Software · head to head
8th Wall vs Varjo
The short version
- Only 8th Wall has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 8th Wall platform shutdown as of February 2026, with hosted services ending; Varjo high cost enterprise XR solutions
- They diverge on capability: 8th Wall covers SLAM tracking, Varjo covers Human-eye resolution.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 8th Wall and Varjo actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2016).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 8th Wall
- SLAM tracking
- Image targets
- Face effects
- World tracking
- Three.js
- A-Frame
- Babylon.js
- PlayCanvas
Only in Varjo
- Human-eye resolution
- Mixed reality
- Eye tracking
- Hand tracking
- Unity
- Unreal
- OpenXR
- SteamVR
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
8th Wall
- VR Gamingnot Varjo
- AR Marketingnot Varjo
- Virtual Trainingnot Varjo
- 3D Visualizationnot Varjo
- Immersive Experiencesnot Varjo
Varjo
- Military flight simulation and pilot trainingnot 8th Wall
- Vehicle operation and weapons trainingnot 8th Wall
- Maritime navigation trainingnot 8th Wall
- High-fidelity professional VR simulationnot 8th Wall
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
8th Wall
- Platform shutdown as of February 2026, with hosted services ending
- WebAR performance limitations compared to native app AR experiences
- Requires internet connection for all AR experiences to function
- Limited browser support; Firefox and Safari do not support WebXR on desktop and mobile
Varjo
- High cost enterprise XR solutions
- Specialized for military and simulation training use cases only
Pricing, plan by plan
8th Wall
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the 8th Wall review.
Varjo
$2495/one-time- Varjo XR-4$3990/one-time
- Human-eye resolution
- Mixed reality
- Eye tracking
Which should you pick?
Choose 8th Wall if
- You need slam tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web (WebXR), Mobile browsers, Open source (local deployment).
- You also want image targets.
Choose Varjo if
- You need human-eye resolution.
- You work on XR headsets, Windows.
- You also want mixed reality.
Questions people ask
- Is 8th Wall or Varjo better?
- Neither clearly leads. 8th Wall starts at Free and Varjo at $2495/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 8th Wall or Varjo?
- 8th Wall has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for 8th Wall and $2495/one-time for Varjo.
- Does 8th Wall or Varjo run on more platforms?
- 8th Wall runs on Web (WebXR), Mobile browsers, Open source (local deployment). Varjo runs on XR headsets, Windows.
- Can I use 8th Wall for free?
- Yes. 8th Wall has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Varjo starts at $2495/one-time.
- What is 8th Wall best used for?
- 8th Wall is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization. Of those, vr gaming and ar marketing are not what Varjo is typically brought in for.
- What can 8th Wall do that Varjo cannot?
- 8th Wall covers SLAM tracking, Image targets, Face effects, World tracking. Varjo covers Human-eye resolution, Mixed reality, Eye tracking, Hand tracking.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
8th Wall: What is 8th Wall and how does it work?
8th Wall was a WebAR platform enabling AR experiences in web browsers without native app installation. As of February 2026, it transitioned to open source at 8thwall.org with free MIT-licensed technology.
Source8th Wall: Is 8th Wall still available?
The paid hosted platform shut down February 28, 2026. The core technology was released as open source at 8thwall.org. Existing published projects remain online until February 28, 2027, when all hosted content will be permanently deleted.
Source8th Wall: What licensing is available for 8th Wall?
8th Wall is now released under the MIT open source license at no cost for commercial use. Previously, commercial licensing started at $700 per month per project.
SourceRelated pages
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