Photogrammetry Mobile Apps

The fastest path to a 3D scan in 2026: a phone in your pocket. Splits between photogrammetry-only apps (any phone, photos or video) and LiDAR-assisted apps (iPhone 12 Pro / 13 Pro / 14 Pro / 15 Pro / 16 Pro and iPad Pro). Most apps now also output Gaussian splats — see Gaussian Splatting. Pairs with desktop Photogrammetry Software, cleanup in Mesh Processing, and downstream use in 3D & Spatial Design Tools, 3D / WebGL, or Mesh Repair & Conversion for printing.

Cross-platform freemium leaders

• ★ Polycam — closed source, free tier + paid Pro (~$15/mo). iOS / Android / web. Photo, video, LiDAR, 360, and Gaussian-splat capture; cloud reprocessing; web viewer for sharing. The default "I want a scan now" tool. Paid tier removes watermarks, unlocks higher-res exports, OBJ/STL/FBX/GLB/USDZ, and processes on cloud GPUs.
• ★ KIRI Engine — closed source, free tier + paid Premium (~$10/mo). iOS / Android / web. Object-mode photogrammetry, featureless-object mode (uses AI fill), and 3DGS Gaussian splats. Generous free tier (3 free scans / week historically); cloud-based.
• ★ Luma AI — closed source, free tier + paid Genie / Plus. iOS / Android / web. Famous for NeRF & Gaussian-splat output; "Genie" is their text-to-3D generator (paid). The cinematic-quality pick for environments.
• ★ RealityScan (Epic Games) — closed source, free. iOS / Android. Photogrammetry from any phone; uploads to Sketchfab. Built on RealityCapture's pipeline. The free pick if you don't need LiDAR or splats.

iOS LiDAR-specific (iPhone Pro / iPad Pro)

• ★ 3D Scanner App (Laan Labs) — closed source, free (paid in-app processing add-ons). iOS / Mac. Real-time LiDAR room/object capture, photogrammetry, low-poly export, point clouds. The de-facto free LiDAR scanner; popular for floor plans and as-built construction docs.
• ★ Scaniverse (Niantic, then Snap as of 2024) — closed source, free. iOS / Android. LiDAR + photogrammetry + Gaussian splats; offline processing on-device; share to web. No paid tier; very popular for casual capture.
• Polycam LiDAR mode — see Polycam above; one of the best LiDAR room-scan modes.
• RoomPlan API (Apple) — not an app but the framework; many third-party "scan my room" apps wrap it for parametric room layouts. Free for Apple developers.
• Canvas (Occipital) — closed source, paid; pro-grade room capture, exports to floor-plan CAD. Common in real estate / construction.

Object / sculpt-style capture (paid)

• Trnio Plus — closed source, paid one-time (~$5–10). iOS only. Long-running, simple object-mode scanner.
• Qlone — closed source, freemium; uses a printed "Qlone mat" as a calibration / scale reference. Object-only.
• AR Code 3D / Sketchfab Mobile — capture-and-publish workflows; useful as endpoints rather than scanners.

Workflow notes

• Object mode vs space mode: object mode = orbit a small object on a turntable / table; space mode = walk through a room or scene. Most apps offer both; pick correctly or you'll fight the algorithm.
• LiDAR is fast but coarse — the iPhone Pro / iPad Pro LiDAR has ~5cm resolution. Use photogrammetry on top (most apps do this automatically) for actual texture and finer geometry. Pure LiDAR is good for floor plans, not collectible figurines.
• Cloud vs on-device: Polycam, KIRI, Luma process in the cloud (means slower, requires upload, but uses heavy GPUs). Scaniverse, 3D Scanner App, RealityScan process on-device.
• Subscription gating: free tiers usually watermark exports, cap mesh resolution, restrict formats (STL/OBJ/USDZ behind paywall), or limit captures per week. Read the EULA before committing a project to a free tier.

Capture-quality cheats

• Move slowly, keep object in frame — fast pans = motion blur = lost features.
• Diffuse light, no harsh shadows — overcast or softbox.
• For metallic / glossy / clear objects: spray with sublimating scan spray. See Scan Capture Accessories.
• Add scale: place a coin or ruler in scene; some apps (Qlone, KIRI) accept calibration mats.

Outputs & next steps

Most apps export OBJ, GLB, USDZ, STL (paid), and PLY for splats. For format conversion see 3D Format Converters; for cleanup before printing or use, Mesh Processing and Mesh Repair & Conversion; for hosting, 3D Model Hosting & Display.

Pick this if…

• Default phone scan, willing to pay for Pro: Polycam.
• Default free phone scan, iPhone Pro / iPad Pro: Scaniverse (free, on-device, splats supported) or 3D Scanner App.
• Default free phone scan, Android or non-Pro iPhone: RealityScan (Epic, fully free) or KIRI Engine free tier.
• Cinematic environment / NeRF / splat capture: Luma AI.
• Floor plan / construction as-built: 3D Scanner App or Canvas.
• Tiny object on a turntable, accuracy matters more than convenience: see Handheld 3D Scanners.