A comprehensive framework providing an engine, rendering capabilities, and integrated tools like the Node Material Editor and Inspector.

An online platform for 3D design and animation, with direct export options for web integration.

Specifically designed and optimized for high-performance web rendering.

Focuses on creating optimized interactive experiences specifically for the web, with tools to analyze and improve performance.

Supports both code-based development (TypeScript/JavaScript) and visual tools like the Node Material Editor and Inspector for scene/material configuration.

Primarily a visual design tool where scenes and interactions are built using a graphical interface. Logic is handled through an event/state system.

No direct integration. Assets from Unity require export (e.g., glTF).

Exports glTF/USDZ which can be imported into Unity, but there is no direct integration or specific workflow.

Provides an official exporter plugin for Blender to facilitate asset transfer.

Can import formats like glTF (often exported from Blender) and export glTF, but no direct integration.

Offers various built-in behaviors and components for camera controls and similar, but interactions need to be created either through code or graph-based systems.

Visual design tool with built-in interactive components for common behaviors like drag, hover, click interactions.

Supports JavaScript or TypeScript development with comprehensive API.

Visual event system allows for creating interactive behaviors without coding. Limited JavaScript API for exported scenes.

Offers advanced rendering features including PBR, IBL, advanced lighting and shadowing techniques, and post-processing effects.

Supports PBR materials through a layer-based system, lighting (directional, spot, point), shadows, and post-processing effects.

Uses an Entity Component System pattern (Nodes and Components).

Features a 'Component' system allowing reuse of objects and their properties, aiding in creating design systems within Spline, but differs from traditional ECS architectures.

Requires external libraries or custom implementation for real-time networking.

Supports real-time collaboration within the editor but does not provide features for runtime networking or multiplayer experiences in exported applications.

Sequencing animations involves programming, not via a timeline or dedicated tools.

Includes timeline-based animation system for keyframe animation and sequencing.

Includes an advanced animation system supporting keyframes, skeletal animation, and blending.

Supports keyframe animation, state-based transitions, and interactive events to trigger animations.

Rich support for material animation, dynamic textures, and shader effects.

Supports material animation through the timeline system and visual animation tools.

Features a comprehensive audio engine with support for spatial audio and effects.

Supports adding sounds to scenes, including positional audio and background music.

Supports video textures.

Supports using videos as textures on 3D models.

Offers built-in physics integration with plugins for Havok and other engines.

Includes built-in physics simulation capabilities for creating dynamic interactions.

Support for the glTF 2.0 standard, including many extensions.

Can import and export models in glTF format for interoperability with other tools.

Includes a dedicated 2D GUI system (Babylon GUI) for creating interfaces in 3D space or screen space.

UI elements are typically created using 3D text and objects within the scene itself; no dedicated 2D canvas UI system.

Offers the Babylon Viewer, a web component for easily embedding models.

Exports can be embedded using iframe or Javascript code snippets, including a React component export and a generic web component ('spline-viewer') for better performance with multiple embeds. The authoring tool itself is not web component based.

As a web-native JavaScript library, it can be used within Progressive Web Apps but provides no specific PWA features itself.

Spline exports can be included within a PWA, but Spline itself doesn't provide specific features for PWA development.

Designed for the web, allowing integration with standard HTML/CSS and frontend frameworks.

Designed to be easily embedded into HTML pages using generated code snippets (iframe or JavaScript).

Typically deployable on static web servers.

Exports are self-contained web packages deployable on static servers. Spline also offers hosting for public URL embeds.

Requires external hosting for assets.

Spline hosts scenes shared via Public URLs. Exported code/files can be self-hosted.

Requires external hosting for the application files. Quick experiments can be hosted in the Playground.

Scenes can be hosted directly on Spline's servers.

Core engine size is moderate, reflecting its rich feature set. Modular structure allows including only needed parts.

Exports include the Spline runtime, which can increase the initial download size compared to solutions using shared runtimes or minimal frameworks. Size depends on scene complexity and export settings.

Load times depend on included features and assets, generally good.

Loading times depend heavily on scene complexity, polygon count, texture sizes, and the included runtime. Optimization tools are provided, but complex scenes can experience noticeable load times.

Strong rendering performance, good WebGPU support.

Performance is generally good for well-optimized scenes but can degrade with high polygon counts, complex materials, numerous objects, or intensive interactions, especially on lower-end devices.

Supports optimized formats (glTF, Draco, Basis Universal) and tools like the Inspector can aid optimization workflows. Some geometry/texture optimization possible.

Provides tools like polygon reduction guidance, material asset reuse, geometry compression on export, and image quality controls, but lacks explicit support for advanced texture compression formats like Basis Universal or Draco geometry compression visibility.

No automatic mesh or texture LOD generation, but imported assets can have mesh LODs.

Focuses on optimization but does not have a dynamic LOD system.

Robust support for VR experiences via the WebXR standard.

Does not directly export WebVR experiences. Requires exporting models (e.g., glTF) and using a VR-capable framework.

Supports markerless AR on Android via WebXR.

Does not directly export WebAR experiences. Exports USDZ for AR Quick Look on iOS, but full WebAR requires external frameworks.

Non-interactive USDZ export of static assets via `USDZExportAsync().`

USDZ files compatible with AR Quick Look on iOS can be exported from the web app. Also provides native Swift embeds for iOS apps.

Non-interactive USDZ export of static assets via `USDZExportAsync()`.

USDZ files compatible with AR Quick Look on iOS can be exported from the web app. Also provides native Swift embeds for iOS apps.

Supports World Tracking via WebXR, with extensions for other features like image/marker tracking.

Primarily through USDZ export for object placement in AR Quick Look.

Community support is available, but official support is only provided for Enterprise customers.

Official support channels are typically available for paid subscribers, while community support is available for all users via Discord.

Rich resources including the Playground for live coding, extensive documentation, examples, and tutorials.

Offers official documentation, tutorials (text and video), a library of templates/examples, and an active community forum/Discord server.

Available under the permissive Apache License 2.0.

Spline is a proprietary tool with free and paid subscription tiers offering different feature sets and usage limits.