Interactive Tours Vs Street View

(slide image above up and down to compare the two types of virtual tours from a screenshot)

View This Tour on Google Maps

👉 CLICK HERE – Explore your space through a Google Street View Virtual Tour.

View the Interactive 3D Tour

👉 CLICK HERE – Enjoy a fully immersive, feature-rich Interactive 3D Virtual Tour.

What’s the Difference?

Interactive 3D Tours offer a robust list of features that you can’t really get with a normal virtual tour. Along with the great features that come with the tour however, there are also a few more steps added in that you, as the client, should know about before ordering one for your business or property.

Oftentimes, clients are really not interested in these additional steps until the time comes when they have to be applied, which is usually AFTER the shoot and when post-production begins. At the same time, we as a company need your cooperation to get to the finish line and complete your wonderful virtual tour. Let’s get started.

Interactive 3D Tours vs. Google Street View Virtual Tours

If you’re considering a virtual tour for your business or property, it’s important to understand the key differences between Interactive 3D Tours and Google Street View Virtual Tours. Each serves a unique purpose, and the right choice depends on your goals, budget, and desired features.

Google Street View Virtual Tours

• Platform: Hosted on Google Maps and your Google Business Profile
• Navigation: Click through arrows to move around your space
• Cost: One-time payment to the photographer; no hosting fees
• Longevity: Stays on your profile indefinitely (unless removed or replaced)
• Visibility: Great for improving local SEO and increasing visibility on Google

About Google Street View Virtual Tours

Offers a navigation menu so that you can hop from place to place without having to ‘navigate’ your way through other rooms or hallways, etc… Find the room you want to go to and just click on the navigation button and you’re instantly there.
Offers real slick features such as what’s called ‘Hot-Spots.’ Hot-Spots can instantly put full focus on anything you want. It has an animated target icon which calls your attention. Once you click on the target, you will see a pop-up window to which you can show

A written description of whatever you’re highlighting to give interesting facts.
Images of whatever you want
Videos from Youtube or Venmo
Hyperlinks to anywhere you want to take them
Even audio clips

The viewer is then allowed to close or re-open the pop up window.
You can customize the virtual tour with your logo and add in other information for viewers to see.
Mobile Friendly
The pricier option
Requires a GOOGLE API KEY (read more below)
Requires PAID HOSTING (read more below)

You'll Need a Google API Key & Hosting - Here's What to Know

Why a Google API Key Is Required

Back in 2018, Google made some major changes to how developers access their services. As part of that shift, Google API keys became mandatory for using certain map-based features—like the kind we use in Interactive 3D Virtual Tours. This change impacted the entire virtual tour industry and, unfortunately, put many providers out of business.

Today, if you want your 3D virtual tour to function properly, a Google API key is a must. And yes—it requires a few steps on your part.

What You'll Need to Do

Have a Gmail account
If you don't have one already, you'll need to create one. Google Cloud accounts must be tied to a Gmail address.
Create a Google Cloud account
This is the platform where you'll generate your API key.
Upgrade to a paid account
You'll need to add a credit card, even though in most cases, you'll never be charged (more on that below).
Generate your API key
Once you have the account set up, you can create the API key needed for your virtual tour.
Send us your API key
We'll handle the rest from there!

Prefer We Handle It for You?

Many clients would rather avoid the hassle. If that's you, we can take care of everything—Google Cloud setup, API key creation, and more.

✅ All we need is your Gmail address and credit card to create the account on your behalf.
✅ Your information is kept strictly confidential and never stored. Once the setup is complete, your data is securely deleted.

Concerned About Adding a Credit Card?

You're not alone—but here's why you shouldn't worry:

Google requires a card on file only to issue an API key.
You won't be charged unless your tour gets over 14,000 views per month.
Even if you exceed that, the fee is minimal: $0.05 per 1,000 views over the limit.

For example, if you get 15,000 views in one month, your bill would be $0.05. That's it.

Hosting Your Interactive 3D Tour

Google Street View tours don't require hosting—but Interactive 3D tours do. Thankfully, hosting is affordable and flexible:

$5/month
$30/year
$70 for 3 years
$120 for lifetime hosting (best value)

If you'd like, we can also manage this setup for you. Again, we'll just need your payment info to cover the hosting plan you choose.

Summary: What We Need to Get Started

To unlock the full power of your Interactive 3D Tour, we'll need:

✅ A Gmail address (to create a Google Cloud account)
✅ A credit card (to enable your API key and hosting)

You can either do it yourself (we provide a detailed step-by-step guide), or let us handle the setup from start to finish.