Best Matterport Alternative for Virtual Tours in 2024

Create Virtual Tours Without Breaking the Bank

Overview

Looking for a Matterport alternative? Discover powerful 360 virtual tour solutions that can meet your needs without breaking the bank. Explore how Matterport alternatives, like threesixty.tours, offer customizable, easy-to-use, and cost-effective options for creating immersive virtual tours for real estate, events, and more.

Why Look for a Matterport Alternative?

Matterport has long been a leader in the 3D and 360 virtual tour space, but it may not be the perfect solution for everyone. Many users seek an alternative due to Matterport’s pricing, limitations in customization, or hardware dependencies. Additionally, Matterport’s steep learning curve can be a hurdle for beginners who want a simple, efficient tool to create high-quality virtual tours without extensive training.

For real estate agents, photographers, event organizers, and universities, finding a Matterport alternative that offers similar immersive features but at a more accessible price or with enhanced customization can be a game-changer. Let’s explore the essential features to seek out and some top Matterport alternatives that deliver excellent 360 virtual tours.

If you are not exactly sure what Matterport is then check out this article.

For you to be able to use Matterport you will need to have the Matterport camera which comes with a very hefty price tag. You can see alternative cameras and each of their price tags (including Matterport) in this article about The Best 360 Cameras for Virtual Tours.

There are many cameras out there like the Ricoh360, Insta 360 X4, Go Pro Max and much more. These options are frequently much more affordable than the Matterport Camera such as the Pro2.

Once you have decided on a 360 degree camera, then you can start seeking a Matterport alternative software (more on that below).

Why Photographers Look For a Matterport Alternative

Matterport has gained popularity for its high-quality 3D and 360 virtual tour capabilities, but there are some notable drawbacks that lead users to seek alternatives. Here are some of the main cons associated with Matterport:

High Costs and Subscription Fees

Upfront Costs: Matterport’s proprietary camera equipment is extremely expensive, with most models running into thousands of dollars.
Subscription Plans: Matterport requires users to subscribe to a monthly or annual plan, and the more advanced plans are costly. This can be a barrier for smaller businesses, freelancers, or real estate agents on a budget.

Their plans run in the hundreds of dollars compared to $15-$35 per month for plans with threesixty.tours pricing. You can see the full cost of Matterport here.

Limited Customization Options

Branding Limitations: Matterport offers limited control over customization and branding within virtual tours, which can be a drawback for users who want to incorporate logos, color schemes, or other brand-specific elements.
Fixed Tour Style: The user interface for Matterport tours is fairly standardized, giving all tours a similar look and feel. This lack of flexibility might be restrictive for those wanting a unique tour experience.

Complexity and Learning Curve

Not Beginner-Friendly: Matterport’s interface and advanced features can be intimidating for beginners. While the platform is powerful, it may require training or practice to use effectively, especially for users unfamiliar with 3D technology. Matterport does have a steep learning curve.
Software and Hardware Integration: For certain features, Matterport requires specific hardware, and setting up this equipment can add to the learning curve.

Dependence on Proprietary Hardware

Limited Camera Options: Matterport is best used with its own cameras, such as the Matterport Pro2. While it’s possible to create tours with other 360 cameras, some functionality and quality may be lost.
Hardware Maintenance and Upgrades: Users are dependent on Matterport’s camera models and updates, which limits flexibility in choosing compatible equipment from other brands.

Virtual Tour Below 👇 - Try it Out!

Large File Sizes and Cloud Storage Costs

Heavy Data Usage: Matterport captures detailed 3D images, resulting in large file sizes that can slow down uploads, downloads, and processing times.
Additional Storage Costs: The basic Matterport plans come with limited storage, meaning users may need to pay extra for additional space as they create more tours.

Limited Offline Access

Cloud-Based Dependency: Matterport’s system is heavily cloud-dependent, meaning that tours cannot be viewed offline. This can be an issue for users needing access in areas with limited internet connectivity.

Basic Analytics

Limited Insight: Matterport’s analytics are not as robust as some competitors. Users who need in-depth data on viewer engagement, heatmaps, or tracking might find the built-in analytics insufficient.

Lack of Advanced Interactivity

Limited Interactive Features: Matterport’s platform does not offer extensive interactive features like live guided tours or direct communication options with viewers. For real estate or event organizers looking to engage live with their audience, this can be a downside.

Regional Restrictions

Limited Availability in Certain Regions: Matterport’s cloud storage and services are not available in some countries, making it difficult for international users to access or maintain services.

Virtual Tour Below Combining Matterport Links With Threesixty.tours - Click on "3D Tour"

Top Features to Seek in a Matterport Alternative

When searching for a Matterport alternative, consider the following features that can help you create professional, user-friendly, and engaging virtual tours:

Ease of Use: Look for an intuitive platform that doesn’t require extensive training.
Customizable Options: A good Matterport alternative should allow you to brand and customize your tours, adding personal touches like logos, colors, and unique interactive elements.
High-Quality Imagery: Crisp, high-resolution images are essential to a professional tour.
Affordability: Some Matterport alternatives offer flexible pricing or cost-effective plans suited to small businesses.
Device Compatibility: Opt for platforms compatible with most 360 cameras and that work on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
Easy Sharing and Embedding: Sharing and embedding on social media, websites, or emails can increase engagement.
Advanced Analytics: Some alternatives offer analytics tools, allowing you to track views, engagement, and user demographics.

Choosing a platform that aligns with your specific needs will help you make the most of your investment and create tours that capture your audience’s attention.

Best Matterport Alternative for 360 Virtual Tours

Threesixty.tours

Now, let’s take a closer look a Matterport alternative. Threesixty.tours provides great features and customization, making it ideal for a range of industries, from real estate to education and beyond.

The threesixty tours virtual tour software is an intuitive, easy-to-use platform tailored for creating engaging 360 virtual tours. Known for its seamless setup, threesixty.tours offers robust customization, making it an ideal Matterport alternative for those who want control over the look and feel of their tours. Unlike Matterport, it doesn’t require specialized hardware, making it versatile and accessible.

Key Features:

Simple, easy to use and customizable tour creation.
Compatible with any 360 camera.
Easy to share on websites, social media, or via email.
Affordable pricing plans with no hidden fees and no long-term contracts.
Provides analytics to measure engagement.

Ideal For: Real estate agents, photographers, event organizers, and educational institutions looking for an affordable, customizable, and powerful virtual tour solution.

Threesixty.tours is much more affordable than Matterport. While Matterport does have a free plan, it is extremely limited and so is their starter plan. Their professional plan starts at $65/month while their business plan starts at $321/month (yikes! hefty!).

As mentioned above threesixty.tours pricing starts at $15/month up to a max of $35/month which includes all features and unlimited virtual tours. There are no additional costs and no long term contracts. Cancel whenever you like. You can also try out the software for free for 7 days without even entering a credit card.

Easy of Use

Threesixty.tours is very easy to use and quite user-friendly. Its very easy for anyone to learn the software and start using it. You can create a virtual tour within 2-3 minutes. We also have extensive short 2-4 minute videos in our learning center to show you all features of the software.

Customizable Virtual Tour Software

Threesixty.tours is very customizable. You can customize pretty much all aspects of your tours including adding your own brand, colors, etc. You can even white label the virtual tours to be displayed on your website with your URL without any mention of threesixty.tours at all.

Speed in Creating Virtual Tours

Creating virtual tours in threesixty.tours takes minutes. It’s extremely quick and efficient. The intuitive platform is designed to save time without sacrificing quality, allowing users to quickly build and customize tours. In contrast, Matterport tours can take hours to produce due to complex setups, longer rendering times, and reliance on specific equipment. For real estate agents, photographers, and event planners, threesixty.tours offers a major advantage by streamlining the entire process and delivering professional results with minimal delay.

Zillow 3D Home

Zillow’s 3D Home service is tailored for real estate professionals. It’s integrated within Zillow’s platform, making it convenient for agents to showcase properties to a large audience. With straightforward tools and excellent platform support, it’s an effective way to make listings stand out.

Comparing Zillow 3D Home and Matterport Features

When evaluating the features of Zillow 3D Home against Matterport, it’s clear that both platforms cater to virtual tour experiences, but they offer different benefits and limitations.

Zillow 3D Home Advantages:

Cost-Effective: Unlike some competitors with monthly fees, Zillow 3D Home is free, providing a budget-friendly option for creating virtual tours.
Tour Customization: You can import tours from third-party services, offering greater flexibility for users who have existing content.
Editing Capabilities: Modify your tours by adding, moving, or removing navigation arrows. Adjusting the default view of rooms and changing image order is straightforward, enhancing user experience.
Room Labeling: Easily edit room labels to ensure clarity and accuracy within your virtual space.

Limitations Compared to Matterport:

Advanced Features: Unlike Matterport, Zillow 3D Home does not support features like measurement functionalities or labeling specific decorations within a tour.
Professional Use: While Zillow 3D Home provides a great free starting point, it may lack some advanced features that professionals might need for detailed architectural visualization.

In essence, Zillow 3D Home offers a feature-rich, cost-effective alternative, particularly appealing to those new to virtual tours or working within a budget. However, for more advanced needs, prospective users might consider additional tools to supplement some of the missing features.

EyeSpy360

EyeSpy360 provides a straightforward approach to 3D virtual tour creation, focusing on simplicity and speed. It caters well to a wide audience by offering an intuitive interface and the ability to share tours via social media or direct links, enhancing accessibility and exposure.

EyeSpy360 Services: A Comprehensive Look

EyeSpy360 specializes in providing dynamic 360° virtual tour solutions. By uploading your 360° photos to their cloud-based platform, EyeSpy360 transforms these images into interactive virtual tours, complete with 3D models and detailed floor plans. They offer a straightforward pricing model, with a processing fee of $1 per 360° image per tour, on top of a monthly subscription.

Additional Services

For those lacking the equipment or time to capture and upload 360° images, EyeSpy360 offers a convenient professional photography service. Available for a one-time fee, this service ensures high-quality results by letting their team handle all aspects of the photography process.

EyeSpy360 is known for innovative features such as:

EyeSpyLive: This feature integrates live video chat into virtual tours, enhancing real-time interaction.
EyeSpyPlay: Creators can add voice-over narration to tours, which viewers can toggle on or off for an enhanced experience.

These features contribute to EyeSpy360 being recognized among the top Matterport alternatives.

Comparisons: EyeSpy360 vs. Matterport

When comparing EyeSpy360 to Matterport, several distinct advantages emerge:

Interactive Features: Unlike Matterport, EyeSpy360 supports live video chats and voice-overs in virtual tours. This makes it particularly appealing for real estate professionals eager for interactive and engaging presentations.
Customization: EyeSpy360 allows users to virtually modify spaces by adding or removing furniture to visualize different layouts and designs—something Matterport does not offer.

Despite these differences, both platforms share some common capabilities, including:

Creating 2D floor plans and 3D models (often referred to as Dollhouse View).
Adding labels and notes within the virtual environment.
Managing tours via an easy-to-use portal.
The ability to capture images with a smartphone, with EyeSpy360 recommending devices capable of 4K resolution or higher for the best results.

Overall, EyeSpy360’s unique features and customization options make it a strong contender against Matterport, particularly when real-time interaction and visual flexibility are desired.

3D Vista

3D Vista is known for its comprehensive suite of features. Users can create interactive virtual tours enriched with multimedia elements, making it ideal for diverse applications, from real estate to tourism. Its robust functionality allows for customization, giving users the tools to deliver engaging experiences.

How Does 3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro Compare to Matterport?

When comparing 3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro and Matterport, several key differences stand out.

Installation and Accessibility

3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro is designed as a versatile software that can be installed on both Windows and iOS computers. This flexibility allows users to work offline and manage their projects directly from their desktops. In contrast, Matterport operates as an entirely online platform, meaning consistent internet access is necessary to utilize its services.

Cost Efficiency

In terms of cost, 3D Vista presents a more budget-friendly option in the long run. It requires a single upfront payment, removing the need for continuous financial commitment. On the other hand, Matterport involves ongoing monthly fees, especially for those who wish to access its advanced features, which can accumulate over time.

Unique Capabilities

3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro offers distinctive features that aren’t available on Matterport, such as Live Panorama and Adaptive HDR. These options enhance virtual tours by providing dynamic and high-resolution visuals that adjust based on lighting and movement scenarios. Additionally, 3D Vista supports the integration of panoramas created through CAD software, offering a level of customization that Matterport does not match.

In summary, while both platforms offer robust tools for creating virtual tours, 3D Vista Virtual Tour Pro shines with its cost-effectiveness, unique features, and the ability to operate offline, making it an appealing alternative for users seeking flexibility and control.

How Threesixty.tours Can Also Be Used to Compliment Matterport

While Matterport is an impressive tool for building immersive 3D tours, differentiating your virtual tour content can help you stand out in a competitive market. Matterport tends to fall short when it comes to large spaces like hotels, events universities.

Especially when you need to add virtual tours across several buildings or areas. That’s where threesixty.tours comes in, offering enhanced features to elevate your Matterport tours beyond the standard experience. Check out the video below on how Create Unique Matterport Tours.

Combine Multiple Matterport Tours into a Single Link

A key feature of threesixty.tours is the ability to merge several Matterport links into one comprehensive virtual tour. This is particularly beneficial for industries like hospitality, higher education, and event venues. Consider the following applications:

Hotels: Instead of sending guests separate links for each area (rooms, lobby, restaurants), create a unified tour that seamlessly transitions between spaces.
Universities: For virtual campus tours, combine buildings like lecture halls, libraries, and dorms into one cohesive experience.
Event Venues: If your venue spans multiple halls, you can merge these into a single virtual tour, allowing visitors to navigate smoothly across all areas.

By presenting multiple spaces in one tour, you enhance the user experience and simplify navigation which allows you to Sell Better Matterport Tours to Hotels.

Add Aerial Views for a Full Neighborhood Perspective

Threesixty.tours also enables you to add aerial imagery to your Matterport tours, providing a broader view of the surrounding area. This feature is especially valuable for real estate agents that want Matterport drone integration. Imagine not only showing the interior of a property but also giving buyers a bird’s-eye view of the neighborhood. This allows potential buyers to see nearby amenities, green spaces, and the overall landscape, giving them essential context.

For buyers, this additional view adds substantial value. Aerial imagery offers perspective on the property’s environment, such as its proximity to schools, parks, or city amenities. By combining Matterport’s interior focus with threesixty.tours’ exterior aerial views, you create a comprehensive experience that covers every angle of a property.

Unique, Shareable Links

Using threesixty.tours to host Matterport virtual tours also allows for branded, shareable links. These links not only make sharing your tours easier but also support your branding efforts. For businesses aiming to stand out, custom URLs offer a professional touch, making your tours more recognizable and accessible to your audience.

How to Choose the Right Platform for Your Needs

When choosing a Matterport alternative, consider these key questions to find a solution tailored to your needs:

What’s Your Budget? Some platforms, like Matterport, come with substantial fees, especially for small businesses. Check if your selected alternative offers a flexible plan without unnecessary expenses.
What Level of Customization Do You Need? If you need to add branding elements like logos, or customize layouts and colors, look for platforms with robust design options.
How Important is Ease of Use? Beginners or those short on time may benefit from intuitive, easy-to-navigate platforms like threesixty.tours.
What Kind of Hardware Do You Have? While Matterport requires proprietary hardware, other platforms work with any 360 camera, reducing costs and allowing more flexibility.
Do You Need Advanced Analytics? For professional photographers and businesses aiming to improve user engagement, detailed analytics are invaluable. Some Matterport alternatives offer analytics packages to track visitor behavior and engagement.

Conclusion: Which Matterport Alternative is Right for You?

The right Matterport alternative ultimately depends on your specific needs, budget, and the features most relevant to your industry. For those prioritizing ease of use, affordability, and flexibility, threesixty.tours stands out as an excellent option. Real estate agents, photographers, and event organizers can also find suitable options each with unique strengths.

Ready to create immersive 360 virtual tours that captivate and engage? Visit threesixty.tours to start building custom, high-quality virtual tours that fit your budget and brand vision. Explore the possibilities today and see how a Matterport alternative can elevate your digital marketing and outreach efforts!