8thWall VS AR Code: Comparing WebAR SaaS for Your Business
WebAR | 02/11/2025 |
Web-based augmented reality (AR) solutions are rapidly transforming the way businesses engage with clients and present products. Top platforms like AR Code and 8thWall have empowered companies to create powerful AR experiences accessible instantly in web browsers without requiring a separate app. This creates unlimited possibilities for AR marketing and customer interaction across industries.
Important update: 8th Wall has announced that it is winding down its service after more than seven years. Developer access to the platform will end on February 28, 2026, and hosted projects will remain online only until February 28, 2027, after which 8th Wall hosting will be decommissioned and remaining project data deleted in line with its data-retention policy. The platform, which became part of Niantic’s portfolio, is also exploring open-sourcing some components of its technology and documentation.
In this blog, we present an updated comparison of AR Code SaaS and 8th Wall, with a strong focus on why AR Code is now the more future-proof WebAR SaaS solution for businesses. If you’re planning new AR campaigns—or looking for a stable, long-term home for your WebAR strategy—AR Code offers cutting-edge tools to amplify customer engagement, interactive marketing, product visualization, and seamless AR integration.
Understanding AR Code and Its Business-Driven Capabilities
AR Code is a revolutionary webAR platform designed to help businesses deploy AR experiences instantly on any browser or device. No application downloads—simply scan an AR QR Code to reveal immersive 3D content. AR Code is the go-to choice for businesses looking for frictionless connection with their audience through packaging, flyers, business cards, or physical retail displays.
AR Code’s AR QR Codes are the solution for businesses aiming to bridge physical and digital interactions efficiently. This innovative technology significantly enhances marketing campaigns, increases customer engagement, and delivers interactive brand experiences—ensuring minimal technical barriers. Industries are leveraging AR Code everywhere, from product packaging to education and beyond, resulting in real, measurable results. Read more about AR Codes for smart cities and AR Code applications for museums to see its impact.
Exploring 8th Wall and Its Features (and Its Upcoming Shutdown)
8th Wall has been a robust webAR development environment suited for teams with coding skills. It empowered businesses to build advanced AR experiences for interactive marketing, brand activations, and immersive digital storytelling. The platform employs JavaScript, WebGL, and HTML5 to deliver cutting-edge, custom AR projects with features such as image tracking, face filters, and world effects.
However, 8th Wall has announced that its SaaS platform is entering an end-of-life phase. Developers will no longer be able to create an account, log in, or edit/export projects after February 28, 2026. Published and hosted experiences will continue to function through February 28, 2027, after which 8th Wall’s hosting services will be decommissioned and remaining project data deleted in line with its data-retention policy.
For businesses, this means 8th Wall is now most relevant if you are maintaining existing campaigns during the remaining hosting window. For new projects or long-term WebAR strategies, it is safer to rely on a platform like AR Code that offers an active roadmap, ongoing support, and commercial-grade hosting guarantees.
AR Code vs. 8thWall: The Best SaaS Solution for Business Innovation
Both AR Code and 8thWall unlock breakthrough opportunities for digital marketing, e-commerce, training, and more. Here’s a breakdown of how they compare for today’s business needs:
- Ease of use: AR Code is built for marketers, educators, and non-technical staff with easy, no-code AR creation. 8thWall, catered to developers, often requires deep coding expertise and project management.
- Accessibility: Both platforms support mobile and desktop web access. AR Code gives companies instant AR functionality with AR QR Codes, allowing consumers to scan and engage right away. This solution supports next-gen devices including Apple Vision Pro and future AR glasses.
- AR Creation Tools: AR Code provides intuitive, no-code features such as AR Text, AI Code, and AR Photo, enabling rapid AR content production. 8thWall is ideal for those needing to create highly custom AR experiences via advanced scripting.
- Marketing and customer engagement: Both offer powerful AR advertising options. AR Code allows instant campaign launches using scannable AR QR Codes—perfect for live events, print promotion, retail, and experiential marketing. Discover more about AR QR Codes for event promotion.
- Cost-effectiveness: AR Code is designed for scalability, offering bundled commercial licenses for businesses of all sizes. 8th Wall’s licensing has historically started around enterprise-level pricing (around $2,000/month), and with its platform scheduled to shut down, it is no longer suited for long-term WebAR roadmaps.
- Long-term availability & roadmap: AR Code is an actively developed SaaS with a clear product roadmap, ongoing feature releases, and dedicated support. By contrast, 8th Wall has entered an end-of-life phase with a fixed shutdown timeline, making AR Code the safer choice for businesses planning multi-year AR initiatives.
- Apple Vision Pro: AR Code offers native support for the Apple Vision Pro headset, positioning your brand for the future of AR innovation. 8thWall’s device compatibility remains more limited in this regard.
Migrating from 8th Wall to AR Code
If your company currently runs campaigns on 8th Wall, the announced shutdown means you should plan your migration strategy ahead of the February 28, 2026 access cutoff and the February 28, 2027 hosting shutdown.
- Audit your existing projects: Identify all live 8th Wall experiences, especially those embedded on websites, landing pages, packaging, or printed materials via QR codes.
- Export assets while access is available: Download your 3D models, textures, videos, and logic where possible before the end of platform access.
- Rebuild key experiences on AR Code: Use AR Code’s no-code tools (AR Photo, AR Text, AR Portal, AR Video, AR Logo, and more) to recreate or enhance your campaigns, now powered by AR QR Codes and ready for next-generation devices like Apple Vision Pro.
- Update your entry points: Replace legacy 8th Wall links or QR codes with AR Codes to ensure continuity for customers and partners after 8th Wall’s hosting ends.
By proactively migrating to AR Code, businesses can preserve their best-performing AR experiences, maintain continuity for users, and upgrade to a platform purpose-built for long-term, scalable WebAR deployment.
Why Smart Businesses Trust AR Code SaaS Solutions
Businesses across retail, e-commerce AR product experiences, industrial manufacturing, real estate, and education are choosing AR Code. The platform offers an active user community, expert support, and a trove of resources for rapid deployment.
AR Code’s drag-and-drop tools let you design custom AR brand experiences, virtual try-ons, and interactive displays—no programming knowledge necessary. This speeds up your time-to-market and enables teams of any size to launch standout AR campaigns quickly and effectively.
Unlock features like AR Text, AR Photo, AR Portal, Text Flyover, AR Face Filter, AR Video, and AR Logo—empowering your organization to create captivating, fully branded AR content. Explore customized AR Code experiences to truly stand out.
AR Code: Resources and Onboarding for Business Success
AR Code is engineered for businesses to scale, offering comprehensive tutorials, guides, and helpful community forums for users at every level. Its transparent pricing and straightforward licensing structure create certainty for companies ready to embrace AR as a core marketing channel.
Accelerate your AR marketing initiatives with AR Code’s robust training library and in-demand resources like:
- Learning to scan and activate AR Codes for instant engagement: How to scan AR Codes
- Getting started with AR Photo, 3D Text, and AR Portal
- Adding flyover text and AR face filters to your campaigns
- Building AR videos and 3D logos directly from SVG files
- Uploading and optimizing 3D models for AR, with complete 3D model training tutorials
Conclusion
For forward-thinking organizations eager to fuel digital innovation and interactive customer experiences, AR Code offers the leading webAR SaaS solution for business. Its accessibility, scalable pricing, and robust toolkit ensure seamless adoption and allow you to stay ahead of your competitors with compelling, branded AR—outperforming legacy solutions like 8thWall and similar platforms, while remaining future-proof as 8th Wall’s own service winds down.
Explore More AR SaaS Alternatives and Competitors
Expand your digital strategy by comparing AR Code to other AR SaaS industry players. Evaluate the benefits, features, and costs for solutions such as:
Frequently asked questions
What are the key differences between AR Code and 8th Wall?
AR Code is simple and accessible for anyone, enabling fast AR campaign launches via AR QR Codes. It is ideal for marketing, retail, industrial training, and education, providing strong ROI with minimal technical overhead. 8th Wall has historically catered to developers creating bespoke AR solutions with advanced coding requirements, but its platform is now in an end-of-life phase with access ending in 2026 and hosting shutting down in 2027. For new or long-term WebAR projects, AR Code is therefore the more reliable choice.
What are the use cases for AR Code and 8th Wall?
AR Code empowers businesses to deliver interactive advertising, enhance product launches, create memorable retail experiences, and power educational tools through scannable AR QR Codes that work instantly in the browser and on devices like Apple Vision Pro. 8th Wall has been best suited for highly customized AR projects built by experienced software developers, but with its scheduled shutdown, it is primarily relevant now for maintaining existing campaigns during the remaining hosting period rather than launching new long-term initiatives.
Why is AR Code the better choice for businesses seeking a WebAR solution?
AR Code combines an easy interface, affordable pricing, and a flexible suite of tools for powerful and scalable WebAR. Its extensive learning resources, transparent licensing, and active development roadmap make it the smart choice for businesses ready to take charge of their AR marketing—without the bottlenecks of advanced coding or the uncertainty of a platform that is winding down. With 8th Wall scheduled to shut down over the next two years, AR Code stands out as a secure, future-proof WebAR SaaS for serious business use.
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