Needle vs. 8th Wall vs. Adobe Aero
See how Needle, 8th Wall, and Adobe Aero compare across key features and capabilities for usage on the web and creating XR experiences for designers, developers and teams.
View all platform comparisons Web-first runtime integrated with Unity and Blender plugins, complemented by Needle Cloud for optimization and hosting. Needle |  A commercial platform specializing in high-quality, markerless WebAR experiences, featuring a cloud editor and advanced tracking capabilities. 8th Wall |  An Adobe Creative Cloud application (iOS app & Desktop beta) for creating interactive mobile AR experiences with a no-code, visual workflow, aimed at designers. Adobe Aero | |
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Core Platform & Workflow | |||
| Solution Type | 3D Engine Cloud Platform Optimization Tool Web Component Needle Solution Type:
3d-engine, cloud-platform, authoring-tool, optimization-tool, web-component A comprehensive suite including a runtime engine, cloud services for optimization/hosting, authoring via Unity/Blender plugins, and embeddable web component output. | Cloud Platform 3D Engine 8th Wall Solution Type:
cloud-platform, authoring-tool, 3d-engine A comprehensive platform providing AR tracking engine, cloud-based IDE (Cloud Editor, Niantic Studio), hosting, and specialized AR features. | Cloud Platform Adobe Aero Solution Type:
authoring-tool, cloud-platform A tool for authoring AR experiences, leveraging Adobe Cloud for asset management and sharing. |
| Made for the web | Needle Made for the web:
Yes Built from the ground up for the web, focusing on fast loading, efficient rendering, and cross-platform web deployment. | 8th Wall Made for the web:
Yes Specifically optimized for delivering AR experiences through mobile web browsers. | Adobe Aero Made for the web:
No Does not run in the web. Experiences are displayed via the Adobe Aero app. |
| Typical Workflows | Unity Editor Blender Editor Code HTML Asset Upload Needle Typical Workflows:
Unity Editor, Blender Editor, Code, HTML, Asset Upload Primary workflow involves using Unity or Blender as the authoring environment, exporting scenes and logic. Custom scripts (TypeScript/JavaScript) extend functionality. | Web Editor Code 8th Wall Typical Workflows:
Web Editor, Code Development occurs in the Cloud Editor or Niantic Studio using JavaScript, HTML, CSS, often integrating with libraries like A-Frame or three.js. | Standalone Editor Adobe Aero Typical Workflows:
Standalone Editor Designed for designers, uses a visual interface on iOS or Desktop (beta) to assemble scenes and add interactivity without coding. |
| Use with Unity | Needle Use with Unity:
Yes Deep integration with Unity Editor via dedicated plugin, allowing export of scenes, C# scripts (transpiled), materials (Shader Graph), animations, and components. | 8th Wall Use with Unity:
No Focuses on web technologies with a custom editor. | Adobe Aero Use with Unity:
No Separate ecosystem. |
| Use with Blender | Needle Use with Blender:
Yes Integration with Blender via addon, supporting export of scenes, materials, animations, and custom logic nodes. | 8th Wall Use with Blender:
No Imports standard 3D asset formats like glTF. | Adobe Aero Use with Blender:
No Imports assets in standard formats (glTF, FBX) or via Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Substance). |
| Interactivity Building Blocks | Needle Interactivity Building Blocks:
Yes Includes a rich set of components for common interactions, animations, and UI elements. | 8th Wall Interactivity Building Blocks:
Yes Provides AR-specific components for common interactions and UI elements in WebAR experiences. | Adobe Aero Interactivity Building Blocks:
Yes Provides a library of behaviors and interactive components for AR experiences without coding. |
| Extensible with Coding | Needle Extensible with Coding:
Yes Uses TypeScript with full IDE support in both Unity and standalone projects. | 8th Wall Extensible with Coding:
Yes JavaScript API for creating AR experiences, with integration for Three.js, A-Frame, or Babylon.js. | Adobe Aero Extensible with Coding:
No Uses a no-code trigger and action system for creating interactivity. |
Engine Capabilities | |||
| Physically-Based Rendering | Needle Physically-Based Rendering:
Yes Supports Physically Based Rendering (PBR), custom shaders (via Unity Shader Graph export), lighting, and post-processing effects. | Limited 8th Wall Physically-Based Rendering:
Limited Rendering quality depends on the capabilities of the integrated engine. The Studio material model does not support all common PBR features. | Adobe Aero Physically-Based Rendering:
No Provides good visual quality optimized for mobile AR, but no advanced PBR features. |
| Component System | Needle Component System:
Yes Leverages the component-based architecture of Unity/Blender, extended with custom web-specific components. | 8th Wall Component System:
Yes Depends on the integrated rendering framework (e.g., A-Frame uses ECS). | Adobe Aero Component System:
No Uses triggers and actions to create interactive experiences. |
| Built-in Networking | Needle Built-in Networking:
Yes Built-in real-time networking for multiplayer and collaborative applications. | 8th Wall Built-in Networking:
No Networking needs to be implemented using external libraries or services. | Adobe Aero Built-in Networking:
No Designed for single-user AR experiences. |
| Timelines and Sequencing | Needle Timelines and Sequencing:
Yes Supports timeline-based sequencing, complex animations, animator state machines, blending, and more. | 8th Wall Timelines and Sequencing:
No No built-in timeline or sequencing system, relies on manual animation code or framework features. | Adobe Aero Timelines and Sequencing:
No Basic animation capabilities and directable characters, but no complex sequencing system. |
| Animation Controls | Needle Animation Controls:
Yes Supports complex animations authored in Unity (Animator, Timeline) or Blender and exports them for the web. | 8th Wall Animation Controls:
Yes Animation capabilities depend on the chosen rendering engine. | Adobe Aero Animation Controls:
Yes Supports imported animations and allows creating simple animations/movements on a timeline. |
| Animated Materials | Needle Animated Materials:
Yes Supports material animations, shader graph, and procedural material effects. | Via Framework 8th Wall Animated Materials:
Via Framework Depends on the underlying framework used (Three.js, A-Frame, etc.). | Adobe Aero Animated Materials:
No No support for importing animated materials at this point. |
| Audio Playback | Needle Audio Playback:
Yes Supports spatial audio configured via Unity/Blender components. | 8th Wall Audio Playback:
Yes Audio capabilities depend on the chosen rendering engine. | Adobe Aero Audio Playback:
Yes Supports adding audio to AR experiences. |
| Video Playback | Needle Video Playback:
Yes Supports video textures and playback controlled via components. | 8th Wall Video Playback:
Yes Supports video textures through integrated rendering engines. | Adobe Aero Video Playback:
Yes Supports importing and playing video files within the AR scene. |
| Physics Integration | Needle Physics Integration:
Yes Integrates with physics engines, configured via Unity/Blender components. | 8th Wall Physics Integration:
Yes Physics capabilities depend on the chosen rendering engine. | Basic Adobe Aero Physics Integration:
Basic Includes simple physics behaviors like collision triggers. |
| glTF 3D Support | Excellent Needle glTF 3D Support:
Excellent Uses glTF as its core runtime format and supports import of various formats (FBX, USD, VRM etc.) which are converted. | 8th Wall glTF 3D Support:
Yes Supports loading glTF assets. | Adobe Aero glTF 3D Support:
Yes Supports importing glTF and GLB files. |
| Custom User Interfaces | Needle Custom User Interfaces:
Yes Facilitates creation of UI using standard HTML/CSS and frontend frameworks, integrated with the 3D scene. | Limited 8th Wall Custom User Interfaces:
Limited UI is typically created using HTML/CSS overlays or the UI system of the chosen rendering engine. | Adobe Aero Custom User Interfaces:
No Custom UI can only be added via 3D objects in the scene. The UI shown to users can't be adjusted. |
Web Integration & Deployment | |||
| Web Component | Needle Web Component:
Yes Exports projects as standard web components (<needle-engine> tag) for easy embedding into any HTML page or web application. | 8th Wall Web Component:
No Experiences are typically loaded via the 8th Wall JS library. | Adobe Aero Web Component:
No Experiences are viewed natively via the Aero app or an iOS App Clip. |
| PWA Support | Needle PWA Support:
Yes Being web-native, Needle Engine projects can be easily included in Progressive Web Apps for offline capabilities and installation. | 8th Wall PWA Support:
No WebAR experiences created with 8th Wall can be integrated into Progressive Web Apps. | Adobe Aero PWA Support:
No Focuses on native mobile AR. |
| HTML/CSS Integration | Excellent Needle HTML/CSS Integration:
Excellent Designed to seamlessly integrate with HTML, CSS, and frontend frameworks (React, Vue, Svelte etc.), allowing blending of 2D UI and 3D content. | 8th Wall HTML/CSS Integration:
Yes Allows overlaying HTML/CSS elements for UI. | Adobe Aero HTML/CSS Integration:
No Operates within the native app environment. |
| Host Anywhere | Needle Host Anywhere:
Yes The core runtime can be self-hosted on any static server. Needle Cloud features (optimization, hosting, analytics) require the cloud service. | 8th Wall Host Anywhere:
No Requires the 8th Wall platform for tracking and hosting. | Adobe Aero Host Anywhere:
No Uses Adobe Creative Cloud for storing assets and sharing experiences. |
| Asset Hosting | Needle Asset Hosting:
Yes Needle Cloud provides managed hosting and CDN delivery for optimized assets. | Adobe Aero Asset Hosting:
No Assets and experiences are stored in the user's Creative Cloud storage but can't be directly served from there. | |
| App Hosting | Needle App Hosting:
Yes Needle Cloud provides managed hosting and CDN delivery for optimized applications. | Required 8th Wall App Hosting:
Required Using the 8th Wall platform requires hosting on 8th Wall's servers. | Required Adobe Aero App Hosting:
Required Experiences are viewed through the Aero app or an iOS App Clip. |
Performance & Optimization | |||
| Engine Size | Medium Needle Engine Size:
Medium Optimized runtime aims for minimal footprint, size depends on included features. | Medium 8th Wall Engine Size:
Medium Includes sophisticated AR tracking libraries. | Large Adobe Aero Engine Size:
Large User installs the Aero app. |
| Loading Performance | Excellent Needle Loading Performance:
Excellent Rapid development cycles and fast loading times through optimized runtime and asset handling. | Moderate 8th Wall Loading Performance:
Moderate Loading time depends on experience complexity and network conditions. | Moderate Adobe Aero Loading Performance:
Moderate Depends on the complexity of the AR experience. |
| Runtime Performance | Excellent Needle Runtime Performance:
Excellent Designed for efficient rendering performance across desktop, mobile, and XR devices. | Good 8th Wall Runtime Performance:
Good Offers robust and performant AR tracking, overall performance also depends on rendering complexity. | Good Adobe Aero Runtime Performance:
Good Leverages native ARKit performance on iOS devices. |
| Smart Asset Optimization | Excellent Needle Smart Asset Optimization:
Excellent Needle Cloud provides significant automated optimization: LOD generation, mesh optimization, extensive texture compression (Basis Universal, WebP, JPG, PNG) and resizing options. | 8th Wall Smart Asset Optimization:
No The platform handles some processing, but optimization relies on preparing assets beforehand. | Basic Adobe Aero Smart Asset Optimization:
Basic Relies on optimized assets imported from other Adobe tools (like Substance 3D Sampler/Stager) or standard formats. |
| Mesh and Texture LODs | Excellent Needle Mesh and Texture LODs:
Excellent Supports automatic mesh simplification, level-of-detail generation and automatic texture compression with multiple quality levels. | 8th Wall Mesh and Texture LODs:
No Relies on optimization being done before asset upload; no dynamic LOD system. | Adobe Aero Mesh and Texture LODs:
No No LOD or optimization system; relies on initial asset quality. |
XR Support (AR/VR/Spatial) | |||
| VR Support (WebXR) | Needle VR Support (WebXR):
Yes Supports VR headsets via the WebXR standard. | 8th Wall VR Support (WebXR):
No Primary focus is WebAR. | Adobe Aero VR Support (WebXR):
No Focus is exclusively on mobile AR. |
| AR Support (WebXR) | Needle AR Support (WebXR):
Yes Supports markerless WebAR on compatible Android devices via the WebXR standard. | 8th Wall AR Support (WebXR):
Yes Provides markerless AR for Android, but requires additional camera permissions and uses more CPU and GPU resources. | Adobe Aero AR Support (WebXR):
No Requires native app, or users manually enabling Google Play Instant. Does not use WebXR. |
| AR Support (iOS) | Needle AR Support (iOS):
Yes Supports interactive markerless WebAR on iOS devices via WebXR. | 8th Wall AR Support (iOS):
Yes Provides markerless AR for iOS, but requires additional camera permissions and uses more CPU and GPU resources. | Adobe Aero AR Support (iOS):
Yes The primary target platform, offering rich AR experiences via native app or App Clip. |
| AR Support (visionOS) | Needle AR Support (visionOS):
Yes Explicit support for creating spatial computing experiences deployable on visionOS. | 8th Wall AR Support (visionOS):
No Focus is on mobile WebAR. | Limited Adobe Aero AR Support (visionOS):
Limited Requires USDZ export and then embedding the USDZ elsewhere. |
| AR Tracking Types | Surface Image Needle AR Tracking Types:
Surface, Image Supports World Tracking via the WebXR standard on compatible devices. Image tracking is supported on iOS AR but requires a device-specific flag for Android AR. | Surface Image Face VPS 8th Wall AR Tracking Types:
Surface, Image, Face, VPS Offers a comprehensive suite of advanced AR tracking capabilities, including location-based VPS. | Surface Image Adobe Aero AR Tracking Types:
Surface, Image Leverages ARKit capabilities for various tracking modes. |
Ecosystem & Support | |||
| Official Support Availability | Needle Official Support Availability:
Yes Dedicated support available for licensed users. | 8th Wall Official Support Availability:
Yes Support available through paid plans. | Adobe Aero Official Support Availability:
Yes Through standard Adobe support channels. |
| Learning Resources | Needle Learning Resources:
Yes Extensive documentation, tutorials, live samples, and active community support. | Good 8th Wall Learning Resources:
Good Offers project library, documentation, and tutorials. | Excellent Adobe Aero Learning Resources:
Excellent Leverages Adobe's extensive learning resources (Adobe Learn, tutorials, community). |
| License | Commercial Needle License:
Commercial Commercial license required for full features and deployment. Free evaluation available. | Commercial | Commercial Adobe Aero License:
Commercial Free to use, but requires an Adobe account and integrates with paid Creative Cloud apps. |