What is Polycam used for?

Polycam is a 3D scanning platform that turns phone captures, photos and drone footage into 3D models, floor plans and measurements for AEC and other professional teams. It is a good fit for documenting building interiors, capturing site conditions for inspections and creating 3D assets for VFX.

Yes. Polycam has a free plan, and paid plans start at $30 per seat per month. A free trial is also available.

Is Polycam open source?

No. Polycam is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. In the 3D & CAD category, open-source options include FreeCAD, Blender and OrcaSlicer.

What are some alternatives to Polycam?

Polycam competes with RealityScan, Agisoft Metashape and Matterport.

Polycam: features, pricing and alternatives

About Polycam

Polycam is a commercial 3D capture platform that uses phone sensors, photos and aerial footage, together with AI processing, to build 3D models of spaces and objects. It is aimed at professional teams such as architecture, engineering and construction, real estate, inspections and facilities groups, as well as 3D and VFX creators.

Capture modes include spatial scans of interiors, object capture, floor plan generation and drone or aerial processing, with Apple Vision Pro support also listed. Exports target CAD, BIM and Xactimate workflows. The site offers free browser tools including an AI 3D model generator, a texture generator, photogrammetry and Gaussian splat tools and a 3D model viewer, plus a Content API and a SketchUp extension. Plans are named Basic, Business and Enterprise, and a free seven-day Business trial is advertised.

Key features

Spatial scanning of interiors
Object capture for shareable 3D models
Floor plan generation from scans
Drone photogrammetry processing
CAD and BIM exports
Free browser tools for 3D models and textures

Good fit for

→Documenting building interiors
→Capturing site conditions for inspections
→Creating 3D assets for VFX

Tags: 3d-scanning; photogrammetry; lidar; floor-plans; reality-capture; gaussian-splat; proprietary

Polycam: questions and answers

What is Polycam used for?: Polycam is a 3D scanning platform that turns phone captures, photos and drone footage into 3D models, floor plans and measurements for AEC and other professional teams. It is a good fit for documenting building interiors, capturing site conditions for inspections and creating 3D assets for VFX.
Is Polycam free?: Yes. Polycam has a free plan, and paid plans start at $30 per seat per month. A free trial is also available.
Is Polycam open source?: No. Polycam is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. In the 3D & CAD category, open-source options include FreeCAD, Blender and OrcaSlicer.
What are some alternatives to Polycam?: Polycam competes with RealityScan, Agisoft Metashape and Matterport.