Polycam
Scan rooms, objects and sites with your phone and turn them into 3D models, floor plans and CAD files
by Polycam Inc. · listed Oct 21, 2026
Quick verdict
Polycam is one of the more complete phone-based 3D scanning tools, especially on LiDAR-equipped iPhones. Expect to pay for Pro if you need exports or work on Android, where the experience is weaker.
Best for Contractors, designers and 3D hobbyists who want to capture spaces and objects as measurable, exportable 3D models with a phone
Reviewed by AppsPicks on Oct 21, 2026. How we review
Polycam review
Polycam uses your phone's camera, and LiDAR where available, to capture rooms, buildings, objects and outdoor sites as 3D models. You can generate floor plans, take measurements, build 360-degree tours and export meshes or point clouds for tools such as AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit or Blender. Contractors, insurance adjusters, architects and designers are the main audience, but hobbyists making 3D assets or prints use it too.
In daily use you walk around the subject while the app guides your capture. You can also shoot photos or video for photogrammetry or Gaussian splats, or import drone footage for roofs and larger sites. Once processed, you can crop, rescale, measure and annotate the scan, then share it by link with private or public access. Teams can keep scans in shared libraries.
Why we picked it: It covers a wide range of capture methods and export formats in one app, so a single walkthrough can produce documentation people actually use.
Watch out for: Most exports and professional features sit behind the Pro upgrade, and the Android app is rated much lower and offers fewer capture options than the iOS version.
What we like
- Several capture modes, including LiDAR, photogrammetry, Gaussian splats and drone imagery
- Exports to common 3D and CAD formats such as .obj, .fbx, .stl, .dxf and .ply
- Floor plans and measurements generated directly from a scan
- Link-based sharing with access controls and team libraries
- Highly rated on the App Store across more than 40,000 reviews
What could be better
- Exporting models requires a paid Pro plan
- Android version is rated noticeably lower and is less full-featured than iOS
- Best results on iOS depend on a LiDAR-equipped iPhone or iPad
- Processing and sharing rely on an internet connection
Questions about Polycam
Is Polycam free?
The app is free to download and you can capture scans without paying. Exports and many professional tools require a Pro upgrade bought in the app.
Do I need a LiDAR iPhone?
No. Photo and video based capture works on phones without LiDAR, but LiDAR devices make quick room and interior scanning easier.
Is it available on Android?
Yes, there is an Android version on Google Play focused on photogrammetry. It has a lower rating than the iOS app and fewer capture modes.
What file formats can I export?
Supported formats include .obj, .dae, .fbx, .stl, .gltf, .dxf, .ply, .las, .xyz and .pts, with floor plans for CAD tools. Exporting generally requires Pro.
What are the alternatives?
Scaniverse and RealityScan are common free alternatives for photogrammetry, while magicplan focuses more narrowly on floor plans.
From the developer: how Polycam describes itself
Polycam turns a single phone scan into the documents jobs run on: floor plans, as-builts, estimates, roof reports, claims files, measurements, and CAD-ready exports. No tripod. No technician. No two-week wait.
WHAT YOU WALK AWAY WITH • Floor plans — 2D and 3D, ready for AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Revit • As-builts — weeks of documentation compressed into minutes • Measurements — every dimension in the room, in the time it takes to cross it • Estimates — priced off real conditions, not guesses • Claims and damage records — dated, dimensioned, defensible • 3D models and point clouds — .obj, .dae, .fbx, .stl, .dxf, .ply, .esx • 360° tours — shareable links for clients and remote stakeholders
HOW YOU CAPTURE IT • 3D scanner for fast, accurate interior and structural capture that works without LiDAR • Photogrammetry and Gaussian splats from photos and video • Drone and aerial capture for roofs, exteriors, and whole-site coverage • Measure, annotate, crop, rescale, and label directly on the scan
WHERE IT FITS IN YOUR WORKFLOW • Construction documentation and progress tracking • Renovation and design visualization • Insurance, restoration, and damage assessment • Site survey and drone-based mapping • BIM coordination and CAD workflows • Factory layout and equipment documentation
WORK FROM ONE TRUTH Share scans and floor plans with clients and teammates by link. Control access with private or public permissions. Use shared libraries so the whole team is looking at the same site. View, edit, and export from any computer on Polycam Web, included free.
34 million scans. More than 10 million people. Over 2 billion square feet captured.
Privacy Policy: https://poly.cam/privacy_policy.pdf Terms of Use: https://poly.cam/terms_and_conditions.pdf
Text from the app store listing, quoted for reference. Our own take is above.
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