What’s the difference between Google vs Matterport virtual tours?
In a world where digital drives success, your business needs a powerful online presence. That’s where virtual tours come in. Potential customers can step inside from anywhere in the world, even when you’re closed.
One of the most common questions we hear is: Google vs Matterport, which is best for my business?
In this guide, we’ll break down what makes each platform unique, how they work, and which is right for your goals. Whether you’re a local shop, hotel, or marketing manager, this article will help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each and make an informed decision.
What is a Google virtual tour?
A Google virtual tour is a 360° walkthrough of your business that’s published directly on Google Maps, linked to your Google Business Profile.
It’s created using a special 360 camera producing a series of panoramic photographs that, once produced in a tour, allows users to virtually move through your space, just like they do in Google Street View.
How they work
A professional virtual tour company (like us!) captures multiple 360° images inside and around your premises. These images are then stitched together, uploaded to our virtual tour software, then published to Google’s platform. Once live, the tour becomes visible when people search for your business on Google or explore your location on Google Maps.
Where do Google virtual tours display?
- Your Google Business Profile
- Google Maps and local map searches
- Google Search results in local listings
- You can also embed a google tour on a website
Who are they best for?
Google Maps Virtual Tours are ideal for businesses looking to boost visibility with local SEO, increase engagement and foot traffic, and improve their online credibility. Common examples include:
- Retail shops and clothing outlets
- Beauty salons and barbers
- Restaurants and cafés
- Clinics, gyms, and studios
What is a Matterport virtual tour?
A Matterport virtual tour goes a step further by creating a fully interactive, 3D ‘digital twin’ of your space.
Captured using a Matterport Pro camera, or compatible 3D camera, the tour allows users to move freely through the environment, view floor plans, zoom in on details, and even take measurements.
Matterport have recently launched a new feature that uses AI to remove any furniture in the space, allowing users to visualise what a property looks like empty.
How they work
Matterport’s technology scans your entire space, collecting spatial data and high-resolution imagery. The result is a dynamic model that users can explore on desktop, mobile, or in VR. You can also embed interactive virtual tour hotspots, video overlays, and call-to-action buttons within the tour.
Where do Matterport tours display?
- Embedded on your website
- Shared via email or links
- Integrated into property listings, booking pages, or presentations
Who they best for?
A Matterport 3D Tour is perfect for businesses wanting a more immersive, branded experience, including:
- Hotels and resorts
- Property developers and estate agents
- Schools, Colleges, and Universities
- Galleries, museums, and tourist attractions
- Offices and co-working spaces
“Real estate listings with a Matterport 3D tour receive 49% more qualified leads.”
— Matterport Surveys [source]
Google vs Matterport: The key differences
When choosing between Google vs Matterport, it’s important to understand how they compare in key areas:
💻 Platform
- Google tours are hosted and displayed on Google Maps, making them part of your search presence. These can be embedded on your site.
- Matterport tours are hosted on Matterport’s own cloud platform, but can be embedded anywhere you like.
🧭 Navigation
- Google offers a basic click-to-move experience, similar to Street View.
- Matterport allows for smoother 3D navigation, plus tools like mini-maps, room menus, and guided walkthroughs.
🛠️ Features
- Google is straightforward: a simple tour with no additional interactivity.
- Matterport offer interactive virtual tour hotspots right out of the box, floor plans, measurement tools, and custom branding.
🎚️ Customisation
- Google tours follow a set format and can’t be heavily customised.
- Matterport tours can be fully branded and layered with extra information — turning them into powerful marketing tools.
How Google and Matterport can help your business
🗺️ Google tours boost visibility
A Google tour helps you appear more prominently in local search results, especially on Google Maps. It also builds trust by showing your real space to potential customers — which increases the likelihood of someone visiting or booking.
A well-optimised Google Business Profile with a virtual tour can lead to:
- More profile views
- Increased engagement
- Higher click-through rates
🎯 Matterport tours boost engagement
A Matterport tour encourages users to stay longer on your website, interacting with your space, and learning more about your offer.
This deeper engagement is perfect for:
- Helping customers make purchase decisions
- Reducing booking hesitation
- Enhancing virtual experiences for remote visitors
🤔 Google vs Matterport… Or can you use both?
Yes, and many businesses do both!
A Google tour gives you better visibility in search, while a Matterport provides a rich, interactive experience on your website and marketing channels. Together, they drive awareness and conversions.
The strengths and weaknesses of Google vs Matterport
Here’s a breakdown of the benefits and limitations of each virtual tour option.
Google strengths 👍
- Affordable, no on-going hosting
- Great for SEO
- Increases trust and credibility
- Easy to find via search and maps
Google weaknesses 👎
- Limited features
- Less immersive
- No branded customisation
Matterport strengths 👍
- Fully interactive and immersive
- Custom branding, hotspots, and media
- Ideal for high-value or complex spaces
- Increases time on site and user engagement
Matterport weaknesses 👎
- Higher production cost
- Requires subscription with or annual renewal
- Not visible on Google Maps
Which one is right for you?
Choose a Google tour if…
- You want to improve your local search visibility
- You run a small to medium-sized business with physical foot traffic
- You need a quick, affordable virtual presence on Google
Choose Matterport tours if…
- You want a high-quality, interactive experience
- You’re showcasing a space where layout and detail matter
- You want more control over branding, features, and presentation
Or go with both if…
- You want to be found and leave a lasting impression
- You’re building a full marketing funnel that starts in search and ends in conversion
So, Google vs Matterport, what’s the verdict?
Both Google and Matterport virtual tours offer major benefits, they just serve different purposes.
If you want visibility, quick access, and better local SEO, Google is your go-to. If you want an immersive, branded, and highly interactive tour experience embedded on your website, Matterport delivers far more flexibility, features, and impact.
Ultimately, it’s not always Google vs Matterport. In many cases, it’s Google and Matterport.
At Vega 360, we offer both services, and we’re happy to help you choose the right approach based on your space, your goals, and your audience.
| Feature | Google Street View | Matterport 3D Tours |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting Platform | Google Maps | Matterport Cloud |
| Devices Supported | Desktop & Mobile | Desktop, Mobile & VR |
| Navigation | Basic walkthrough | Interactive 3D with menu |
| Custom Features | None | Hotspots, branding, video |
| SEO Benefit | Strong local SEO | Better on-site engagement |
| Cost | Lower | Higher, but richer features |
| Best Use | Local visibility | Immersive experiences |
An article caveat!
For the purpose of this article, we have pitched Google vs Matterport with their default, out-of-the-box platform setups.
For the balance of fairness, we have pointed out that you can embed a google tour on a website.
There are also bespoke virtual tours (we offer these too!) that provide a similar interactive experience with virtual tour hotspots, and can be embedded on your site just like Google vs Matterport tours.
Still unsure which tour is right for your business?
If you’re still not confident having read out Google vs Matterport article, let’s talk!
Get in touch and we will help you plan and create a virtual experience that works for your business.