Needle vs. <model-viewer> vs. Spatial.io

See how Needle, <model-viewer>, and Spatial.io compare across key features and capabilities for usage on the web and creating XR experiences for designers, developers and teams.

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Web-first runtime integrated with Unity and Blender plugins, complemented by Needle Cloud for optimization and hosting.
Needle
A Google-developed web component for easily embedding interactive 3D models (glTF/GLB) and AR experiences into HTML pages.
<model-viewer>
A web-based platform focused on creating and hosting social 3D environments accessible via web and VR.
Spatial.io
Core Platform & Workflow
Solution Type
3D Engine
Cloud Platform
Authoring Tool
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.
Web Component
<model-viewer>
Solution Type: web-component
A custom HTML element (<model-viewer>) designed for simple 3D model display and AR.
Cloud Platform
Authoring Tool
Spatial.io
Solution Type: cloud-platform, authoring-tool
A platform for building, hosting, and experiencing shared social 3D spaces ('metaverse').
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.
<model-viewer>
Made for the web: Yes
Focuses on ease of use, optimized loading (lazy loading, poster), and performance for web display.
Limited
Spatial.io
Made for the web: Limited
Designed for accessibility across web browsers and VR, balancing fidelity with performance for social experiences. Load times are relatively high because it builds on Unity's WebGL platform.
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.
HTML
<model-viewer>
Typical Workflows: HTML
Used by adding the `<model-viewer>` tag to an HTML page and configuring via attributes.
Web Editor
Unity Integration
Spatial.io
Typical Workflows: Web Editor, Unity Integration
Users build and customize spaces using intuitive, integrated visual tools and templates.
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.
<model-viewer>
Use with Unity: No
Consumes glTF files, which can be exported from Unity.
Spatial.io
Use with Unity: Yes
Via Spatial Toolkit, offers SDKs for importing assets or integrating experiences built with Unity.
Use with Blender
Needle
Use with Blender: Yes
Integration with Blender via addon, supporting export of scenes, materials, animations, and custom logic nodes.
<model-viewer>
Use with Blender: No
Consumes glTF files, which can be exported from Blender.
Spatial.io
Use with Blender: No
Imports standard 3D asset formats like glTF.
Interactivity Building Blocks
Needle
Interactivity Building Blocks: Yes
Includes a rich set of components for common interactions, animations, and UI elements.
<model-viewer>
Interactivity Building Blocks: No
Provides built-in features for model display, camera controls, and AR placement, but not for broader interactivity.
Spatial.io
Interactivity Building Blocks: Yes
Provides components for social interaction, media sharing, and space customization.
Extensible with Coding
Needle
Extensible with Coding: Yes
Uses TypeScript with full IDE support in both Unity and standalone projects.
<model-viewer>
Extensible with Coding: No
Allows for JavaScript event handling and basic property manipulation via API, but not for extending core functionality.
Limited
Spatial.io
Extensible with Coding: Limited
Primary creation is through no-code tools; Unity SDK allows interpreting a C# subset for more advanced applications.
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
<model-viewer>
Physically-Based Rendering: Limited
Supports PBR materials, environment maps, and basic lighting/shadow options, but no control over per-object shadows, reflection probes, lightmaps or other advanced rendering features.
Moderate
Spatial.io
Physically-Based Rendering: Moderate
Balances visual quality with the need to support many concurrent users and run smoothly on web/VR.
Component System
Needle
Component System: Yes
Leverages the component-based architecture of Unity/Blender, extended with custom web-specific components.
<model-viewer>
Component System: No
Internal structure, not exposed as an ECS.
Spatial.io
Component System: No
Uses an internal architecture managed by the platform.
Built-in Networking
Needle
Built-in Networking: Yes
Built-in real-time networking for multiplayer and collaborative applications.
<model-viewer>
Built-in Networking: No
Not designed for networked experiences.
Limited
Spatial.io
Built-in Networking: Limited
Built-in networking for avatar interactions, voice chat, and shared experiences. Not extensible.
Timelines and Sequencing
Needle
Timelines and Sequencing: Yes
Supports timeline-based sequencing, complex animations, animator state machines, blending, and more.
<model-viewer>
Timelines and Sequencing: No
Can play animations embedded in glTF but has no built-in sequencing system.
Limited
Spatial.io
Timelines and Sequencing: Limited
Basic trigger-based interactions but no comprehensive timeline system in the platform itself.
Animation Controls
Needle
Animation Controls: Yes
Supports complex animations authored in Unity (Animator, Timeline) or Blender and exports them for the web.
<model-viewer>
Animation Controls: Yes
Can play animations embedded within the loaded glTF model.
Limited
Spatial.io
Animation Controls: Limited
Supports avatar animations and basic object animations.
Animated Materials
Needle
Animated Materials: Yes
Supports material animations, shader graph, and procedural material effects.
<model-viewer>
Animated Materials: No
Supports materials in the glTF, including basic animation defined in the model, but no dynamic material creation or animation.
Limited
Spatial.io
Animated Materials: Limited
Supports animated textures but limited material animation capabilities.
Audio Playback
Needle
Audio Playback: Yes
Supports spatial audio configured via Unity/Blender components.
<model-viewer>
Audio Playback: No
Does not have built-in audio features.
Spatial.io
Audio Playback: Yes
Includes spatial audio for real-time voice communication between avatars.
Video Playback
Needle
Video Playback: Yes
Supports video textures and playback controlled via components.
<model-viewer>
Video Playback: No
Does not directly support video textures.
Spatial.io
Video Playback: Yes
Supports screen sharing and embedding media within spaces.
Physics Integration
Needle
Physics Integration: Yes
Integrates with physics engines, configured via Unity/Blender components.
<model-viewer>
Physics Integration: No
Focuses on model display, does not include physics.
Limited
Spatial.io
Physics Integration: Limited
Handles basic avatar movement and interactions within the platform constraints.
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.
<model-viewer>
glTF 3D Support: Yes
Designed specifically for loading and displaying glTF 2.0 models.
Spatial.io
glTF 3D Support: Yes
Supports uploading glTF models for use in spaces.
Custom User Interfaces
Needle
Custom User Interfaces: Yes
Facilitates creation of UI using standard HTML/CSS and frontend frameworks, integrated with the 3D scene.
<model-viewer>
Custom User Interfaces: No
Provides basic interaction controls (orbit, pan, zoom) and hotspots. Customization primarily via HTML/CSS/JS API.
Spatial.io
Custom User Interfaces: No
Provides the user interface for navigation, communication, and interaction within the platform.
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.
<model-viewer>
Web Component: Yes
It is fundamentally a web component.
Spatial.io
Web Component: No
Experiences are accessed through the Spatial platform/website.
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.
<model-viewer>
PWA Support: No
Can be included in Progressive Web Apps but provides no specific PWA features itself.
Spatial.io
PWA Support: No
The platform is web-based.
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.
Excellent
<model-viewer>
HTML/CSS Integration: Excellent
Designed specifically for seamless integration into standard HTML pages.
Limited
Spatial.io
HTML/CSS Integration: Limited
Focus is on the immersive 3D environment within the platform.
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.
<model-viewer>
Host Anywhere: Yes
Requires only static hosting for the component and model files.
Spatial.io
Host Anywhere: No
Requires Spatial's backend infrastructure for hosting, networking, and persistence.
Asset Hosting
Needle
Asset Hosting: Yes
Needle Cloud provides managed hosting and CDN delivery for optimized assets.
<model-viewer>
Asset Hosting: No
Requires external hosting for the glTF/GLB model files.
Spatial.io
Asset Hosting: Yes
Hosts user-uploaded assets and created spaces.
App Hosting
Needle
App Hosting: Yes
Needle Cloud provides managed hosting and CDN delivery for optimized applications.
<model-viewer>
App Hosting: No
Requires external hosting for the HTML page and model files.
Required
Spatial.io
App Hosting: Required
Experiences are hosted on the Spatial platform.
Performance & Optimization
Engine Size
Medium
Needle
Engine Size: Medium
Optimized runtime aims for minimal footprint, size depends on included features.
Small
<model-viewer>
Engine Size: Small
Relatively lightweight as it bundles a subset of three.js.
Large
Spatial.io
Engine Size: Large
Includes rendering, networking, avatar systems, and platform features.
Loading Performance
Excellent
Needle
Loading Performance: Excellent
Rapid development cycles and fast loading times through optimized runtime and asset handling.
Fast
<model-viewer>
Loading Performance: Fast
Implements strategies like lazy loading and posters for optimized loading experience.
Moderate
Spatial.io
Loading Performance: Moderate
Loading times depend on the complexity of the space and number of assets.
Runtime Performance
Excellent
Needle
Runtime Performance: Excellent
Designed for efficient rendering performance across desktop, mobile, and XR devices.
Good
<model-viewer>
Runtime Performance: Good
Offers good performance for its primary use case of displaying and interacting with single models.
Moderate
Spatial.io
Runtime Performance: Moderate
Performance can vary depending on scene complexity, number of concurrent users, and device capabilities.
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.
<model-viewer>
Smart Asset Optimization: Yes
Handles progressive loading and encourages use of optimized formats like Draco and Basis Universal textures.
Limited
Spatial.io
Smart Asset Optimization: Limited
Platform performs basic compression on uploaded assets, but no simplification.
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.
<model-viewer>
Mesh and Texture LODs: No
Relies on optimization being done in the source glTF file; no dynamic LOD system.
Spatial.io
Mesh and Texture LODs: No
Platform automatically handles compresses textures, but does not generate mesh or texture LODs for uploaded assets.
XR Support (AR/VR/Spatial)
VR Support (WebXR)
Needle
VR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports VR headsets via the WebXR standard.
Limited
<model-viewer>
VR Support (WebXR): Limited
Supports viewing models in VR via WebXR, without interactivity.
Spatial.io
VR Support (WebXR): Yes
Strong support for accessing spaces via VR headsets for a more immersive experience.
AR Support (WebXR)
Needle
AR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports markerless WebAR on compatible Android devices via the WebXR standard.
Limited
<model-viewer>
AR Support (WebXR): Limited
Provides an AR button for viewing models in AR on compatible Android devices (via WebXR), without interactivity.
Spatial.io
AR Support (WebXR): No
Primary focus is on virtual spaces (Web/VR), not mobile AR.
AR Support (iOS)
Needle
AR Support (iOS): Yes
Supports interactive markerless WebAR on iOS devices via WebXR.
Limited
<model-viewer>
AR Support (iOS): Limited
Provides an AR button for viewing static models in AR on iOS using Apple's AR Quick Look.
Spatial.io
AR Support (iOS): No
Not supported.
AR Support (visionOS)
Needle
AR Support (visionOS): Yes
Explicit support for creating spatial computing experiences deployable on visionOS.
Limited
<model-viewer>
AR Support (visionOS): Limited
Provides an AR button for viewing static models in AR on iOS using Apple's AR Quick Look.
Spatial.io
AR Support (visionOS): No
Not supported.
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
<model-viewer>
AR Tracking Types: Surface
Supports World Tracking via WebXR (Android) and surface placement via AR Quick Look (iOS).
N/A
Spatial.io
AR Tracking Types: N/A
Not an AR-focused platform.
Ecosystem & Support
Official Support Availability
Needle
Official Support Availability: Yes
Dedicated support available for licensed users.
<model-viewer>
Official Support Availability: No
Support primarily through GitHub issues and community channels.
Spatial.io
Official Support Availability: Yes
Support available, particularly for paid/enterprise users.
Learning Resources
Needle
Learning Resources: Yes
Extensive documentation, tutorials, live samples, and active community support.
Good
<model-viewer>
Learning Resources: Good
Excellent documentation site serves as the primary learning resource.
Good
Spatial.io
Learning Resources: Good
Help center, tutorials, and community resources available for creators.
License
Commercial
Needle
License: Commercial
Commercial license required for full features and deployment. Free evaluation available.
Open Source
<model-viewer>
License: Open Source
Available under the Apache License 2.0.
Commercial
Spatial.io
License: Commercial
Offers free access with paid tiers for enhanced features, capacity, or customization.

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