The question I get asked most often by businesses considering a virtual tour is: "Which type should I get?" It's a good question, and the honest answer is that it depends on what you're trying to achieve. Matterport, bespoke 360° tours, and Google Street View are three genuinely different products with different strengths, different costs, and different use cases. This post sets out the differences clearly so you can make an informed decision.
If you'd rather skip straight to the formats, I have dedicated pages for Matterport tours, bespoke 360° tours, and Google Street View. Or read on for the full comparison.
01The Three Formats at a Glance
| Matterport | Bespoke 360° | Google Street View | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology | LiDAR 3D scanning | 360° panoramic photography | 360° panoramic photography |
| Output | Interactive 3D dollhouse + floor plan | Branded panoramic tour | Published to Google Maps |
| Ownership | Matterport hosts it | You own it outright | Google hosts it (free) |
| Ongoing fees | Yes, annual hosting subscription | None | None |
| Embed anywhere | Yes | Yes | Yes (via iframe) |
| Floor plan included | Yes (auto-generated) | No (can be added) | No |
| Measurements | Yes | No | No |
| Custom branding | Limited | Full | None |
| Custom hotspots | Basic | Full | No |
| Best for | Property listings, larger commercial | Hospitality, venues, care homes | Local search, Google Maps presence |
| Starting price | From £249 | From £449 | From £269 |
02Matterport: The Property Listing Standard
Matterport uses a Pro 3 scanner to capture a space in accurate 3D. The result is an interactive walkthrough where viewers can move through rooms, switch to a dollhouse overhead view, and use the built-in measurement tool. Floor plans are generated automatically from the scan data.
For property listings, Matterport has become the recognised standard. Rightmove and Zoopla both support Matterport embeds natively, and buyers are increasingly familiar with the interface. If you're marketing a residential property or a larger commercial space where accurate spatial data matters, Matterport is usually the right choice.
The honest caveat is the hosting subscription. Matterport charges an annual fee to keep your tour live. For a single property that sells quickly, this is rarely an issue. For a business that wants a permanent tour of its premises, the ongoing cost is worth factoring in.
Matterport works best for: residential property listings, new build show homes, larger commercial spaces, renovation planning, and any situation where accurate measurements or floor plans are needed.
03Bespoke 360° Tours: The Premium Business Option
A bespoke 360° tour is built from high-resolution panoramic photography, stitched together and presented in a fully branded, custom interface. You choose the navigation flow, the hotspot content, the logo, the colour scheme, and the information panels. The tour lives on your own hosting, or I can host it for a one-off setup fee with no annual charges.
The key advantage over Matterport is ownership. You pay once and the tour is yours indefinitely. There are no annual fees, no dependency on a third-party platform's pricing decisions, and no risk of the tour going offline if a subscription lapses.
Bespoke tours also offer more flexibility in presentation. A hotel can include room descriptions, booking links, and video clips alongside the panoramas. A care home can add staff introductions and information about facilities. A wedding venue can include pricing and availability links. None of this is possible with Matterport.
The trade-off is that bespoke tours don't include the 3D dollhouse view, floor plans, or measurement tools that Matterport provides. For most hospitality and venue clients, these features aren't needed.
Bespoke tours work best for: hotels, wedding venues, restaurants, care homes, retail spaces, and any business that wants a permanent, branded tour with no ongoing costs.
04Google Street View: The Local Search Tool
Google Street View is the most affordable option and serves a specific purpose: getting your business found on Google. A Street View tour is published directly to your Google Business Profile and appears on Google Maps. When someone searches for your business, they can click through to explore the interior before visiting.
The SEO benefit is real. Businesses with Street View tours see higher engagement on their Google Business Profile, and Google's local search algorithm treats the presence of a tour as a positive signal. For hospitality businesses, retail, and venues, this visibility matters.
Street View is not a replacement for Matterport or a bespoke tour. The interface is Google's, not yours, and you have no control over branding or presentation. You can't embed it on your own website in the same way (though an iframe embed is possible). Think of it as a discovery tool rather than a conversion tool.
Street View works best for: restaurants, cafes, pubs, retail shops, salons, gyms, and any business where Google Maps presence is a priority. It's also a strong add-on alongside a bespoke tour or Matterport scan.
05Which Should You Choose?
Here's a simple decision framework:
Choose Matterport if: you're marketing a property for sale or let, you need floor plans or measurements, or you're working with a larger commercial space where spatial accuracy matters.
Choose a bespoke 360° tour if: you're a hospitality or venue business that wants a permanent, branded tour with no ongoing fees. This is the right choice for hotels, wedding venues, care homes, and restaurants that want a tour as a long-term marketing asset.
Choose Google Street View if: your priority is local search visibility and Google Maps presence. It's the most affordable entry point, and it works well as a standalone product for smaller businesses or as an add-on to a bespoke tour.
Choose more than one if: your needs span multiple goals. A hotel might want a bespoke tour for their website and a Street View listing for Google Maps. A property developer might want Matterport for their show homes and Street View for their sales office.
06Pricing Summary
Full pricing is on the pricing page. As a guide:
- Google Street View: from £269
- Matterport (residential): from £249
- Bespoke 360° tour: from £449
All prices are one-off. No hidden fees, no VAT to add (I'm not VAT registered). Travel within my standard coverage area is included.
07Ready to Book?
If you're still not sure which format suits your space, I'm happy to talk it through. Call me on 07545 450543 or email hello@propertyphotoguy.co.uk. You can also visit the virtual tours hub for an overview of everything I offer.
