Both are made of 360° photos you can look around and move through. The difference is where people see them and what they can do with them.
Google Street View: get found
Indoor 360° imagery published to Google Maps. It appears on your Google listing, so anyone who searches for your business, or for "hotels near me", can step inside straight from the search results.
Best for: being found locally and building trust before a first visit. Restaurants, gyms, clinics, salons, shops and hotels all benefit.
Limits: it uses Google's standard viewer. You can't add your branding, info hotspots, prices or booking links, and the imagery must follow Google's content policies.
Custom virtual tour: sell the space
A tour you own, with your branding, opened from a link, a QR code or your website. You decide what's in it and can add hotspots with text, photos, video, documents and booking links.
Best for: selling, leasing, admissions, events and training, anywhere people need detail to make a decision.
Limits: people need to find it, so it works best when it's on your website, shared by your team or linked from your Google listing.
Side by side
| Feature | Custom virtual tour | Google Street View |
|---|---|---|
| Seen on | Your website, shared links, QR codes, presentations | Google Search, Google Maps, your Business Profile |
| Branding | Your logo, colours and menus | Google's standard look |
| Hotspots and media | Text, photos, video, documents, links | Navigation arrows only |
| Main job | Help people decide and act | Help people find you and trust you |
| Control | You decide what's shown | Published under Google's policies |
Quick decision guide
- Mostly walk-in customers who find you on Google? Start with Street View.
- Selling, leasing or enrolling, where people need detail? Start with a custom tour.
- Both matter? Use both. We can capture them in the same visit, so you pay for one shoot, not two.
Why most clients choose both
Street View brings people in from Google. The custom tour, linked from your website and listing, gives them the detail to say yes. Together they cover the whole journey from search to booking.