Polycam
FreemiumCapture reality into 3D models, floor plans, and digital twins using your phone.
By Tanmay Verma, Founder · Last verified 26 May 2026
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80/100Safe BetCapture reality into 3D models, floor plans, and digital twins using your phone.
By Tanmay Verma, Founder · Last verified 26 May 2026
Affiliate disclosure: We earn a commission when you use our links. Editorial picks are independent. How we choose.
Polycam is the most accessible professional-grade 3D scanning tool on the market, especially for mobile-first teams. Its Business tier delivers exceptional value with floor plans and measurements that rival dedicated hardware solutions. However, heavy users may find the subscription model adds up, and the reliance on LiDAR-equipped devices limits some features on older phones. For teams needing certified precision or offline-only processing, Matterport or traditional surveying may be better fits.
Last verified: May 2026
Polycam excels in making 3D scanning and floor plan generation accessible to anyone with a LiDAR-equipped iPhone or iPad. The Business tier at $400/year/user includes advanced measurement tools, editable 2D floor plans (DXF export), blueprints, and AI-generated reports — features that once required specialized hardware or expensive software packages. The recent addition of HDRI lighting in captures (February 2026) and the Virtual Walkthrough preview for Free and Basic users (February 2026) show continued investment in the user experience. Polycam's blog actively positions it as a Matterport alternative, emphasizing no per-scan fees and CAD exports. However, the Free plan is limited to 10 photogrammetry captures, and floor plans are locked behind the Business tier. The 2000-image limit per capture on Business/Enterprise may be insufficient for very large projects, and the tool relies on cloud processing — meaning an internet connection is required for some features. For teams that need certified precision for legal documentation or large-scale topographical surveys, traditional surveying tools remain necessary. Overall, Polycam is a strong choice for teams that need fast, mobile reality capture and are willing to subscribe for the full feature set.
Skip Polycam if Skip Polycam if you need certified sub-millimeter accuracy for legal documentation or prefer offline-only processing without cloud dependency.
Compares Polycam, CubiCasa, magicplan, and Matterport on accuracy, turnaround time, and cost per plan.
Explains floor plans as critical anchor for digital twins, bridging 3D models and operational data.
How likely is Polycam to still be operational in 12 months? Based on 6 signals including funding, development activity, and platform risk.
Polycam is a cross-platform 3D scanning and AI photogrammetry tool that lets you capture objects, spaces, and aerial scenes directly from a smartphone or drone. It combines LiDAR, photogrammetry, Gaussian splats, and AI-generated captures to produce detailed 3D models, editable 2D floor plans, and dimensioned measurements. The platform is designed for architects, engineers, construction teams, forensic investigators, product designers, and media creators who need fast, accurate reality capture without specialized hardware. Processing happens on-device or in the cloud, with exports to GLTF, DXF, point clouds, and other formats. Polycam stands out for its all-in-one capture modes (Object, Space, Floorplan, Drone), AI-powered automation (AI captures, AI reports, AI texture generation), and collaborative team features like shared libraries and virtual walkthroughs. The Business tier unlocks professional floor plans with auto fixture detection, blueprints, and advanced measurement tools, while Enterprise adds SSO, custom branding, and API access. Recent blog posts position Polycam as a Matterport alternative with no per-scan fees, and highlight workflows for converting scans to layered DWG files and material takeoffs.
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Concrete scenarios for the personas Polycam actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
Walking a renovation site with an iPhone 15 Pro, capturing the interior in Space mode.
Outcome: Generates a dimensioned 2D floor plan with auto-detected fixtures and exports as a layered DXF for AutoCAD in under 15 minutes.
Documenting an accident scene using LiDAR space captures and photogrammetry.
Outcome: Creates a detailed 3D model with measurements and a virtual walkthrough, shareable via private link for insurance claim review.
Photographing a physical prototype from 20 angles using AI capture.
Outcome: Generates a textured 3D model in GLTF format, ready for CAD import or e-commerce listing within minutes.
The Free plan restricts captures and exports, while floor plans and advanced measurements are gated behind the Business tier. Export quality for point clouds and CAD files may degrade with poor original captures. The 2000-image limit per capture on Business/Enterprise may be insufficient for very large projects. Cloud processing requires internet access.
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
For each published Polycam tier: who it actually fits, and what it adds vs. the previous tier. Cross-reference the cost calculator above for projected annual outlay.
Free
$0/mo
Ideal for
Beginners exploring 3D scanning with limited captures and public sharing only.
What this tier adds
Starting tier: limited to 10 photogrammetry captures, GLTF exports, and no private sharing.
Basic
$30/mo or $150/yr ($12.50/mo)
Ideal for
Freelancers or creators who need unlimited captures and private link sharing for small projects.
What this tier adds
Adds unlimited Object/Space/AI captures, 6 export formats, and private link sharing compared to Free.
Business
$34/mo/user or $400/yr/user
Ideal for
Teams and professionals requiring floor plans, advanced measurements, and collaborative libraries.
What this tier adds
Adds 2D/3D floor plans, point cloud exports, virtual walkthroughs, AI reports, and team library compared to Basic.
The company stage and team size where Polycam's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Polycam's pricing fits mobile-first teams and individual professionals who want to avoid per-scan fees. The Free tier is suitable for exploration, while Basic ($30/month or $12.50/month annual) unlocks unlimited captures and private sharing. Business ($400/year/user) delivers professional floor plans and measurements, undercutting Matterport's subscription cost. Enterprise with custom branding and API access is custom-priced.
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Polycam — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
Individual users can start capturing within minutes: download the app, choose a capture mode (Space, Object, Floorplan), and begin scanning. First value (a simple 3D model) appears in under 5 minutes. For team setup with Business tier, account provisioning and inviting collaborators takes under 10 minutes. Learning the advanced measurement and floor plan editing tools takes a few hours.
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
Pricing, brand, ownership, or deprecation changes worth knowing before you commit. Most-recent first.
Used Polycam? Help shape our editorial sentiment research.
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Positions Polycam as Matterport alternative with floor plans, CAD exports, and no per-scan fees.
Last calculated: May 2026
Enterprise
Custom
Ideal for
Large organizations needing custom branding, SSO, API access, and admin control.
What this tier adds
Adds dedicated support, custom branding, SSO, admin feature control, enhanced data privacy, and Capture API compared to Business.
Helpful link from poly.cam
Helpful link from poly.cam
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