does not automatically generate 3D models and floor plans. And given that it allows creators to upload a few panoramic images, the quality of the virtual tour is sometimes negatively impacted. 

Still, Metareal Stage qualifies as one of the top 5 Matterport alternatives. It is a convenient and affordable virtual tours tool. It also offers the most fundamental capability: the ability to create and publish a virtual tour affordably.

2. 3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro

3D Vista Virtual Tour with Embedded Video (source)

Brief Overview of 3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro

Founded in 1999, 3D Vista develops the Virtual Tour Pro software that enables you to create interactive 360° virtual tours. With this software, you can include 360° videos and panoramas, audio, and floor plans, as well as embed videos and photos that provide more details about clickable sections of the tour, such as artifacts and paintings. 

As one of the top 5 Matterport alternatives, the software also supports live panorama (which comprises several panoramas of the same space taken at different times to facilitate a smooth transition from day to night). The software also supports Adaptive HDR and the ability to view the virtual tours on any computer, smartphone (iOS or Android), or tablet. 

You can also purchase 3D Vista’s Stitcher software that stitches photos to create a panorama as an add-on. 3D Vista also offers hosting services. It also supports 3D models created using SketchUp, 3DS Max, V-Ray, etc. 

Pricing of 3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro

3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro’s Service 

3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro is available for purchase or download as multi-platform desktop software for both macOS and Windows.

Matterport vs. 3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro

While Matterport is an online platform, 3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro is available as a multi-platform software installable on both Windows and iOS computers. The latter is also cheaper in the long-term as you only have to part with a one-time payment. On the other hand, you have to pay hefty monthly amounts for premium Matterport features. 

As one of the top 5 Matterport alternatives, the Virtual Tour Pro also offers premium features that you cannot find on Matterport. These include Live Panorama, Adoptive HDR, and panoramas created using CAD software.

3. EyeSpy360

EyeSpy360 Virtual Tour (source)

Brief Overview of EyeSpy360

EyeSpy360 is a 360° virtual tours solutions provider that lets you upload 360° photos to the company’s cloud platform. The company then processes the images, creating a virtual tour, a 3D model of the space, and a floor plan. EyeSpy360 charges a processing fee of $1 per 360° image per tour, in addition to the monthly charge. 

In the event that you do not have the facilities or time to take the 360° or upload them, EyeSpy360 offers professional photography services. Under this arrangement, which is available on a one-time fee basis, the company will do everything for you. 

EyeSpy360 offers different features, including EyeSpyLive and EyeSpyPlay, which qualify it as one of the top 5 Matterport alternatives. The former combines the power and convenience of virtual tours with live video chats. On the other hand, the EyeSpyPlay enables the creators to embed a voice-over narration that visitors can toggle on or off. 

Pricing of EyeSpy360 

EyeSpy360’s Service

EyeSpy360 is an online service available via a web-based platform. 

Matterport vs. EyeSpy360

Matterport does not support voiced virtual tours or live video chats. This makes EyeSpy360 more ideal for realtors looking to sell property, implying that EyeSpy360 is superior. In fact, with EyeSpy360, you can virtually add or remove furniture to transform the appearance of the space based on the vision. This attribute qualifies it as one of the top 5 Matterport alternatives, especially as Matterport does not allow you to make virtual changes to existing furniture. 

In addition, Matterport and EyeSpy360 share many functionalities, including the generation of 2D floor plans, 3D models (Dollhouse View), the ability to embed labels, and a management portal. You can also use a mobile phone to capture photos, with EyeSpy360 recommending the use of 4K and higher resolution. 

4. Zillow 3D Home

Zillow 3D Home (source)

Brief Overview of Zillow 3D Home

Zillow 3D Home is an affiliate of Zillow Group Inc., a real estate intelligence company that provides people the on-demand experience to lease, sell, buy, or finance property. The Zillow 3D Home solution facilitates this goal by enabling potential buyers or renters to view the interior of properties. In this regard, it is a virtual tours platform available as a mobile application on both Android and iOS and via a web-based portal. 

As a person looking to sell or lease out a property, you can use a supported Android phone, iPhone, or 360° camera to capture panoramic photos. Next, upload the images and publish the virtual tour. Unlike the Metareal Stage, which requires you to manually recreate the 3D environment, Zillow 3D home completes the task automatically. According to Zillow, a tour with 10-20 images is processed in less than 4 hours.

It is also noteworthy that you can import third-party tours from Matterport or VPiX

Pricing of Zillow 3D Home

Zillow 3D Home is a free service for people looking to list their property on Zillow. 

Zillow 3D Home’s Service

Zillow 3D Home is an online service available via a web-based portal as well as through Android and iOS mobile phone applications. 

Matterport vs. Zillow 3D Home

Whereas Matterport has a free package, this tier offers limited functions. On the other hand, Zillow 3D Home offers plenty of functionalities even though it does not have monthly fees. For instance, with Zillow, you can import third-party tours. You can also edit the tour by adding, moving, or deleting arrows, changing the room’s default view, rearranging the order of the images, and changing the room labels. 

Though a reliable top 5 Matterport alternative, Zillow 3D Home does not support features such as measurements or labels for specific decorations within the virtual tour. Still, it is a formidable virtual tours solution, especially since it is available for free. 

5. VPiX

VPiX Virtual Tour with Interactive 3D Model (source)

Brief Overview of VPiX

Virtual Pictures, doing business as VPiX, is a virtual tour company that targets the real estate (commercial and residential), hotel, agriculture, and car industries. It offers on-site 360° video and photographic services. The company’s online (cloud-based) software uses video and photographs uploaded by the customer to create models that companies can use to showcase their properties. Upon uploading, you can then access the processed virtual tour videos from the VPiX cloud. The company also offers 3D object photography for eCommerce businesses. 

Pricing of VPiX: 

The company has not provided pricing information; it requires you to contact them directly.

VPiX’s Service

VPiX is an online service. But unlike competitors such as Matterport, and Zillow 3D Home, VPiX does not have a mobile phone application.

Matterport vs. VPiX

Although it is one of the top 5 Matterport alternatives, VPiX is less convenient than Matterport as it supports fewer cameras. Mobile phone users cannot directly upload photos taken using their phone cameras. Matterport also offers more capabilities, such as tagging, support for more hotspots, and measurements.

Nonetheless, VPiX’s services cover more industries than Matterport’s, which mainly concentrates on the built environment. With VPiX, you can create a virtual 3D tour of a car’s or yacht’s interior in addition to real estate spaces and hotels. In terms of similarities, VPIX also generates 3D models and 2D plans of houses by processing uploaded images.

Conclusion

Although Matterport is a leading digital transformation tool, it lacks some of the features you can find elsewhere. This has led us to create and explore the top 5 Matterport alternatives, a list that comprises both desktop software and web-based solutions. Each of the alternatives has its own unique capabilities as well as features you can find on Matterport.