How to Choose a Virtual Tour Company
Choose a virtual tour company on five things: recent live tours in your sector, the right format for your goal, the total cost over three years, how quickly the tour goes live and whether it is accessible to WCAG 2.2 AA.
The short answer
Choose a virtual tour company on five things: live tours they have built recently in your sector, the right format for your goal (bespoke 360, Matterport 3D or Google Street View), the total cost over three years including any hosting or licence fees, how quickly the tour goes live, and whether the tour is accessible to WCAG 2.2 AA. Ask for links to live tours rather than screenshots, and ask who hosts the finished tour and what happens if you stop paying.
We are a virtual tour company ourselves, so we have an interest. This guide sets out the checks we would make if we were buying, including when a cheaper format or a different supplier would suit you better.
The main types of virtual tour
Most of the price difference between quotes comes from the format, not the company. These are our own prices; other companies will differ, but the pattern is similar across the industry.
| Format | Best for | From | Ongoing cost | Live in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bespoke 360 tour | Schools, attractions, care homes and venues, where design, branding and storytelling matter | £700, most £700 to £5,000 | None with our Bespoke 360 tours | Usually 1 to 4 weeks |
| Bespoke tour with the optional CMS | Sites whose content changes often and is edited in-house | Optional extra, quoted with the tour | None: the CMS has no licence or yearly fee | Usually 1 to 4 weeks |
| Matterport 3D | Property, show homes, construction and facilities, where measurements and a dollhouse view help | £350 | Matterport hosting, £60 a year per scan with us | Usually within 48 hours of the scan |
| Google Street View | Being seen inside on Google Maps and your Business Profile | £350 | Hosted by Google | Up to 7 days from capture |
For a side-by-side of the two most common formats, see Matterport or Google Street View. Our full price list is on the pricing page.
Nine things to check before you choose
1. Recent work in your sector
Ask for three live tours from the last year in a sector like yours, and open them on a phone. A portfolio of old tours or still screenshots tells you little about what you will get today. Look at how the tour opens, how easy it is to move around and whether the information in it is useful.
2. Image quality
Good 360 photography is more than standing in the middle of a room. Viewpoints, tripod height, exposure across bright windows and dark corners, and colour that matches from one scene to the next all show the difference between an experienced photographer and a first-time one. Zoom in on detail and look at windows: blown-out white glass and blurred joins are the usual giveaways.
3. Design and branding
Many tours run in a standard player with the supplier's branding. A bespoke tour has its own interface in your colours and fonts, with a welcome screen, a menu of spaces and content written for your audience. Ask to see the interface, not just the photography.
4. Accessibility
Public sector websites in the UK, including state schools, colleges, universities, councils and NHS trusts, must meet WCAG 2.2 AA, and a tour embedded on the site is part of the site. Ask whether the tour can be used with a keyboard, whether a screen reader can announce the scenes and buttons, whether there is a text list of the spaces, and whether the supplier provides an accessibility statement. Our accessible virtual tours page shows what this looks like in practice.
5. The total cost over three years
Compare quotes on the full cost, not the headline price. Add any yearly hosting, platform or licence fees, per-scan charges, travel and the cost of later changes. A cheap tour with a high yearly fee can cost more by year three than a bespoke tour with no fee at all.
6. Who hosts the tour, and who can change it
Ask where the tour will live, whether you can embed it on your own site, and what happens if you stop paying a yearly fee. Then ask how you change a hotspot, a description or a link: yourself through a CMS, or by asking the supplier, and whether that is charged.
7. Turnaround
Matterport and Google Street View tours are usually live within days. A bespoke tour takes longer because it is designed and written for you. If you have a deadline such as an open day, say so at the start.
8. Checks and insurance
For schools, nurseries, care homes and hospitals, ask whether the photographers are DBS checked. For aerial work, ask for the drone pilot's CAA registration. Any supplier working on your premises should have public liability insurance.
9. Travel charges
Some companies add travel and accommodation on top of the quote. Ask whether the price includes getting to you.
When a simpler option is the right one
- You only want to be seen on Google Maps. A Google Street View tour is the cheapest route, and a bespoke tour is more than you need.
- You need floor plans or measurements. Matterport is the better tool, especially for property and facilities management.
- You have one small space and a tight budget. A single-scene tour, or Street View, may do the job. Be wary of anyone selling a large tour for a small space.
Red flags
- No links to live tours, only screenshots or a showreel
- Yearly fees that are not mentioned until after you have agreed
- No answer when you ask how the tour meets accessibility standards
- A quote with no breakdown of what is included
For a printable list, see our questions to ask a virtual tour provider.
About 360 Virtual Tours
360 Virtual Tours (View 3sixty Ltd) was founded in Bristol in 2008 by Matthew Evans. In 18 years we have photographed and built tours for schools, universities, care homes, heritage sites, property developers and industry, and shot in more than 15 countries. Our bespoke tours are built to WCAG 2.2 AA, our photographers are DBS checked and there are no travel charges anywhere in mainland UK. You can see recent work on our projects page.
The best way to judge any supplier is to see what they would make for you. Ask us for a quote and judge us on how we respond to your brief.
Ready to talk about a tour?
Bespoke 360, Matterport 3D or Google Street View: tell us about the space and we will recommend the right format and give you a clear price.
