Chronicle vs Polycam

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings

Analysis reviewed Live tool data as of 2026-10-18
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At a glance

DimensionChroniclePolycam
Primary Use CaseAI presentation generation3D scanning & photogrammetry
Key FeatureAI from notes, brand guidelines, freeform canvasLiDAR scan, floor plans, drone photogrammetry
Export FormatsPPT, PDF, web publishGLTF, OBJ, FBX, USDZ, PLY, LAS, STL, DAE, ESX, DXF
IntegrationsNotion, Google Sheets, Airtable, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, YouTube, Loom, Calendly, Google Calendar, TypeformNone listed
Latest News RelevanceMCP & API launch (Jul 2026) enables programmatic accessHDRI lighting, floor plan editor drag fix (Mar 2026)

Choose Polycam if you need professional 3D scanning, LiDAR capture, floor plans, or drone photogrammetry for AEC/forensics/media. Choose Chronicle if you need to quickly turn raw notes and docs into on-brand, polished presentations for sales, marketing, or consulting. They serve entirely different workflows.

Chronicle
Chronicle

Chronicle turns your notes, docs, and data into on-brand, fully editable presentations you can export to PowerPoint or the web.

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Polycam
Polycam

Polycam turns phone LiDAR, photos and drone footage into 3D models, floor plans and point clouds for AEC and real estate teams.

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Pricing
Freemium
Freemium
Plans
$0/mo
$15/mo ($12/mo billed annually)
$30/mo ($25/mo billed annually)
$59/mo ($45/mo billed annually)
$0
$150/year ($12.50/mo billed yearly; $30/mo billed monthly)
$400/year per user ($33/mo per user billed yearly)
$1200/year per user (3 users minimum, billed yearly)
Popularity
7 views
7.5k views
Skill Level
Intermediate
Beginner-friendly
API Available
Platforms
WebAPI
WebMobile
Categories
✨ Presentations & Slides
🧊 3D Generation & Scanning🏠 Interior Design & Architecture👷 Construction & Field Service
Features
Generate presentations from raw notes, docs, outlines, or existing decks
Freeform canvas with full layout and visual editing
Remix restructures a deck (~1 token)
Rewrite AI content editing (~1 token per action)
Muse agent for AI-driven edits (Plus and up)
Brand guidelines: upload fonts, colors, and visual rules
Charts, graphs, tables, and metrics visualization
Embed content from hundreds of tools
Templates by designers from Apple, McKinsey, BCG, and IDEO
Export to PowerPoint (Plus and up)
Export to PDF and social formats, or publish as a web page
Real-time collaboration with shared templates and permission controls
Guest editors (3 on Free, up to 10 on Pro, unlimited on Plus)
Custom themes and custom fonts (Max)
Public API and MCP server for programmatic deck generation
LiDAR and non-LiDAR space capture of rooms, buildings and interiors
360 photosphere capture with an in-app 360 image viewer
Object capture turning phone photos into shareable 3D models
AI Capture generating 3D models from low photo counts
Instant 3D and editable 2D floor plans with auto fixture and furniture detection
Advanced measure tools: interior measure, pen measure and auto measure
Automated measurements, floor area, blueprints, room labels and compass
Editable wall thickness and custom color themes on floor plans
Drone and aerial photogrammetry processed into site-scale 3D models
Photogrammetry up to 2000 images and 30-minute videos per capture on Business and Enterprise
Gaussian splatting with unlimited splats on Basic and up
AI generated reports on all tiers
Virtual walkthroughs and shared team library on Business and up
Mesh exports: GLTF, OBJ, FBX, DAE, STL, USDZ, ESX
Point cloud exports: PLY, LAS, Geo-LAS, PTS, XYZ, DXF
Integrations
Xactimate
SketchUp
Unity
Blender
Unreal Engine
Maya
3ds Max
Rhino
Three.js
Apple Vision Pro

What real users say: Chronicle vs Polycam

Not marketing copy and not our opinion — a structured sweep of public discussion (reviews, forums, communities and video comments), showing what people praise and what they complain about for each tool.

Chronicle

No verifiable community signal. We scanned public discussion on Jul 3, 2026 and found posts matching the name “Chronicle”, but could not establish that they are about this product rather than something else sharing its name. Rather than publish a score built on the wrong subject, we publish none.

Polycam

64 mentions across 5 sources · 49% positive — mixed (weighted across 5 sources)

Reddit, Hacker News, YouTube, Product Hunt, App Store

What users praise

  • • Fast one-visit site capture with phone LiDAR — no dedicated scanner hardware required
  • • Floor plan generation with editable walls, fixtures, and room labels is genuinely useful for AEC walkthroughs
  • • Wide export coverage: seven mesh formats plus six point cloud formats including LAS and Geo-LAS
  • • Cross-platform (iOS, Android, web) means teams can scan on the phone they already carry

What frustrates them

  • • Auto-renew after the 7-day trial has produced multiple 1-star 'scam' App Store reviews
  • • Support is 'slow' and 'the worst' per Reddit — no phone line, weeks of silence on billing issues
  • • Measurement accuracy is inconsistent — one App Store reviewer calls results 'very inaccurate'
  • • Free tier feels like adware: 3 AI captures, 150 images, features that used to be free are paywalled

Researched Oct 14, 2026

Who should pick which

  • Architect needing on-site floor plans
    Pick: Polycam

    Polycam's LiDAR scanning and automatic floor plan generation with measurements directly serve this need, with recent improvements to the floor plan editor.

  • Sales rep creating pitch decks
    Pick: Chronicle

    Chronicle transforms raw notes into branded presentations quickly, with integrations to CRM and data tools, plus AI image generation.

  • Forensics team documenting a crime scene
    Pick: Polycam

    Fast spatial capture and high-accuracy 3D models in PLY/LAS formats meet forensic documentation requirements.

  • Marketing manager building weekly performance reports
    Pick: Chronicle

    Chronicle can pull data from Sheets/Airtable via integrations and generate charts and slides aligned with brand guidelines.

  • Drone surveyor needing orthomosaics
    Pick: Polycam

    Polycam processes drone photogrammetry and exports to point clouds—critical for site surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chronicle vs Polycam: which should you choose?

Choose Polycam if you need professional 3D scanning, LiDAR capture, floor plans, or drone photogrammetry for AEC/forensics/media. Choose Chronicle if you need to quickly turn raw notes and docs into on-brand, polished presentations for sales, marketing, or consulting. They serve entirely different workflows.

Can Polycam generate presentations?

No, Polycam is strictly for 3D capture, floor plans, and photogrammetry—not presentations.

Can Chronicle create 3D models?

No, Chronicle creates slide decks and presentations, not 3D content.

Which tool is better for a solo founder?

Depends on the work: if 3D scanning is needed, Polycam; if pitch decks and client presentations, Chronicle.

Do both tools offer free tiers?

Yes. Polycam free has limited exports; Chronicle free allows 4 exports per month.

Which integrates with more tools?

Chronicle integrates with 11+ apps (Notion, Sheets, ChatGPT, etc.); Polycam does not list integrations.

Does Polycam support collaboration?

Polycam offers a shared team library, but real-time collaboration is not a highlight; Chronicle has real-time collaboration.

Can I export to PPT from Polycam?

No. Polycam exports 3D formats only (GLTF, OBJ, FBX, etc.).

Which tool has newer updates?

Both have recent news: Polycam added HDRI lighting and floor plan editor improvements (Mar 2026); Chronicle launched MCP & API (Jul 2026).

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Last reviewed: July 3, 2026