What is the difference between Hover and iGUIDE?

Hover and iGUIDE are different tools with different strengths. The best choice depends on your workflow, budget, and whether you need features like 3D scanning, floor plan generation, GLA calculation, or design capabilities. This page breaks down a direct comparison.

Which is better for real estate appraisers — Hover or iGUIDE?

Hover and Iguide serve different workflows. Hover is better suited for one use case while Iguide fits another — the right choice depends on whether you need field capture or office-based GLA calculation from existing floor plans.

Can Hover and iGUIDE be used together?

Hover and Iguide can complement each other in some workflows — for example, using one for field capture and the other for GLA calculation and reporting. Check the comparison table above for specific integration details.

How much does Hover cost compared to iGUIDE?

Hover and iGUIDE have different pricing models — one may charge per user, per project, or via annual subscription, while the other may offer a free tier or pay-per-use option. Check the comparison table above for current pricing details and which offers better value for your volume of work.

Which is easier to use — Hover or iGUIDE?

Ease of use depends on your starting point. Hover tends to fit one type of user or workflow, while iGUIDE is designed for another. If you are working from an existing floor plan PDF and need to calculate square footage quickly, a browser-based tool like PlanSnapper may reduce the learning curve entirely — no software installation required.

Do I need Hover or iGUIDE if I already have a floor plan PDF?

If you already have a floor plan as a PDF or image, you may not need either tool. PlanSnapper lets you upload the PDF directly and trace walls in your browser to calculate GLA — no software installation required. Both Hover and iGUIDE are most useful for creating sketches from scratch or capturing measurements in the field.

Which works better for calculating GLA — Hover or iGUIDE?

Both Hover and iGUIDE can support GLA calculation, but the workflow differs. One may require field measurement and sketch entry while the other may allow importing existing floor plans. If your starting point is an existing PDF or image floor plan, PlanSnapper provides a faster path — upload, trace, and get the GLA figure without entering either tool's workflow.

How do Hover and iGUIDE handle existing floor plan PDFs?

Neither Hover nor iGUIDE is primarily designed to import and calculate square footage from an existing PDF floor plan. Both tools are built around creating or capturing floor plans from scratch. If you already have a PDF floor plan, PlanSnapper lets you upload it directly, trace the walls, and get an accurate GLA figure without redrawing anything.

Which is better for occasional users — Hover or iGUIDE?

Hover and iGUIDE are both specialized tools with learning curves that reward regular use. Occasional users often find dedicated subscription tools hard to justify. For someone who needs to calculate square footage a few times a month, PlanSnapper is designed for exactly that — no training required, no annual contract, upload and measure in minutes.

Compare · 6 min read

HOVER vs iGUIDE: Which Property Measurement Tool Should You Use?

HOVER and iGUIDE both measure properties, but they measure entirely different things. HOVER photographs the exterior to build a 3D model for roofing and contractor estimates. iGUIDE scans the interior using LiDAR to produce accurate floor plans and square footage data for real estate listings and appraisals. Here is how they compare.

The short version

HOVER: A mobile photogrammetry tool that turns smartphone photos of a building exterior into a 3D model. Used primarily by roofing, siding, and insurance professionals to measure exterior surfaces. Not designed for interior floor plans or GLA calculation.
iGUIDE: A LiDAR-based scanning system that produces accurate interior floor plans, room dimensions, and gross living area. Used by real estate photographers, agents, and appraisers. Delivers both a virtual tour and a measurable floor plan from one scan.

HOVER vs iGUIDE: at a glance

	HOVER	iGUIDE
Primary use case	Exterior 3D models for contractor estimates	Interior floor plans and GLA for real estate
Scanning technology	Photogrammetry (smartphone camera)	LiDAR (dedicated PLANIX or compatible camera)
Measures interior space	No	Yes (accurate room dimensions and floor plan)
Measures exterior	Yes (roof, walls, surface areas)	Limited
ANSI Z765 GLA calculation	No	Yes (iGUIDE reports include GLA by floor)
Virtual tour / 3D walkthrough	Exterior only	Yes (interior immersive tour)
Floor plan output	No	Yes (2D scaled floor plan with dimensions)
Hardware required	Smartphone (any)	PLANIX LiDAR camera (~$3,000–$4,000)
Primary customers	Roofing contractors, insurance adjusters	Real estate photographers, agents, appraisers
Per-property cost	Subscription + per-report fees	Per-scan fees (varies by volume plan)

What HOVER does well

HOVER excels at exterior property measurement. You walk around a building taking overlapping photos with your smartphone, upload them to HOVER, and receive a dimensioned 3D model showing roof area, wall area, pitch, and exterior dimensions. For roofing contractors, siding installers, and insurance adjusters, this is transformative -- it replaces manual ladder-and-tape measurements with a fast, safe, repeatable process.

The smartphone-only requirement is a genuine advantage. No specialized hardware to buy or carry. Any modern iPhone or Android works, and the photogrammetry accuracy is good enough for contractor estimates and insurance claims.

Where HOVER falls short

No interior measurement. HOVER does not produce interior floor plans or calculate gross living area. If you need to know how big the rooms are or verify the GLA for an appraisal, HOVER cannot help.
Not built for real estate listings. Agents need interior floor plans for MLS listings and buyer presentations. HOVER's 3D exterior model does not serve that use case.
No virtual tour for buyers. HOVER's 3D model is a measurement tool for contractors, not an immersive experience for prospective buyers.

What iGUIDE does well

iGUIDE uses LiDAR to produce highly accurate interior measurements. The PLANIX camera captures point cloud data as you move through a property, and iGUIDE's processing automatically generates a dimensioned 2D floor plan plus an immersive 360-degree virtual tour.

For real estate, the floor plan output is particularly valuable. iGUIDE reports include room-by-room square footage and gross living area broken down by floor, separated above and below grade in compliance with ANSI Z765. Many appraisers accept iGUIDE floor plans as a starting point for their GLA calculations.

The combination of a professional floor plan and a virtual tour in one scan makes iGUIDE a strong value proposition for real estate photographers who want to offer multiple deliverables from a single property visit.

Where iGUIDE falls short

Hardware cost. The PLANIX camera costs approximately $3,000 to $4,000. For photographers just entering the market, that is a significant upfront investment compared to smartphone-based competitors like CubiCasa or Matterport's Pro3.
No exterior measurement. iGUIDE is an interior-only tool. For exterior dimensions, roof area, or facade measurements, you need a separate solution.
Processing time. iGUIDE floor plans are delivered after processing, not instantly on-site. Turnaround is typically a few hours, which is fast but not immediate.

Which should you choose?

Choose HOVER if: You are in roofing, siding, or insurance and need fast, accurate exterior measurements without specialized hardware. HOVER is the category leader for exterior property measurement.

Choose iGUIDE if: You need interior floor plans and GLA data for real estate listings, appraisals, or buyer presentations. iGUIDE is one of the most accurate interior scanning solutions available, and it delivers both a floor plan and a virtual tour.

These tools are not really competitors -- they serve different markets. A roofing contractor and a real estate photographer have almost no overlap in needs. If you work in both worlds, you may find yourself using both.

Already have the floor plan?

If you have an iGUIDE floor plan export and need to verify or recalculate GLA, PlanSnapper lets you upload it, trace the perimeter, and get ANSI Z765-compliant square footage in minutes.

Try PlanSnapper