What is a digital twin? A plain guide (and what one costs to build)
A digital twin is a virtual replica of a real-world place, object or system that is kept in sync with its physical counterpart. Unlike a static 3D model, a true twin is connected to reality — updated as the real thing changes, and often fed live data from sensors — so you can inspect, measure, simulate and plan against it without being on site.
The term gets stretched to mean everything from a spinning CAD file to a full IoT simulation. We build the spatial kind: an accurate, measurable, explorable replica of a physical space, captured from the real world and delivered on the web. Here is how it actually works.
Digital twin vs 3D model vs virtual tour
- 3D model: a made-up or idealised object. No guaranteed relationship to anything real.
- Virtual tour: a navigable capture of a real place — great for viewing, limited for working.
- Digital twin: a real place captured to measurable accuracy, kept current, and usable as a source of truth for decisions — floor areas, clearances, asset locations, change over time.
The line that matters: a twin is accurate and maintained. A pretty model that drifts out of date is not a twin.
How we build one from a 3D scan
A spatial digital twin starts with capture. Depending on the site we use Matterport, photogrammetry, LiDAR, or Gaussian splatting — each trades accuracy, visual fidelity, cost and file size differently. The raw capture becomes a dimensionally correct mesh or point cloud, cleaned and aligned to real measurements, then delivered in the browser so anyone with a link can walk it. From there you layer on what makes it a twin: tagged assets, measurements, documents, and — where it earns its keep — a live data feed.
What people actually use them for
- Facilities & operations: remote inspection, space planning, and a single source of truth for a building's current state.
- Real estate & retail: measure, plan fit-outs, and let stakeholders tour without travel.
- Training & safety: onboard staff in an exact replica, rehearse evacuation and procedures — see virtual tours beyond marketing.
- Heritage & documentation: a permanent, measurable record of a building as it stands today — the same workflow we use for scanning heritage buildings.
What a digital twin costs in 2026
Cost is driven by four things: the size and complexity of the space, the accuracy you need, how much data you connect, and whether it stays maintained. As rough 2026 bands:
- A captured, measurable web twin of a space: low four figures for a small site, scaling with square metres and revisits.
- Twin + tagged assets, documents and measurement tools: mid four to low five figures, depending on integration.
- Live, sensor-connected operational twin: a bespoke project — priced by the data plumbing, not the 3D.
The honest advice: most people asking for a "digital twin" need an accurate, maintained 3D capture first, and the live-data layer only if a real decision depends on it. Do not pay for IoT simulation you will never look at.
FAQ
Is a digital twin the same as a virtual tour?
No. A virtual tour is for viewing; a digital twin is for working — it is measurable, maintained, and can carry live data. Every twin can be toured, but not every tour is a twin.
Do I need sensors and IoT to have a digital twin?
Not necessarily. Many valuable twins are "static" — an accurate, current spatial replica you measure and plan against. Live sensor data is an upgrade you add when a decision depends on real-time state.
How long does it take to build one?
Capture of a typical space is a day or less on site. A browser-ready, measurable twin follows in days to a couple of weeks depending on cleanup, tagging and integrations.
How do you keep it accurate over time?
You re-capture on a cadence that matches how fast the space changes — quarterly for an active site, yearly for a stable one — or connect live data where it exists. A twin that is never updated quietly becomes just an old model.
Thinking about a digital twin for a building or site? That is exactly the kind of capture-to-web work we do — tell us about the space.