Which Is The Best Virtual Tour Software? by Ben Claremont

Introduction

Which is the best virtual tour software? In this video, I’ll compare not just one or two, but 15 of the most popular options, both free and paid, as voted by you guys in the virtual tour Facebook groups. The contenders are Pano2VR, Matterport, Cupix, Kuula, My360, Google Tour Creator, Panoskin, Gothru, 3DVista, Krpano, Veer Experience, Theasys, CloudPano, Marzipano, and Orbix360. That’s a lot, and there are actually way more, so apologies to the software that didn’t make the cut. Some of these include popular software of the past like Kolor Panotour Pro, which is no longer available for sale, and Roundme, who appear to be no longer active.

This comparison will give you an overview of who the main players are right now and what the main differences are between them. This is a free video for my brand new video course, Virtual Tour Pro. So if you got value from it, then it’s not even 1/100th of what you’ll learn in the full course. Follow the link in the description to get your copy of the course today. Now, the features and prices of these platforms are going to change and update a lot in the future, so use this video as a guide to what they offer today. Then check their individual websites, which I’ll link in the description if you’re watching this video in the future and want to see what they’ve added.

Now, I can’t compare every single feature of every platform because that would make things extremely complicated, but instead, I’ll focus on the main things that stood out to me from my time using them. I’ll also sort them into categories and give them each ratings out of 10. And here are the factors I’m going to judge them by. Firstly, price: How good is the price and, more importantly, how much value does it deliver for that price? I’m also going to include hosting here because with some of them, it might seem like a great deal at first, but then you have to pay a lot more down the line to add new tours as well as keep the existing ones online. Next, is features: How many great features does it have that will increase the professionalism of the tour? Ease of use: How intuitive is the software to use without having to go through hours of tutorials to fully understand how it works and what the workflow is like? Also, how fast is the overall process from start to finish? Photo playback: How good do 360 photos look when uploaded to the platform? This includes not only displaying them at full quality but things like the ability to color correct and fix imperfections, adding photo effects, and what the end viewing experience is like, navigating around the 360 photos as well as the transitions between shots. Interface and graphics: What do the navigation buttons look like, how professional do the skins look? And skins are essentially customizable menus. How much can you customize other things like logos, texts, hotspots, and so on? Finally, the end result: How professional does the tour look when all of these things are put together into the end user experience?

Now, I’m going to start by grouping them into four categories: Beginner free, beginner paid, intermediate, and advanced. Here’s how I see them fitting into each. Now I’ll go through them one by one and give each software an overall score based on the categories I just mentioned. Then, at the end of each section, you’ll see a completed table of how each software ranks compared to others in its category. Spoiler alert: as the video goes on, the scores will get better and better, so be sure to hang around until the end so you can make a fully informed decision and see what all the options are. As well as seeing which of these platforms is my personal choice and why.

I have my photos from the apartment here that I edited earlier, and I’m going to upload the exact same tour to all of these platforms to see the differences. Now, let’s get started.

Detailed Analysis and Comparison

Google Tour Creator
The first free software is Google Tour Creator. It allows you to create a super basic virtual tour. However, it’s quite limited in customization and quality, making it not ideal for professional use. Its redeeming quality is free Google Street View upload, but even that has limitations.

VeeR Experience
An established VR company, Veer offers a decent free software that supports both 360 photos and videos, as well as 3D content. The editor is minimal and easy to use, allowing basic hotspots and custom branding. A key feature is its VR app, providing a unique viewing experience.

Marzipano
Marzipano allows you to build tours online and then download for offline viewing or upload to your own server. The editor is basic but supports hotspots and some customization. It’s particularly good for offline tours, though it lacks hosting on their site for a fast workflow.

Orbix360
Orbix360 provides a simple drag-and-drop editor, slightly more advanced than Google Tour Creator. It offers basic customization with unique features like a custom nadir that moves with the photo. However, it’s more suitable for personal use due to its basic nature.

Theasys
Theasys stood out with its professional-looking interface and high customization level. It offers an array of features, like a variety of icons, interactive elements, panorama backlinking, sound and music addition, and detailed hotspot customization. It’s impressive that all these features are available for free.

Matterport
Matterport is known for its dollhouse effect and walkthrough experience, now open for use with regular 360 cameras. It’s simple to use but lacks in customization, making it better suited for real estate tours. The pricing and hosting model is a downside, as it requires ongoing subscriptions.

CloudPano
CloudPano, a newer software, offers a user-friendly interface and basic customization. The navigation could be smoother, but the software allows for quick tour creation. Features include a floor plan, lead capture form, and white label option.

Kuula
Kuula stands out for its smooth 360 photo player and affordable pricing. It offers unlimited tours, easy-to-use editor, custom hotspots, and unique features like lens flare effects. The platform is suitable for professional use, especially for beginners in virtual tour business.

Cupix
Cupix is feature-packed and targeted towards the construction industry and architects. It’s not the most user-friendly and requires a significant learning curve. It’s excellent for documentation purposes but may be overkill for custom virtual tours.

Panoskin
Panoskin focuses on Google Street View with a reasonable price. The platform requires a bit of learning but offers extensive customization, interactive floor plans, and excellent website integration. It’s a strong contender for professional tours.

GoThru
Similar to Panoskin, GoThru is focused on Google Street View. It offers a good level of customization and professional-looking results. The interface isn’t the most intuitive, but with some learning, it can be a powerful tool for creating high-quality virtual tours.

My360
My360 offers decent results, but its interface and design feel outdated. It lacks unique selling points compared to other software in the same category and is more expensive.

Pano2VR
Pano2VR is a popular choice among professionals for its affordability and stunning tour results. It’s a desktop app with a high level of customization. The learning curve is steep, but the end results are professional and can cater to high-end clients.

Krpano
Krpano is an advanced tool that requires coding skills for full customization. It offers stunning results but is not user-friendly. It’s suited for those who are comfortable with coding and looking for complete control over their virtual tours.

3DVista
3DVista combines professionalism with ease of use. It offers stylish in-built graphic design elements and a wide range of features. It’s suitable for creating advanced virtual tours for high-end clients. The price is high, but the software offers value for money.

Final Results
Based on the evaluation, 3DVista takes the top spot for its balance of features, ease of use, and professional results. Pano2VR and Panoskin follow closely. Krpano leads in customization potential. My personal choice is Kuula for its simplicity and professional output, with 3DVista as a close second for more advanced projects. Panoskin and Theasys are also recommended for their unique strengths in their respective categories.

Conclusion
Each virtual tour software has its strengths and is suited for different needs and skill levels. For those starting out, Kuula and Theasys offer great functionality at no cost. For more advanced users, 3DVista and Pano2VR provide professional-grade features. Krpano stands out for those who have coding skills and require complete customization.

Remember, many of these platforms offer free trials, so you can test them out before making a decision. As you gain more experience in virtual tours, consider moving up to more advanced platforms to enhance your tours and increase your potential earnings. For comprehensive training on virtual tours, check out my course, Virtual Tour Pro, which covers everything from choosing the right software to building a profitable business. Happy 360ing! More virtual tour content coming soon.