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AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head

Lens Studio vs Medium by Adobe

Lens Studio logo

Lens Studio

AR/VR & Metaverse

Create AR experiences for Snapchat and beyond

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Medium by Adobe logo

Medium by Adobe

AR/VR & Metaverse

Sculpt in VR with intuitive tools

From
$9.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lens Studio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Lens Studio covers Visual scripting, Medium by Adobe covers VR sculpting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lens Studio and Medium by Adobe actually diverge.

Attributes where Lens Studio and Medium by Adobe differ
AttributeLens StudioMedium by Adobe
Starting priceFree$9.99/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb (Lens Studio editor), iOS (via Snapchat), Android (via Snapchat), Web (via Camera Kit), Spectacles AR glassesVr, Quest
Founded20111982

Identical on both: 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 Medium by Adobe

  • VR sculpting
  • Layer system
  • Stamps
  • Move tool
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Substance
  • FBX export
  • Vr support

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

Medium by Adobe

  • 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

Medium by Adobe

Nothing recorded yet. See the Medium by Adobe review.

Pricing, plan by plan

Lens Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Lens Studio review.

Medium by Adobe

$9.99/month
  • Medium$9.99/month
    • Full sculpting tools
    • Export
    • Adobe integration

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 Medium by Adobe if

  • You need vr sculpting.
  • You work on Vr, Quest.
  • You also want layer system.
Medium by Adobe review

Questions people ask

Is Lens Studio or Medium by Adobe better?
Neither clearly leads. Lens Studio starts at Free and Medium by Adobe at $9.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lens Studio or Medium by Adobe?
Lens Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lens Studio and $9.99/month for Medium by Adobe.
Does Lens Studio or Medium by Adobe 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. Medium by Adobe runs on Vr, Quest.
Can I use Lens Studio for free?
Yes. Lens Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Medium by Adobe starts at $9.99/month.
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 Medium by Adobe cannot?
Lens Studio covers Visual scripting, ML templates, 3D tracking, Hand tracking. Medium by Adobe covers VR sculpting, Layer system, Stamps, Move tool.

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
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
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
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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