Augmented Reality (AR) has moved from science fiction to everyday reality. From Snapchat filters to educational tools and full-featured mobile games, AR is being used across industries in increasingly powerful ways. But as someone new to AR, you might be asking: where do I begin? What tools should I use? What skills are necessary? And which platform best suits the experience I want to build?
In this article, we will explore the current AR development landscape, helping you understand the strengths and limitations of different tools and platforms. Whether you're aiming to build a simple browser-based visualization or an advanced AR game, this guide will help you take the first steps.
1. Start with Scope: What Are You Building?
Before choosing any specific tool or platform, clarify what kind of AR experience you're building. The scope of your project is the number one factor that will influence your tech stack.
Ask yourself:
Are you building something lightweight and quick, such as a virtual try-on, a marketing experience, or a simple game?
Or are you building a complex and persistent AR app, such as a multiplayer game, a location-based experience, or an offline educational tool?
Your answer determines whether you should consider WebAR, Social AR, or App-based AR.
2. WebAR – Augmented Reality in the Browser
Best suited for: Marketing campaigns, e-commerce previews, educational visualizations, and lightweight mini-games.
WebAR allows users to access AR experiences through a web browser—no app download required. It is highly accessible and works across devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and even XR headsets like the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro.
Advantages:
Extremely accessible (no installation needed)
Platform-agnostic (iOS, Android, desktop, and XR headsets like Vision Pro or Quest 3)
Quick to share via URLs or QR codes
Limitations:
Limited access to device hardware
Performance constraints compared to native apps
User data cannot be stored persistently without workarounds
In-app monetization is more difficult
Popular WebAR Tools:
Model Viewer: HTML-based, extremely easy to embed 3D models with limited interaction.
ZapWorks Designer & Mattercraft: A spectrum of no-code (Designer) to code-intensive (Mattercraft) solutions.
8th Wall: Arguably the most advanced WebAR platform. Supports multiplayer, payments, and uses an efficient Entity-Component-System (ECS) architecture.
Needle Engine: WebXR engine tailored to Unity developers.
When to Choose WebAR:
Use WebAR when your project needs to reach the largest audience with minimal friction. It's particularly effective for showcasing products in 3D, building marketing tools, or creating educational demos that don't require user data persistence or offline access.
3. Social AR – Filters and Viral Interactivity
Best suited for: Brand campaigns, user engagement, viral marketing, interactive try-ons.
Social AR takes place within apps like Snapchat and TikTok, using dedicated AR platforms:
Lens Studio for Snapchat
Effect House for TikTok
These platforms are designed to help creators build engaging AR filters and effects that can go viral. Social AR Filters have about the same constraints for performance like Web AR experiences.
Advantages:
Built-in distribution to millions of users
Designed for short, fun, and viral experiences
Easy-to-use development environments with visual scripting
Limitations:
Restricted to what the platform allows (limited custom logic)
You can't build one project that works for both platforms (You need to rebuild your filter from scratch in both projects)
Cannot store long-term user data
Monetization is indirect, typically through brand promotion
When to Choose Social AR:
If your goal is to maximize exposure and reach with interactive content, Social AR is a compelling option. You can piggyback off platform algorithms and existing user bases to distribute your effect widely. It’s ideal for marketing new products, music, movies, or events.
4. App-Based AR – Full Device Power at Your Fingertips
Best suited for: Games, offline educational tools, collaborative experiences, persistent environments, advanced interactivity.
If your project requires persistent data, offline access, rich 3D interactions, or monetization through in-app purchases, a dedicated app is likely the best choice. Here, Unity is the dominant platform for building native AR apps.
Recommended Stack:
Unity + AR Foundation: For cross-platform AR development (iOS, Android)
Niantic Lightship (formerly Lightship, now part of Niantic SDKs): Adds advanced features like VPS (visual positioning), shared AR, and room scanning
Advantages:
Full access to device sensors, hardware, and APIs
Ability to build persistent, complex AR experiences
Can store user preferences, scores, or scanned environments
Monetization through app stores (e.g., in-app purchases)
Limitations:
Requires setup of build environments (Xcode for iOS, Android SDK)
Building and testing takes longer (especially across platforms)
iOS development requires macOS and an Apple Developer account
Building for mobile AR and AR Headsets such as the Quest 3 simultaneously often requires scene duplication or additional setup, not as easy as Web AR
When to Choose App-Based AR:
Use Unity when you need depth, precision, and long-term product development. It’s the go-to solution for AR games, offline applications, and shared experiences with advanced features like multiplayer or persistent spatial anchoring.
5. Other Critical Considerations
Learning Resources and Documentation
The best tool is only useful if you can actually learn it and solve problems quickly. Consider the size of the community, quality of documentation, and availability of tutorials.
Unity: Mature ecosystem, rich documentation, active forums, extensive YouTube and course content
Lens Studio / Effect House: Strong community presence, active Discords, and tutorials
8th Wall, ZapWorks: Well-documented, but smaller user base and less peer support
Simulation and Development Speed
Since AR development requires real-world context, good simulation tools are essential for testing.
Unity / Lightship: Advanced in-editor simulators, including room scanning and environment emulation
Lens Studio: Real-time face and hand tracking simulation
Effect House: Uses video simulation, more limited
8th Wall: Supports previewing in browser, but not as robust as Unity
Summary: Choosing the Right AR Platform
Objective and Recommended Tools
1. Simple 3D Product Preview
→ Use WebAR tools like Model Viewer or ZapWorks
2. Viral Campaign or Filter
→ Use Social AR platforms like Lens Studio (Snapchat) or Effect House (TikTok)
3. Advanced AR App with Offline Features
→ Use Unity with AR Foundation and Niantic Lightship
4. Shared Multiplayer AR Experience
→ Use Unity, or 8th Wall if you want to stay on the web
What’s Next?
If you want to go further, I’ve published multiple tutorials covering the tools mentioned on my Youtube channel Alive Studios.
Thanks for reading, and best of luck on your AR journey.
Tobi