Orbit Measure vs LiDAR: What's the Difference for Contractors? (2026)

John Dutton

Orbit Measure and LiDAR both produce 3D spatial data. They use completely different technology, work on different devices, and produce different outputs. Here's what contractors need to know.

How LiDAR works

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) fires laser pulses and measures how long they take to return. The iPhone Pro's LiDAR sensor fires thousands of pulses per second and builds a point cloud — a precise map of distances from the sensor to every surface in the room. Accurate to within about half an inch at close range (under 5 metres).

Limitation: LiDAR only works on iPhone Pro models (iPhone 12 Pro and newer). No Android support. No standard iPhone support.

How Orbit Measure works

Orbit Measure uses your phone's standard camera — no LiDAR required. You walk a space for 10–60 seconds recording a video. Manifold's cloud processing uses gaussian splatting to reconstruct the 3D geometry from multiple video frames — the same technique used in AI-generated 3D imagery. The result is a measurable 3D model accurate to approximately half an inch.

Works on: any iOS or Android phone with a rear camera.

Accuracy comparison

Feature	iPhone LiDAR	Orbit Measure
Accuracy at room scale	~0.5 inch	~0.5 inch
Works on Android	✗ No	✓ Yes
Works on standard iPhone	✗ No (Pro only)	✓ Yes
Real-time preview	✓ Yes	✗ Processed after upload
Output type	Point cloud / floor plan	Measurable 3D walkthrough
Floor plan generation	✓ Yes (with Manifold Floor Plan Scan)	✗ Not a floor plan

When to use LiDAR (Floor Plan Scan)

You need a clean 2D floor plan with labelled rooms and wall dimensions
You have an iPhone 12 Pro or newer
You need to hand off a dimensioned drawing to an engineer or architect

When to use Orbit Measure

Your crew runs Android or standard iPhones
You need a 3D record for remote measurement, not a 2D floor plan
You want to document existing conditions measurably before work starts
You need to share a 3D walkthrough with a client or trade

Do you need both?

Both are included in Manifold's Photo+Scan plan at $24/user/month. Many contractors use Orbit Measure for day-to-day field documentation (any phone, any crew) and Floor Plan Scan when they specifically need a dimensioned 2D floor plan (iPhone Pro only).

See our Floor Plan Scan guide and Orbit Measure guide. Or start your free trial and try both.