Needle vs. Rooom vs. Spatial.io

See how Needle, Rooom, 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
An enterprise-focused web platform offering integrated no-code/low-code tools for creating 3D/AR/VR experiences like virtual showrooms, product presentations, and events.
Rooom
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.
Cloud Platform
Authoring Tool
3D Engine
Rooom
Solution Type: cloud-platform, authoring-tool, 3d-engine
An all-in-one platform ('Enterprise Metaverse') providing a CMS, visual editors, hosting, and underlying rendering technology for business use cases.
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.
Limited
Rooom
Made for the web: Limited
Viewers suitable for business applications. Load times are relatively high, since the viewer builds on Unity's WebGL platform.
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.
Web Editor
Visual Editor
Rooom
Typical Workflows: Web Editor, Visual Editor
Content Management System and visual tools for creating experiences without coding.
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.
Rooom
Use with Unity: No
Imports standard asset formats.
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.
Rooom
Use with Blender: No
Imports standard asset formats.
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.
Rooom
Interactivity Building Blocks: Yes
Provides templates and interactive components for common experiences like product showcases, virtual events, and virtual tours.
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.
Rooom
Extensible with Coding: No
Primarily a no-code platform with template-based creation system.
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.
Good
Rooom
Physically-Based Rendering: Good
Aimed at producing visually appealing product visualizations and virtual environments.
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.
Rooom
Component System: No
Uses an internal system managed by the platform's CMS/editor.
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.
Rooom
Built-in Networking: Yes
Includes networking for shared virtual events and showrooms.
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.
Rooom
Timelines and Sequencing: No
Basic event-based triggers and animations for interactions, but no comprehensive timeline 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.
Rooom
Animation Controls: Yes
Supports product animations, avatar interactions, and potentially environment animations.
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.
Rooom
Animated Materials: No
Limited to pre-built templates and imported animations.
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.
Rooom
Audio Playback: Yes
Includes audio capabilities for environments and events.
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.
Rooom
Video Playback: Yes
Supports integrating video content into virtual spaces and events.
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.
Rooom
Physics Integration: No
Only basic interactions/collisions within the platform's scope, not exposed physics engine.
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.
Limited
Rooom
glTF 3D Support: Limited
Supports a subset of glTF as a core format for asset import.
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.
Limited
Rooom
Custom User Interfaces: Limited
Provides templates and customization options within the platform's UI framework.
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.
Rooom
Web Component: No
Offers embedding solutions, but not standard web components.
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.
Rooom
PWA Support: No
The platform itself is web-based.
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.
Limited
Rooom
HTML/CSS Integration: Limited
Focus is primarily on experiences within the Rooom platform.
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.
Rooom
Host Anywhere: No
Experiences are hosted on the Rooom platform (cloud or optional on-premise).
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.
Rooom
Asset Hosting: Yes
Assets are hosted as part of the platform service.
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.
Required
Rooom
App Hosting: Required
Experiences can only be hosted on the Rooom platform.
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.
Medium
Rooom
Engine Size: Medium
Platform includes rendering, interaction, and other components.
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.
Moderate/Fast
Rooom
Loading Performance: Moderate/Fast
Advertises fast loading times as a feature.
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
Rooom
Runtime Performance: Good
Optimized for common business use cases like showrooms and product displays.
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.
Rooom
Smart Asset Optimization: No
Basic asset processing upon upload.
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.
Rooom
Mesh and Texture LODs: No
Platform does automatically apply asset compression, but no additional optimizations happen before upload. Paid optimization services are available.
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.
Rooom
VR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports VR viewing for immersive spaces and events.
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.
Rooom
AR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports AR viewing, particularly for product presentations.
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
Rooom
AR Support (iOS): Limited
Supports AR viewing for products on iOS, but not for interactions.
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
Rooom
AR Support (visionOS): Limited
Support for 3D models on VisionOS, but not for interactions.
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
Rooom
AR Tracking Types: Surface
Supports standard markerless AR for product placement.
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.
Rooom
Official Support Availability: Yes
Support included with paid plans.
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
Rooom
Learning Resources: Good
Provides resources geared towards using the platform's no-code tools.
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.
Commercial
Rooom
License: Commercial
Commercial platform with tiered pricing, including a free entry-level plan.
Commercial
Spatial.io
License: Commercial
Offers free access with paid tiers for enhanced features, capacity, or customization.

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