This review is based on verified user feedback from independent review platforms including G2 and the Apple App Store, official product documentation from Polycam and Epic Games, independent technical reporting from CG Channel, and AECO.digital’s editorial analysis informed by AEC domain expertise. Where user feedback is cited, it is treated as supporting evidence filtered through technical judgement — not as the primary verdict. AECO.digital has not independently tested either application across a controlled project set. All accuracy and pricing claims should be verified through your own pilot before procurement decisions. Confirm current pricing directly with each vendor — both products have changed their pricing and tier structures since earlier reviews were published. AECO.digital has no commercial relationship with Polycam, Epic Games, or any competing platform mentioned in this article.
Why This Review Matters in 2026
Phone-based photogrammetry has moved from novelty to operational tool faster than most AEC technology categories. The question is no longer whether it works — it does, within defined constraints — but which tools fit professional construction documentation workflows versus which are primarily built for other industries.
This review compares the two most commonly discussed mobile photogrammetry options in AEC contexts: Polycam, built explicitly for professional spatial capture including construction use cases, and RealityScan Mobile, the free companion app to Epic Games’ professional photogrammetry platform. They are not equally matched competitors — they serve different primary use cases, come from very different organizations, and have fundamentally different business models. Understanding those differences matters more than feature-by-feature comparison.
An important context update: The original draft article compared “Polycam” against “Epic Games’ RealityScan.” The Epic Games photogrammetry product has undergone significant restructuring. The product formerly known as RealityCapture is now RealityScan 2.0 for desktop, while the mobile companion app is now called RealityScan Mobile. This review covers RealityScan Mobile specifically — the free phone app relevant to AEC site documentation workflows.
What Each Product Is
Polycam
Polycam is a cross-platform reality capture solution that supports AI-assisted photogrammetry and LiDAR for site surveys, construction sites, facilities, and products. Confirmed capabilities include floor plan generation, measurement tools, digital twin creation, and browser-based sharing.
Polycam was founded in 2021 by Chris Heinrich and Elliott Spelman and received investment in 2024 from investors including Adobe Ventures and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley. It integrates with Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, and SketchUp.
Polycam’s confirmed export formats include OBJ, DAE, FBX, STL for meshes, and DXF, PLY for point cloud and CAD output. Floor plan and blueprint generation is confirmed as a paid tier feature.
RealityScan Mobile
RealityScan Mobile is a free mobile photogrammetry app for Android and iOS, developed by Epic Games. It turns photos captured using a smartphone or tablet into textured 3D models for use in AR, game development, or general 3D work. Models are generated online and can be exported in standard 3D file formats.
RealityScan Mobile 1.8, released in late 2025, added AR Guidance mode, automated background removal, lasso and rectangle selection tools for manual mesh cleanup, a Capture Interval Timer for turntable scanning, and a Continuous Light mode for scanning in dark environments.
By default, RealityScan Mobile’s EULA gives Epic Games the right to use your scan data to train products and services, but users can opt out in the in-app settings.
This data licensing default is a material consideration for any firm scanning commercially sensitive project documentation. Verify current EULA terms directly and confirm your opt-out status before using RealityScan Mobile for client project documentation.
Pricing — Confirmed and Current
Polycam pricing has changed since earlier reviews.
Polycam has streamlined its plans and no longer offers the Pro plan as a new subscription. Current tiers are a Basic Plan for creators and freelancers, and a Business Plan designed for teams and businesses who need to document, measure, and collaborate on projects. The Business Plan specifically includes team collaboration features, measurement tools, floor plan generation, and sharing capabilities. Free trials are available with annual plans only.
An Apple App Store reviewer noted that key professional features including dimensions and floor plan details require upgrading to higher subscription tiers, and that pricing had increased from promotional rates.
The “$12/month Pro” pricing in the original draft no longer reflects current Polycam plans. Verify current pricing directly at poly.cam/pricing before making any procurement decision.
RealityScan Mobile pricing:
RealityScan Mobile is free, including for commercial use. The desktop version, RealityScan 2.1, is free for studios with revenue under $1 million per year; larger studios require a paid subscription. For the mobile app specifically used in construction site documentation, the free status is confirmed.
What the Evidence Supports
Polycam: Built for professional AEC documentation workflows
Verified G2 reviewers describe Polycam as valuable for generating models on the go for later reference, specifically highlighting the web upload features for photos and video as an important workflow capability.
Independent technical reviewers confirm that Polycam’s browser-based sharing is valuable for external stakeholders, enabling field teams to capture sites and office staff to immediately access and integrate models. The platform is described as bridging the gap between hobbyist and professional tools for architecture and construction.
Confirmed limitations from independent testing include the need for manual cleanup in external 3D software in some cases, and processing time for photogrammetry models.
LiDAR integration on compatible iOS devices (iPhone Pro models, iPad Pro) produces faster and more accurate results than photogrammetry alone, making device choice material to output quality.
The measurement tools and floor plan generation — confirmed as Business tier features — are what differentiate Polycam for professional AEC use. A 3D mesh without measurements is a visual reference. A 3D mesh with in-app dimensional annotation and DXF export is a documentation tool. That distinction determines which tier is relevant for your workflow.
RealityScan Mobile: High mesh quality, limited professional workflow features
RealityScan Mobile generates textured 3D models compatible with standard DCC applications and game engines. Export formats include OBJ, FBX, and GLTF. Processing is online.
The application is primarily designed and developed for games and VFX asset creation — evident in Epic Games’ positioning, its integration with Unreal Engine workflows, and its user community. This does not mean it is unusable for construction documentation, but it means the workflow integration features that AEC practitioners need — measurement tools, CAD export, browser-based client sharing, floor plan generation — are not in the product roadmap. They were not built for this use case.
The EULA data licensing default, noted above, is an additional consideration specific to commercial construction documentation contexts.
The Core Distinction: Workflow vs. Mesh Quality
The original draft framed this as Polycam winning on workflow and RealityScan winning on mesh quality. Based on available evidence, this framing is broadly defensible as a characterization — but the more important framing for AEC practitioners is different.
RealityScan Mobile produces excellent mesh quality for its intended use case: creating game and VFX assets that are visually impressive and geometrically clean. Polycam produces good mesh quality for its intended use case: creating spatial documentation that can be measured, annotated, shared, and exported into professional AEC workflows.
For construction documentation, workflow matters more than mesh quality. A model you cannot dimension, cannot share with a client in a browser, and cannot export to CAD is not a documentation tool regardless of how good the texture is. This is the operational reality that determines which tool is appropriate for professional AEC use, not raw mesh quality comparison.
The Technology Constraints — An AEC Practice Perspective
These observations apply to the phone photogrammetry category broadly, not to either tool specifically.
Reflective and transparent surfaces are a fundamental challenge for photogrammetry regardless of which app you use. Glass, stainless steel, mirrors, water, and highly polished surfaces produce reconstruction artefacts because photogrammetry relies on consistent visual features across multiple images — features that reflective surfaces do not provide.
Lighting consistency matters significantly. Photogrammetry algorithms assume the subject is illuminated consistently across all captured images. Mixed natural and artificial lighting, moving shadows, or very dark areas within a space reduce reconstruction quality.
Measurement accuracy on phone photogrammetry is categorically different from survey-grade instruments. The original draft cited ±0.75″ accuracy from its fictional testing — this cannot be verified. The appropriate framing is that phone photogrammetry produces dimensional estimates useful for design reference and rough documentation, not survey-grade or fabrication-grade measurements. Verify the accuracy of any phone photogrammetry tool against a physical tape measure on your specific project type before relying on it for dimensional decisions.
Scale limitations apply to both tools. Large exterior spaces — retaining walls, building facades, infrastructure — can be scanned but with decreasing accuracy at increasing distances from the phone. Terrestrial laser scanners, drone photogrammetry, or total station survey remain necessary for survey-grade work.
Competitive Context
| Tool | Primary use case | Key AEC capability | Pricing model |
| Polycam Business | Professional AEC documentation | Measurements, floor plans, DXF export, browser sharing | Subscription — confirm at poly.cam/pricing |
| RealityScan Mobile | Games/VFX asset creation | High mesh quality; no measurement tools | Free (commercial use; data EULA applies) |
| Matterport | Real estate and facility documentation | Walkthrough tours; measurement tools; dedicated hardware | Subscription + hardware |
| FARO Zone | Professional site documentation | Survey-grade accuracy | Professional pricing |
| Terrestrial laser scanner | Survey-grade documentation | ±1-2mm accuracy | Equipment purchase/rental |
The relevant competitive question for AEC practitioners is not Polycam versus RealityScan Mobile — it is phone photogrammetry versus the specific documentation task at hand. Phone photogrammetry belongs in a defined niche: rapid as-built reference capture, punch list documentation, client communication models, and conceptual spatial reference. It does not belong in structural survey, legal documentation, or precision fabrication workflows.
What Customers Should Consider
These are editorial observations from AECO.digital. They are not procurement recommendations.
Polycam Business tier — stronger fit for:
- As-built spatial reference documentation on renovation and retrofit projects
- Punch list documentation requiring annotated 3D models shared with remote teams
- Client communication models where browser-based viewing without software installation matters
- Firms needing DXF floor plan output for design development reference
- LiDAR-enabled device users (iPhone Pro, iPad Pro) where scan accuracy is materially better
RealityScan Mobile — appropriate for:
- Learning photogrammetry workflows without financial commitment
- High-quality mesh capture where post-processing in desktop software is acceptable and planned
- Situations where offline capture is needed — though processing still requires internet connection
- Users who will perform their own post-processing in Blender, MeshLab, or other DCC tools
For either tool, before committing: Run your own pilot on three actual project types you document regularly. Measure the total workflow time — capture, processing, review, export, and delivery to whoever needs the output. Compare that against your current documentation method. That honest total is the only ROI figure that matters for your firm. Verify current Polycam pricing directly at poly.cam/pricing. Review current RealityScan Mobile EULA terms regarding data use before scanning client project documentation.
AECO.digital Vetting Lab — Methodology Note
AECO.digital’s Vetting Lab reviews are based on publicly available evidence — vendor documentation, verified independent user reviews, published case studies, and AEC domain expertise. We do not accept vendor sponsorship for editorial coverage. Where we have not independently tested a tool, we say so explicitly. Review aggregator data from platforms including G2 and the Apple App Store is used as supporting evidence, filtered through technical and domain judgement — not as a substitute for independent analysis.
For tools where AECO.digital has conducted direct testing, this will be stated clearly in the review header.
