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

A tool for authoring AR experiences, leveraging Adobe Cloud for asset management and sharing.

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

Does not run in the web. Experiences are displayed via the Adobe Aero app.

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

Designed for designers, uses a visual interface on iOS or Desktop (beta) to assemble scenes and add interactivity without coding.

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

Separate ecosystem.

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

Imports assets in standard formats (glTF, FBX) or via Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Substance).

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

Provides a library of behaviors and interactive components for AR experiences without coding.

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

Uses a no-code trigger and action system for creating interactivity.

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

Provides good visual quality optimized for mobile AR, but no advanced PBR features.

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

Uses triggers and actions to create interactive experiences.

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

Designed for single-user AR experiences.

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

Basic animation capabilities and directable characters, but no complex sequencing system.

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

Supports imported animations and allows creating simple animations/movements on a timeline.

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

No support for importing animated materials at this point.

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

Supports adding audio to AR experiences.

Supports using videos as textures on 3D models.

Supports importing and playing video files within the AR scene.

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

Includes simple physics behaviors like collision triggers.

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

Supports importing glTF and GLB files.

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

Custom UI can only be added via 3D objects in the scene. The UI shown to users can't be adjusted.

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.

Experiences are viewed natively via the Aero app or an iOS App Clip.

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

Focuses on native mobile AR.

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

Operates within the native app environment.

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

Uses Adobe Creative Cloud for storing assets and sharing experiences.

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

Assets and experiences are stored in the user's Creative Cloud storage but can't be directly served from there.

Scenes can be hosted directly on Spline's servers.

Experiences are viewed through the Aero app or an iOS App Clip.

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.

User installs the Aero app.

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.

Depends on the complexity of the AR experience.

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.

Leverages native ARKit performance on iOS devices.

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.

Relies on optimized assets imported from other Adobe tools (like Substance 3D Sampler/Stager) or standard formats.

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

No LOD or optimization system; relies on initial asset quality.

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

Focus is exclusively on mobile AR.

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

Requires native app, or users manually enabling Google Play Instant. Does not use WebXR.

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

The primary target platform, offering rich AR experiences via native app or App Clip.

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

Requires USDZ export and then embedding the USDZ elsewhere.

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

Leverages ARKit capabilities for various tracking modes.

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

Through standard Adobe support channels.

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

Leverages Adobe's extensive learning resources (Adobe Learn, tutorials, community).

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

Free to use, but requires an Adobe account and integrates with paid Creative Cloud apps.