We often hear the question, what are the differences between virtual tours created on the Matterport platform and those built with Pano2VR, the platform our company Studio360 works on. In this article, we’ll compare both platforms to help you understand their key features, customization options, and approaches to creating virtual tours. Find out which one is better suited for your application!
Matterport vs Pano2VR – do you want to pay all the time?
Matterport: Requires a monthly subscription fee, with the cost depending on the tariff selected, and includes cloud storage for tours, access to the Matterport platform and some editing tools.
Pano2VR: This is the licensed software on which our company operates. Thanks to which, we create a tour for which you pay only once. This is an advantage for those who want to avoid long-term commitments and get full control over the creation of tours.
Creating virtual tours: automation or manual customization
Matterport: It is a fully cloud-based solution. Matterport scans the room, creates a 3D model and automatically generates a virtual tour using its own software and hardware. This makes it convenient for quickly capturing rooms and creating tours, but makes it difficult to customize elements, as the system is controlled by the Matterport platform. Manual editing and the equipment used are strictly limited here.
Pano2VR: Enables a variety of 360° photo formats and manual creation of virtual tours. The user sets the positions and transition points between panoramas, which opens up a wide range of customization and detail possibilities. Pano2VR supports image customization, including editing and adding effects.
Interactive elements in virtual tours and possibilities of their integration
Matterport: The platform offers limited options for adding interactive elements. In Matterport you can add tags (Mattertags) with text information or links, but the possibilities to add video, audio or other interactive objects are rather limited and depend on the selected tariff.
Pano2VR: It has great possibilities for multimedia integration. The user can add video, images, text, audio, animation, and various interactive elements (e.g. pop-up windows with information, maps or navigation menus). In general it is possible to do almost everything that programming languages allow. This makes it more flexible and allows you to create a more personalized tour.
Hosting and content management of virtual tours
Matterport: Hosting is done exclusively on Matterport’s cloud servers. This is convenient as it requires no extra effort, but it is completely dependent on the availability of the company’s servers. In addition, Matterport has limits on the number of stored projects, and access to tours may be restricted after your subscription ends.
Pano2VR: The product allows you to save all data locally and upload to your own servers. The user can choose where the tour will be hosted: locally, on the website or in the cloud of their choice. This gives more freedom and independence when it comes to hosting and file management.
Compatibility and support for virtual tour platforms
Matterport: It supports operation on a variety of devices, including computers and mobile devices, and makes it easy to share tours. However, the system is tied to the Matterport ecosystem, so integrating it into other web platforms or custom solutions may require additional customizations.
Pano2VR: Offers support for a wide range of formats for use on websites and mobile devices. Exported tours can be easily embedded on any website and can be customized for different requirements, including integration with CMS and third-party tools.
Pano2VR or Matterport: what to choose for your virtual tour is up to you
Pano2VR outperforms Matterport in terms of flexibility, customization, one-time payment and independence. It is suitable for professionals who want full control over every aspect of a tour and plan to regularly add multimedia elements or use their own hosting. Matterport, on the other hand, provides a convenient solution for quick and automated tour creation, but its customization and integration options are limited and it requires an ongoing subscription fee.
It is recommended to choose Matterport if you need a fast, ready-to-use product with minimal customization and guaranteed cloud support. Pano2VR is suitable for those who want more freedom, hosting independence and interactive features, especially if a one-time purchase is more favorable than a subscription fee. We do not work with Matterport, although we can host a virtual tour on this platform if necessary. But if you have decided to gain independence and unlimited possibilities without subscription fees, then Studio 360 is the place for you.
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