Onlook vs Polycam
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings
At a glance
| Dimension | Onlook | Polycam |
|---|---|---|
| Use Case | Live visual React/TailwindCSS editor | 3D scanning & floor plans |
| Key Output | Production React code, design tokens | 3D models, point clouds, floor plans |
| AI Capabilities | AI chat to generate/fix code | AI generator (beta) + texture generator (beta) |
| Integrations | React, Tailwind, Next.js, Storybook, shadcn/ui | 15+ formats (GLTF, OBJ, …) |
| Platform | Desktop app (plus self-hosted) | iOS, Android, Web |
Choose Polycam if you capture the physical world — objects, rooms, drones — and need usable 3D models or floor plans. Choose Onlook if you ship React/TailwindCSS apps and want a visual designer that writes real code. They solve opposite problems; your choice depends entirely on whether your output is 3D geometry or production UI code.
Local-first visual editor for React and TailwindCSS where the code is the source of truth.
Visit Website
Polycam turns phone LiDAR, photos, and drone footage into 3D models, floor plans, and point clouds.
Visit WebsiteWhat real users say: Onlook 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.
Onlook
39 mentions across 3 sources · 57% positive — mixed (averaged across 3 sources)
Hacker News, GitHub, Lemmy
What users praise
- • Tight feedback loop from design to real React code.
- • Fully replaced Figma for some users, according to HN.
- • Open-source and free for individuals and small teams.
- • AI-powered editing and code generation via natural language.
What frustrates them
- • Cannot import existing projects in the beta version.
- • Generated code includes unwanted selector IDs needing cleanup.
- • Limited to Next.js, React, Storybook, and shadcn/ui currently.
- • Only one CLI connection available in the desktop app.
Researched Jul 3, 2026
Polycam
68 mentions across 5 sources · 42% positive — mixed (weighted across 5 sources)
Reddit, Hacker News, YouTube, Product Hunt, App Store
What users praise
- • Produces usable point clouds and meshes from a plain iPhone in a single site visit
- • Genuinely fast — users report scan-to-model turnaround in minutes, not days
- • Broad export coverage: seven mesh formats plus six point cloud formats
- • Fire investigators use it for measurements, 3D models, and Meta Quest walkthrough training
What frustrates them
- • Aggressive trial auto-billing: multiple users report $400/yr charges after 7-day trials
- • Long-standing Pro users report older scans reverting to unprocessable Draft status
- • Measurements and dimensions sit behind an expensive tier above the monthly plan
- • Floor plans described as poor and measurements 'very inaccurate' by paying users
Researched Oct 7, 2026
Who should pick which
- Solo architect doing field surveysPick: Polycam
Polycam’s LiDAR scanning and automatic floor plan generation directly produce measurable 2D plans and 3D models from site visits, saving hours of manual drafting.
- React developer building a design systemPick: Onlook
Onlock writes real React/Tailwind code visually, letting you style components and export tokens that are immediately usable in your codebase — no handoff friction.
- VFX artist scanning propsPick: Polycam
Polycam exports to GLTF, OBJ, FBX, and USDZ, which are standard in 3D pipelines; the beta AI texture generator and HDRI presets speed up asset creation.
- Product team using TailwindCSSPick: Onlook
Onlook’s visual editor and AI chat let designers and developers collaborate on the same codebase, eliminating design‑to‑development handoff and ensuring pixel‑perfect output.
- Forensics team documenting scenesPick: Polycam
Polycam’s fast LiDAR capture and ability to export point clouds (LAS, PLY) with georeferencing (via CloudCompare tutorials) provides accurate, court‑ready documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Onlook vs Polycam: which should you choose?
Choose Polycam if you capture the physical world — objects, rooms, drones — and need usable 3D models or floor plans. Choose Onlook if you ship React/TailwindCSS apps and want a visual designer that writes real code. They solve opposite problems; your choice depends entirely on whether your output is 3D geometry or production UI code.
Can I use Polycam without an iOS LiDAR device?
Yes — Polycam also works with Android ARCore and can create 3D models from regular photos and video using AI-assisted photogrammetry.
Does Onlook work with plain HTML/CSS (no React)?
No — Onlook is designed specifically for React and TailwindCSS codebases. It edits the React component tree and generates JSX/CSS-in-JS or Tailwind classes.
Which tool exports floor plans as PDF or DXF?
Polycam’s autogenerated floor plans can be exported as DXF and other CAD-compatible formats. Onlook does not produce floor plans.
Can Onlock replace Figma for UI design?
Not entirely — Onlook is optimized for already-coded projects. Figma excels at high-fidelity mockups; Onlook edits live codebases. Many teams use both.
Is Polycam’s AI 3D model generator production-ready?
It’s still in beta, so quality varies. For critical projects, use traditional photogrammetry or LiDAR scanning for reliable results.
Can I self-host Onlook?
Yes, Onlook is open-source and offers a self-hostable option, giving you full control over data and deployments.
Does Polycam support drone photogrammetry?
Yes — Polycam processes drone images to create 3D models and point clouds, suitable for site surveys and mapping.
Does Onlook have a mobile app?
No, Onlook is a desktop application optimized for larger screens; mobile editing is not supported.
More Onlook or Polycam comparisons
Don't cross-shop these. Polycam is a capture tool that turns the physical world — rooms, prototypes, job sites — into 3D models, floor plans, and point clouds you export to SketchUp, Blender, or Unity
These are not competitors and you should never be choosing between them — Polycam is a capture tool that turns a phone, drone, or LiDAR scan into a 3D model, floor plan, or point cloud, and Notion is
These two don't compete — a buyer almost never chooses between them. Polycam is a capture tool: you point a phone, drone or LiDAR at a physical space and get floor plans, meshes and point clouds you c
These two products never meet in a buying decision, and treating them as rivals would mislead you. If your problem is documenting a physical site — rooms, buildings, props, a claims scene — Polycam is
These tools don't compete — they solve unrelated problems, and no buyer shortlists both. If your problem is running open models locally (GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen3.8) for private agentic work, LM Stud
You are not choosing between these. Polycam and Sketch solve different problems for different people, and no buyer with one budget and one job shortlists both. Pick Polycam if you need to digitise a p
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Last reviewed: July 3, 2026