Needle vs. Verge3D vs. Sketchfab

See how Needle, Verge3D, and Sketchfab 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 commercial toolkit for creating interactive 3D web experiences directly from Blender, 3ds Max, or Maya using visual scripting (Puzzles).
Verge3D
Leading online platform for publishing, sharing, discovering, and embedding 3D/VR/AR models, featuring a high-quality universal web viewer.
Sketchfab
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.
3D Engine
Authoring Tool
Framework
Verge3D
Solution Type: 3d-engine, authoring-tool, Framework
A toolkit comprising a WebGL-based engine and tools for exporting/adding interactivity (Puzzles) from DCC software.
Cloud Platform
Sketchfab
Solution Type: cloud-platform
A platform focused on hosting, discovering, and viewing 3D assets, providing an embeddable viewer.
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.
Verge3D
Made for the web: Yes
Generates optimized output suitable for web deployment, mostly for product visualization use cases.
Sketchfab
Made for the web: Yes
The platform automatically processes and optimizes uploaded models for efficient web viewing.
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.
DCC Integration
Visual Scripting
Verge3D
Typical Workflows: DCC Integration, Visual Scripting
Workflow centers around preparing scenes in Blender, 3ds Max, or Maya, then adding interactivity using the Puzzles visual editor.
Asset Upload
Sketchfab
Typical Workflows: Asset Upload
Users upload pre-made models and configure viewer settings (materials, lighting, annotations).
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.
Verge3D
Use with Unity: No
Does not integrate with Unity.
Sketchfab
Use with Unity: No
Consumes assets exported from various sources, including Unity.
Use with Blender
Needle
Use with Blender: Yes
Integration with Blender via addon, supporting export of scenes, materials, animations, and custom logic nodes.
Verge3D
Use with Blender: Yes
Offers excellent, tight integration with Blender as a primary authoring tool.
Sketchfab
Use with Blender: Yes
Offers a Blender addon for direct uploading, and consumes exported formats.
Interactivity Building Blocks
Needle
Interactivity Building Blocks: Yes
Includes a rich set of components for common interactions, animations, and UI elements.
Verge3D
Interactivity Building Blocks: Yes
Visual Puzzles system provides building blocks for common interactions and behaviors without coding.
Sketchfab
Interactivity Building Blocks: No
Provides annotation system and basic interaction controls, but not a component system for custom behaviors.
Extensible with Coding
Needle
Extensible with Coding: Yes
Uses TypeScript with full IDE support in both Unity and standalone projects.
Verge3D
Extensible with Coding: Yes
Supports JavaScript programming alongside or instead of the visual Puzzles system.
Sketchfab
Extensible with Coding: No
Viewer API allows some programmatic control, but not full scripting of custom behaviors inside the viewer.
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.
Verge3D
Physically-Based Rendering: Yes
Leverages three.js features like PBR, aiming to accurately reproduce materials and lighting from the DCC tool.
Limited
Sketchfab
Physically-Based Rendering: Limited
High-quality PBR rendering, customizable lighting, environments, post-processing effects, and material editor within the platform. No script control over rendering order, shadows, and so on. No in-scene lights.
Component System
Needle
Component System: Yes
Leverages the component-based architecture of Unity/Blender, extended with custom web-specific components.
Verge3D
Component System: No
Logic is primarily driven by attaching Puzzles to objects imported from the DCC scene.
Sketchfab
Component System: No
Internal viewer architecture.
Built-in Networking
Needle
Built-in Networking: Yes
Built-in real-time networking for multiplayer and collaborative applications.
Limited
Verge3D
Built-in Networking: Limited
Networking features can be implemented via JavaScript/Puzzles using external services, but not built-in.
Sketchfab
Built-in Networking: No
Doesn't support multi-user experiences.
Timelines and Sequencing
Needle
Timelines and Sequencing: Yes
Supports timeline-based sequencing, complex animations, animator state machines, blending, and more.
Verge3D
Timelines and Sequencing: No
Sequencing can be programmed using Puzzles, but no dedicated sequencing tools.
Sketchfab
Timelines and Sequencing: No
Can play animations embedded in models but has no sequencing or timeline system.
Animation Controls
Needle
Animation Controls: Yes
Supports complex animations authored in Unity (Animator, Timeline) or Blender and exports them for the web.
Verge3D
Animation Controls: Yes
Imports and controls animations created in the host DCC application (Blender, Max, Maya).
Sketchfab
Animation Controls: Yes
Plays animations embedded in the uploaded models.
Animated Materials
Needle
Animated Materials: Yes
Supports material animations, shader graph, and procedural material effects.
Verge3D
Animated Materials: No
Supports dynamic material changes through Puzzles, but no animation clips for materials.
Sketchfab
Animated Materials: No
Supports animated textures in uploaded models but no custom material animation creation.
Audio Playback
Needle
Audio Playback: Yes
Supports spatial audio configured via Unity/Blender components.
Verge3D
Audio Playback: Yes
Supports audio playback, including positional audio, controlled via Puzzles.
Sketchfab
Audio Playback: No
Sketchfab used to support embedded audio in the past, but doesn't support it anymore.
Video Playback
Needle
Video Playback: Yes
Supports video textures and playback controlled via components.
Verge3D
Video Playback: Yes
Supports video textures controlled via Puzzles.
Sketchfab
Video Playback: No
Focuses on static and animated 3D models.
Physics Integration
Needle
Physics Integration: Yes
Integrates with physics engines, configured via Unity/Blender components.
Verge3D
Physics Integration: Yes
Physics can be enabled and controlled via Puzzles visual scripting.
Sketchfab
Physics Integration: No
Focuses on asset display, not physics simulation.
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.
Verge3D
glTF 3D Support: Yes
Uses glTF as an intermediate format and exports glTF-based web applications.
Sketchfab
glTF 3D Support: Yes
glTF is the preferred format; platform automatically converts many other formats to optimized glTF for viewing.
Custom User Interfaces
Needle
Custom User Interfaces: Yes
Facilitates creation of UI using standard HTML/CSS and frontend frameworks, integrated with the 3D scene.
Verge3D
Custom User Interfaces: Yes
UI can be created using HTML elements manipulated by Puzzles.
Sketchfab
Custom User Interfaces: No
Provides the standard viewer UI (controls, annotations) with slight customization options.
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.
Verge3D
Web Component: Yes
Can be embedded into web pages, often via iframe or direct script inclusion.
Sketchfab
Web Component: Yes
Provides iframe/oEmbed code for easy embedding, functioning like a web component.
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.
Verge3D
PWA Support: Yes
Web apps created with Verge3D can be packaged as PWAs.
Sketchfab
PWA Support: No
Embeds work in PWAs; viewer can be used within Progressive Web Apps.
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.
Verge3D
HTML/CSS Integration: Yes
Puzzles allow interaction with HTML elements, enabling integration with web page UI.
Sketchfab
HTML/CSS Integration: No
Can be embedded in other websites, but can't easily combine web UI and the Sketchfab viewer
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.
Verge3D
Host Anywhere: Yes
Applications can be hosted on standard static web servers.
Sketchfab
Host Anywhere: No
Models and viewer are hosted on Sketchfab's platform.
Asset Hosting
Needle
Asset Hosting: Yes
Needle Cloud provides managed hosting and CDN delivery for optimized assets.
Verge3D
Asset Hosting: No
Requires external hosting for the application files and assets.
Sketchfab
Asset Hosting: Yes
Core function is hosting 3D models which can be accessed via API.
App Hosting
Needle
App Hosting: Yes
Needle Cloud provides managed hosting and CDN delivery for optimized applications.
Verge3D
App Hosting: No
Requires external hosting for the application files and assets.
Sketchfab
App Hosting: No
Not applicable – does not support full apps.
Performance & Optimization
Engine Size
Medium
Needle
Engine Size: Medium
Optimized runtime aims for minimal footprint, size depends on included features.
Medium
Verge3D
Engine Size: Medium
Based on three.js plus the Verge3D framework and Puzzles runtime.
Medium
Sketchfab
Engine Size: Medium
The viewer code needs to be loaded.
Loading Performance
Excellent
Needle
Loading Performance: Excellent
Rapid development cycles and fast loading times through optimized runtime and asset handling.
Moderate/Fast
Verge3D
Loading Performance: Moderate/Fast
Aims for good loading performance, depending on scene complexity.
Medium
Sketchfab
Loading Performance: Medium
Optimized viewer and asset delivery for quick loading. No GPU compressed formats.
Runtime Performance
Excellent
Needle
Runtime Performance: Excellent
Designed for efficient rendering performance across desktop, mobile, and XR devices.
High
Verge3D
Runtime Performance: High
Leverages three.js for efficient WebGL rendering.
High
Sketchfab
Runtime Performance: High
Offers good rendering performance for viewing complex models. High memory usage.
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.
Verge3D
Smart Asset Optimization: No
Optimization relies on export from DCC tools.
Sketchfab
Smart Asset Optimization: Yes
Performs automatic mesh optimization, texture compression (including Basis Universal), and geometry processing upon upload to ensure performant viewing.
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.
Verge3D
Mesh and Texture LODs: No
Basic support carried over from authoring tools, but no dynamic LOD system.
Limited
Sketchfab
Mesh and Texture LODs: Limited
Automatically generates texture LODs for viewing of models. Does not create mehs LODs or GPU-compressed textures.
XR Support (AR/VR/Spatial)
VR Support (WebXR)
Needle
VR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports VR headsets via the WebXR standard.
Verge3D
VR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports VR experiences via WebXR, controllable with Puzzles.
Limited
Sketchfab
VR Support (WebXR): Limited
Built-in support for viewing models in VR via WebXR; no interactivity.
AR Support (WebXR)
Needle
AR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports markerless WebAR on compatible Android devices via the WebXR standard.
Verge3D
AR Support (WebXR): Yes
Supports AR via WebXR on compatible Android devices.
Limited
Sketchfab
AR Support (WebXR): Limited
Provides an AR button for viewing on compatible Android devices (WebXR); no interactivity..
AR Support (iOS)
Needle
AR Support (iOS): Yes
Supports interactive markerless WebAR on iOS devices via WebXR.
Verge3D
AR Support (iOS): Yes
Supports AR via WebXR on iOS, including object placement.
Limited
Sketchfab
AR Support (iOS): Limited
Provides an AR button using AR Quick Look on compatible iOS devices; no interactivity.
AR Support (visionOS)
Needle
AR Support (visionOS): Yes
Explicit support for creating spatial computing experiences deployable on visionOS.
Verge3D
AR Support (visionOS): No
No USDZ/QuickLook support.
Limited
Sketchfab
AR Support (visionOS): Limited
Only basic USDZ conversion supported, no interactivity.
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
Verge3D
AR Tracking Types: Surface
Supports World Tracking via WebXR.
Surface
Sketchfab
AR Tracking Types: Surface
Supports World Tracking from inside
Ecosystem & Support
Official Support Availability
Needle
Official Support Availability: Yes
Dedicated support available for licensed users.
Verge3D
Official Support Availability: Yes
Support is included with the commercial license.
Sketchfab
Official Support Availability: Yes
Support available, especially for paid plan users.
Learning Resources
Needle
Learning Resources: Yes
Extensive documentation, tutorials, live samples, and active community support.
Good
Verge3D
Learning Resources: Good
Offers documentation, tutorials, and example applications.
Good
Sketchfab
Learning Resources: Good
Help Center, blog, and community forums offer resources.
License
Commercial
Needle
License: Commercial
Commercial license required for full features and deployment. Free evaluation available.
Commercial
Verge3D
License: Commercial
Requires purchasing a license (Freelance, Team, Enterprise tiers).
Commercial
Sketchfab
License: Commercial
Offers free and paid subscription tiers. Acquired by Epic Games.

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