WebAR Editors Compared
When working with augmented reality, you have several options, from the very advanced editors that require coding to the simple WYSIWYG style drag and drop editors.
On the heavier end of the spectrum we have tools such as Unity and 8th Wall’s Cloud Editor, which can both be used to create advanced AR if you’re willing to put in the time and effort (and the money that time and effort costs).
But if you want powerful AR at a lower cost while still delivering an advanced experience there are some great alternatives to the Unity and 8th Wall.
You could go for Hololink, Zappar, Blippar or ARyel, which all give you access to an online editor where you can create interactive webAR that can be served directly in your users’ mobile browser. 8th Wall also offers webAR, but at a higher price and with a less accessible editor.
Pricing Comparison
Let’s look at some stats for the different platforms. We’re going to leave Unity out of this comparison, as it doesn’t have a price per view option, something you have to calculate yourself when creating an app and serving it on whatever servers you prefer. We’re comparing 8th Wall’s pricing as well, although they do not offer a drag and drop webAR editor, but their pricing is more transparent than with a completely self-developed Unity-based app and they do offer webAR.
As we can see there are big differences in price, especially when looking at monthly views for a campaign.
When it comes to the actual tools, there are differences too, so choosing the right one depends on your client’s needs. 8th Wall is not a part of the comparison below, as it is another type of tool.
Zapworks Designer
Zappar has an editor called Zapworks Designer, which allows you to create both marker-based and markerless AR. The editor is relatively easy to use, but requires some experience with graphic tools.
You can work with images, video and 3D models and add buttons and text to your scenes. Scenes can be linked through a small menu at the bottom of the editor with a linear flow.
Zappar gives you a couple of 3D models to start with, but you have to deliver most assets yourself.
Zapworks designer lets you create nice webAR experiences, with good, if not perfect image tracking and nice interaction possibilities.
Tracking: The tracking works fine, but 3D models tend to jiggle a bit so that they never seem to stand still, which is suboptimal.
They also develop campaigns themselves and as such you have the possibility of paying extra for their expertise so that you don’t need to design and develop everything yourself.
Blippbuilder
Blippar’s Blippbuilder editor has a different look and feel to it, but you can accomplish many of the same things as with Zappar. They have more features available directly on the screen, which can be overwhelming and makes the editor feel somewhat less accessible.
Just like Zappworks Designer, Blippbuilder lets you add 3D, video, images, buttons and text to a scene, as well as letting you add audio files.
Blippar gives you some basic 3D shapes, but other than that there are no standard assets available.
All in all, you can create impressive webAR with Blippar, once you’ve learnt how to use it.
Tracking: I could not get the image tracking to work when trying to preview my work, no matter how many times I tried.
They also give you the possibility to develop campaigns for you with prices depending on your needs and expectations.
Aryel
Aryel’s editor is definitely less intuitive than the other 4 editors and just like the others, you can add 3D, images, video, audio, buttons and text.
The cute round buttons and purple/pink colour palette is something that you have to get used to and I have to admit that it is not my cup of tea.
ARyel’s image tracking is far from perfect, but when you use surface tracking it works nicely, thanks to their use of ARKit and ARCore, which comes with the downside of having standard buttons defined by Apple or Google in your scene when placing an object.
Aryel offers thousands of 3D models for you to use directly in the editor.
Tracking: Aryel’s tracking works OK, but the assets jiggle around even more than when using Zappworks, giving a quite poor end-user experience.
Aryel’s editor is a self-serve system with the short-coming that managing teams is not easily available.
Hololink
Hololink’s editor is similar to the Zappworks Designer, but with more interaction features, including a full storyboard and a specific editor for buttons, camera and other interface-related content. It is the only true self-serve editor, with everything from team management to AR creation built into a single coherent flow. With this comes an integration with Sketchfab, giving access to thousands of 3D models instantly, as well as curated libraries containing images, video and audio that are free to use.
When it comes to tracking, Hololinks image tracking is one of the best in the business and offers a rock-solid experience on any smartphone.
Tracking: Hololink’s tracking is very good. There is no jiggling about and assets stick to the image target exactly where they have been placed in the editor.
Hololink is currently tailor-made for marker-based experiences, but marker-less tracking is promised by the end of 2022.
Conclusion
To conclude, the 4 easy to use webAr editors all have their good sides with talented and dedicated teams behind them, so when comparing them you need to be aware of what delivers the best value and working flow for you and your team.
If you want to get started quickly, have easy visual control over your storyline and be able to reach a large audience at a low price, Hololink is a fantastic choice, with great tracking and an easy to learn editor.