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AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head

Lens Studio vs 8th Wall

Lens Studio logo

Lens Studio

AR/VR & Metaverse

Create AR experiences for Snapchat and beyond

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
8

8th Wall

AR/VR & Metaverse

WebAR platform for browser-based AR experiences

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lens Studio performance limited to 10,000 triangles maximum for reliable cross-device rendering; 8th Wall platform shutdown as of February 2026, with hosted services ending
  • They diverge on capability: Lens Studio covers Visual scripting, 8th Wall covers SLAM tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lens Studio and 8th Wall actually diverge.

Attributes where Lens Studio and 8th Wall differ
AttributeLens Studio8th Wall
PlatformsWeb (Lens Studio editor), iOS (via Snapchat), Android (via Snapchat), Web (via Camera Kit), Spectacles AR glassesWeb (WebXR), Mobile browsers, Open source (local deployment)
Founded20112016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (AR/VR & Metaverse).

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 Lens Studio

  • Visual scripting
  • ML templates
  • 3D tracking
  • Hand tracking
  • Snapchat
  • Spectacles
  • Camera Kit
  • Ar support

Only in 8th Wall

  • SLAM tracking
  • Image targets
  • Face effects
  • World tracking
  • Three.js
  • A-Frame
  • Babylon.js
  • PlayCanvas

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Lens Studio

  • VR Gaming
  • AR Marketing
  • Virtual Training
  • 3D Visualization
  • Immersive Experiences

8th Wall

  • VR Gaming
  • AR Marketing
  • Virtual Training
  • 3D Visualization
  • Immersive Experiences

Both are used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization, immersive experiences, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Lens Studio

  • Performance limited to 10,000 triangles maximum for reliable cross-device rendering
  • File size capped at 8 MB restricting content complexity and asset quantity
  • Lens activation time must stay under 650 ms for ad deployment on Snapchat
  • Memory constraints limit number of segmentation and ML effects per Lens
  • Particle effects and scripts using Update Event require careful optimization to avoid exceeding device capabilities

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Lens Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Lens Studio review.

8th Wall

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the 8th Wall review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Lens Studio if

  • You need visual scripting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web (Lens Studio editor), iOS (via Snapchat), Android (via Snapchat), Web (via Camera Kit), Spectacles AR glasses.
  • You also want ml templates.
Lens Studio review

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.
8th Wall review

Questions people ask

Is Lens Studio or 8th Wall better?
Neither clearly leads. Lens Studio starts at Free and 8th Wall at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lens Studio or 8th Wall?
Lens Studio starts at Free and 8th Wall at Free.
Does Lens Studio or 8th Wall run on more platforms?
Lens Studio runs on Web (Lens Studio editor), iOS (via Snapchat), Android (via Snapchat), Web (via Camera Kit), Spectacles AR glasses. 8th Wall runs on Web (WebXR), Mobile browsers, Open source (local deployment).
Can I use Lens Studio for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Lens Studio best used for?
Lens Studio is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization.
What can Lens Studio do that 8th Wall cannot?
Lens Studio covers Visual scripting, ML templates, 3D tracking, Hand tracking. 8th Wall covers SLAM tracking, Image targets, Face effects, World tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lens Studio: Is Lens Studio free to download and use?

Yes, Lens Studio is completely free to download and use for creating and publishing Lenses on Snapchat. Creators can distribute Lenses via Snapcode with no payment required. Paid advertising options are available starting at $50 per day for promoted distribution.

Source
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.

Source
Lens Studio: What platforms can Lens Studio Lenses be deployed to?

Lens Studio supports deployment to Snapchat mobile apps on iOS and Android, web and third-party apps via the Camera Kit SDK, and AR glasses via Spectacles. Developers build once and deploy to all platforms from the same project.

Source
8th 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.

Source
Lens Studio: Does Lens Studio support AI and generative features?

Yes, Lens Studio 5.0 includes the GenAI Suite for generating 2D and 3D assets from text or image prompts. It also supports SnapML for running custom machine learning models directly in AR experiences without additional coding.

Source
8th 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.

Source
Lens Studio: What are Lens Studio's technical performance requirements?

Lens Studio recommends maximum 10,000 triangles rendered for best cross-device performance, Lens files must be under 8 MB, and Lens activation time must be under 650 ms for ads on Snapchat.

Source
Lens Studio: Does Lens Studio support version control and collaboration?

Yes, Lens Studio 5.0 Beta supports Git version control tools, enabling multiple developers to work on projects simultaneously.

Source
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