Side by side

Pannellum vs Reco

Both stand on 360 video software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Pannellum

Free plan Open source APISelf-hostedWeb

Pannellum offers a compact, self-hostable viewer with several panorama formats and embedding options. Check the image-size guidance and API security configuration when planning an implementation.

Visit Pannellum

Reco brings panoramic stitching and play tracking to desktop and other listed hardware targets, with several ways to use the same engine. Its stated privacy approach and open-source license may matter to people choosing a local sports video workflow.

Visit Reco

The facts

	Pannellum	Reco
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Yes	Yes
Runs on	API, Self-hosted, Web	API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	2	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	pannellum.org	reco.cam
On 360 video software	#1 of 30	#2 of 30

Pannellum: what it does well

Free and open source under the MIT License.
Supports four panorama formats.
Can run standalone or embed through iframe or JavaScript API.
Static content can be hosted on virtually any web server.
Includes hot spots, tours, compass headings, and video support.

What to know first

Recommends equirectangular images preferably no wider than 4096 pixels.
API HTML escaping defaults to false.
Support questions and bug reports go to GitHub issues.

Reco: what it does well

Stitches two camera feeds into a panoramic sports view.
Detects balls and players with configurable framing.
Offers a desktop app, CLI, library, and OBS plugin.
Supports live-stream workflows through GStreamer and OBS.
States that it collects no usage data or telemetry.

What to know first

iOS and Android implementations are still to come.
Engine uses the AGPL-3.0-only license.
No public paid tier is offered.

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