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Quill vs Spark AR Studio

Quill logo

Quill

Software

VR illustration and animation tool

From
$24.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Spark AR Studio logo

Spark AR Studio

Software

Professional AR effect creation for Meta platforms

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Spark AR Studio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Quill quill.art, run by Smoothstep LLC, discloses no pricing anywhere on its own site (confirmed by direct fetch); Quill was originally a Facebook/Meta product and was handed to its creator Inigo Quilez in 2021 when Meta open-sourced the Quill file format and stopped supporting the original Oculus Store listing, so buyers today are dealing with a small independent studio rather than a large platform vendor.; Spark AR Studio 4MB file size limit compared to Lens Studio's 8MB
  • They diverge on capability: Quill covers VR illustration, Spark AR Studio covers Visual programming.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Quill and Spark AR Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Quill and Spark AR Studio differ
AttributeQuillSpark AR Studio
Starting price$24.99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsVr, QuestDesktop
Founded20212004

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Quill

  • VR illustration
  • Animation timeline
  • Layers
  • Brushes
  • FBX export
  • Video export
  • Alembic
  • Vr support

Only in Spark AR Studio

  • Visual programming
  • Face tracking
  • World effects
  • Scripting API
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Messenger
  • Meta Quest

What people use each for

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

Quill

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

Spark AR Studio

  • 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.

Quill

  • quill.art, run by Smoothstep LLC, discloses no pricing anywhere on its own site (confirmed by direct fetch); Quill was originally a Facebook/Meta product and was handed to its creator Inigo Quilez in 2021 when Meta open-sourced the Quill file format and stopped supporting the original Oculus Store listing, so buyers today are dealing with a small independent studio rather than a large platform vendor.

Spark AR Studio

  • 4MB file size limit compared to Lens Studio's 8MB
  • No 3D body tracking capability unlike competing platforms
  • Limited to Instagram and Facebook ecosystem

Pricing, plan by plan

Quill

$24.99/one-time
  • Quill$24.99/one-time
    • VR illustration
    • Animation
    • Export

Spark AR Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Spark AR Studio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Quill if

  • You need vr illustration.
  • You work on Vr, Quest.
  • You also want animation timeline.
Quill review

Choose Spark AR Studio if

  • You need visual programming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Desktop.
  • You also want face tracking.
Spark AR Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Quill or Spark AR Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Quill starts at $24.99/one-time and Spark AR Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Quill or Spark AR Studio?
Spark AR Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $24.99/one-time for Quill and Free for Spark AR Studio.
Does Quill or Spark AR Studio run on more platforms?
Quill runs on Vr, Quest. Spark AR Studio runs on Desktop.
Can I use Spark AR Studio for free?
Yes. Spark AR Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quill starts at $24.99/one-time.
What is Quill best used for?
Quill is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization.
What can Quill do that Spark AR Studio cannot?
Quill covers VR illustration, Animation timeline, Layers, Brushes. Spark AR Studio covers Visual programming, Face tracking, World effects, Scripting API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Spark AR Studio: Is Spark AR Studio still available?

No. Meta announced it would shutter Spark AR at the start of 2026, ending support for new effect submissions.

Source
Spark AR Studio: Was Spark AR Studio free?

Yes. Meta Spark Studio was available as a free download for creating AR effects.

Spark AR Studio: What platforms did Spark AR support?

Spark AR Studio enabled building AR effects for Instagram and Facebook with optional code-based scripting.

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