- The Issue: Google officially discontinued the standalone Street View app, merging limited functionality into Google Maps, leaving many creators without a dedicated platform.
- For Browsing: Apple Look Around and Bing Streetside offer the best high-definition alternative street view experiences for navigation.
- For Hosting: Panoee.live establishes itself as the premier 360-degree panorama hosting for Local Guides, offering unlimited free uploads and high-resolution support.
- Crowdsourced Options: Platforms like Mapillary and KartaView provide open-source street view alternatives for data collection.
- The Solution: Users must now distinguish between “map viewing” services and “content creation” platforms to find the right replacement.
Why are people looking for Street View Alternatives?
Since the Google Street View app was discontinued in 2023, users-specifically photographers and Local Guides-lost the ability to easily manage, upload, and view their 360° portfolios in a dedicated environment. While Google Maps allows basic uploads, it lacks the community features, portfolio management, and high-quality viewing experience of the original app, forcing users to seek a Google maps 360 replacement.
With many years of experience in the virtual tour industry, we have observed a significant shift. The discontinuation wasn’t just a software update; it was an eviction of a vibrant community. Users are now split into two camps: those who simply want to see the street level of a destination, and those who want to create and contribute that imagery.
Top Alternatives for Street View Explorers (Browsing Focus)
For users whose primary intent is navigation and exploring street-level imagery, Apple Maps (Look Around) and Bing Maps (Streetside) are the superior street view other than Google. They offer smoother transitions and higher-resolution base data than standard Google Maps in many regions.
While you cannot easily upload your own panoramas to these proprietary networks, they are excellent for consumption:
- Apple Look Around: Known for its incredibly smooth, 3D-like transitions between street frames. However, it is exclusive to the Apple ecosystem.
- Bing Streetside: A strong web-based competitor that covers vast areas of Europe and North America, often providing data where Google cars haven’t visited recently.
See more: List of street view services
The Missing Piece: Best Alternatives for 360° Contributors (Hosting Focus)
For creators, the best alternative must support high-resolution uploads, portfolio management, and community interaction. Panoee and its community arm, Panoee.live, stand out as the top free virtual tour software and hosting platform, filling the void left by Google for contributors who need to publish to street view or manage a personal library.
This is where the distinction is crucial. If you are a photographer, Mapillary or KartaView offers crowdsourced street level imagery, but they are data-focused, not portfolio-focused.
1. Panoee.live – The New Home for 360° Photographers
Unlike map services that treat your photos as mere data points, Panoee focuses on the art of the panorama. As a brand deeply embedded in this technology, we built Panoee.live to be the community hub that Google abandoned.
- Unlimited Hosting: We believe your creativity shouldn’t have a cap.
- High-Resolution Support: Viewers can experience 8K+ quality without compression artifacts.
- Ecosystem: It connects seamlessly with Panoee – Free Virtual Tour Software, allowing you to turn single panoramas into complex tours.
2. Mapillary – The Data Collector
Mapillary (owned by Meta) is excellent if you want to contribute to crowdsourced street level imagery. It uses computer vision to extract data from your photos. It is a solid open-source street view alternative spirit, but it is less about showcasing your photography skills and more about mapping data.
Comparison: Map Services vs. Community Platforms
To help you decide, we have broken down the features of the leading options.
| Feature | Panoee.live | Google Maps (Current) | Apple Look Around | Mapillary |
| Primary Use | Hosting & Portfolio | Navigation | Navigation | Data Collection |
| User Uploads | Yes (Unlimited) | Yes (Limited) | No | Yes |
| Cost | Free | Free | N/A | Free |
| Social Community | High | Low | None | Low |
| Image Quality | 8K+ Uncompressed | Compressed | System Default | Variable |
| Virtual Tour Creation | Yes | No | No | No |
Why Panoee.live is the Perfect Home for Ex-Street View Users
Panoee.live is designed specifically to solve the “homelessness” of 360° photographers. It combines the social discovery aspect of the old Street View app with professional tools like a 360 Panorama Viewer and 360 Panorama Optimization, ensuring your work is not just stored, but celebrated.
At Panoee, we understand that a 360° photo is more than just a map pin. It’s an immersive experience. When you join our 360 photo community, you get access to tools that go beyond simple hosting:
- Professional Tools: Before uploading, you can check your image quality using our 360 Panorama Viewer. If you have tripod footprints in your shot, our Nadir Fixer will patch them instantly.
- Advanced Creation: You aren’t limited to single shots. You can learn How to create Virtual Tours in 4 steps using our main platform.
- Versatility: Whether you are making 360° & 3D Virtual Tours for real estate or simply archiving travel memories, the platform adapts to your needs. We even offer a 3D Floorplan Maker to add spatial context to your tours.
How to Start Sharing Your 360° Photos (The New Way)
To migrate your workflow from the defunct Google app, simply create a free account on Panoee.live, upload your equirectangular images directly, and use the built-in sharing tools to distribute them. If you still need to appear on Google Maps, Panoee also provides a feature to publish to Google street view directly from your tours.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Capture: Take your photo using a 360° camera or DSLR.
- Preview: Use a specialized tool to check for stitching errors. If you are unsure how to do this, read our guide on “how to view 360 panorama”.
- Upload: Drag and drop your files into Panoee.live.
- Optimize: Add hotspots, music, or fix the nadir.
- Share: Generate a link or embed code.
- Publish (Optional): Push the content to Google Street View via the Panoee API integration if you want visibility on Google Maps.
FAQ: People Also Ask
Q: Is there an app like Google Street View?
A: For viewing, Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Bing Maps are the alternatives. For creating and hosting 360 photos, Panoee is the best alternative app/platform that replaces the portfolio functionality of the old Street View app.
Q: How do I upload 360 photos to Google Maps without the app?
A: You can upload directly via the Google Maps mobile app or desktop browser, but the management tools are limited. A better way is to use third-party software like Panoee to publish to Google street view, which gives you more control over connections and placement.7
Q: What is the best free 360 panorama hosting site?
A: Panoee.live is currently the top-rated free hosting site because it offers unlimited uploads, high resolution, and no advertisements, unlike other platforms like Kuula which have strict limits on free accounts.
Q: Can I still view older Street View images?
A: Yes, the historical data is still available on Google Maps desktop by clicking the “clock” icon in Street View mode.8 However, new crowdsourced street level imagery is increasingly being hosted on alternative platforms like Mapillary and KartaView.
