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Virtual try-on (VTO) technology is changing how customers shop for products such as eyewear, makeup, jewelry, accessories, and fashion items. Instead of relying only on product photographs, shoppers can use their smartphone or computer camera to see how a product looks on them in real time.
However, choosing the right virtual try-on technology can be challenging because the market includes complete commercial VTO platforms, WebAR solutions, computer-vision libraries, and native AR frameworks. Banuba, DeepAR, ImagineAR, 8th Wall, MediaPipe, ARKit, and ARCore are good examples—but they are not all designed for the same purpose.
This guide compares these seven technologies based on features, pricing, platform support, customization, development effort, and business benefits.
Quick Comparison
| Platform | Type | Best For | Virtual Try-On | Platform Support | Pricing Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banuba | Commercial AR/VTO SDK | Production-ready VTO and eCommerce | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | iOS, Android, Web, Unity | Subscription / custom |
| DeepAR | Commercial AR SDK | Face filters, beauty and lightweight VTO | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | iOS, Android, Web, macOS | MAU-based |
| ImagineAR / Imagine WebAR | WebAR / Unity tools | Image, face and browser AR experiences | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ | WebGL, mobile & desktop browsers | Asset/license based |
| 8th Wall | WebAR/XR engine | Advanced browser AR | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Web | Free/open-source tools since 2026 |
| MediaPipe | Computer vision framework | Custom face tracking and VTO development | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Web, Android, Python and more | Free/open source |
| ARKit | Native Apple AR framework | iOS/iPadOS AR applications | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Apple platforms | Free with Apple development |
| ARCore | Native Google AR framework | Android AR applications | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | Android and supported platforms | Free |
The most important point is that Banuba and DeepAR are closer to ready-made VTO solutions, while MediaPipe, ARKit, and ARCore provide foundational tracking technologies that developers generally need to build upon.
What Is Virtual Try-On Technology?
Virtual try-on uses a camera, computer vision, tracking, and rendering technologies to place a digital representation of a product onto a user’s body or face.
For example, an eyewear VTO system can:
- Detect the user’s face.
- Identify the eyes, nose, ears, and other facial landmarks.
- Estimate head position and orientation.
- Calculate the appropriate size and position of the glasses.
- Render the 2D or 3D glasses model.
- Continuously update the product as the user moves.
More sophisticated systems can also account for lighting, facial depth, occlusion, reflections, and realistic product positioning.
This technology can be used for:
- Eyeglasses and sunglasses
- Makeup
- Contact lenses
- Jewelry
- Watches
- Hats and accessories
- Hair colors and hairstyles
- Fashion
- Beauty products
- Face filters
- Product visualization
1. Banuba
Banuba is one of the strongest choices when the objective is to build a commercial virtual try-on experience rather than develop the underlying computer-vision technology from scratch.
Banuba provides AR capabilities for categories including eyewear, makeup, contact lenses, hair dye, headwear, and jewelry. Its VTO technology combines face tracking, segmentation, rendering, and product digitization.
Key Features
- Real-time face tracking
- Eyewear virtual try-on
- Makeup virtual try-on
- Contact-lens try-on
- Hair-color try-on
- Jewelry and accessories
- WebAR support
- Shopify integrations
- Product digitization
- 3D rendering
- Analytics
- Enterprise customization
Pricing
Banuba’s current TINT pricing provides several options.
The Easy Virtual Try-On platform starts at:
- Basic: $49/month
- Pro: $99/month
- Smart: $349/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
The current plans include different monthly try-on limits, with the Basic plan supporting 1,000 try-ons/month, Pro 3,500, and Smart 15,000.
For Shopify, Banuba currently lists plans starting at $319/month, with higher-volume plans reaching $1,599/month. Custom integrations are priced according to requirements and usage.
Benefits
Banuba is particularly attractive for businesses that want to launch VTO quickly without building the complete AR pipeline themselves.
It is a strong option for:
- Ecommerce brands
- Eyewear companies
- Beauty brands
- Shopify stores
- Fashion retailers
- Enterprise applications
Best for: Businesses looking for a production-ready commercial virtual try-on solution.
2. DeepAR
DeepAR is an AR SDK focused on real-time face effects, filters, beauty experiences, and interactive camera applications.
DeepAR supports iOS, Android, HTML5, and macOS. Its SDK can track multiple faces and is suitable for applications that need real-time AR effects.
Key Features
- Face tracking
- Face filters
- Beauty effects
- Makeup effects
- AR masks
- Background effects
- Web support
- Mobile SDKs
- Multiple-face tracking
- Custom AR effects
Pricing
DeepAR uses a monthly active user (MAU) pricing model.
Current published pricing includes:
| Monthly Active Users | Monthly Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 10 | Free |
| Up to 1,000 | $25 |
| Up to 5,000 | $100 |
| Up to 30,000 | $500 |
| Up to 100,000 | $1,000 |
| 100,000+ | Contact DeepAR |
The SDK can also be used free for testing and development, although the free version includes a watermark.
Benefits
DeepAR is useful when a company wants to combine virtual try-on with:
- Social-style filters
- Beauty effects
- Camera experiences
- Face effects
- Interactive marketing
Best for: Developers building camera-based AR applications where VTO is one part of a larger AR experience.
3. ImagineAR / Imagine WebAR
Imagine WebAR takes a different approach from commercial VTO platforms. Its tools are designed primarily around WebAR and Unity WebGL experiences.
The Imagine WebAR Image Tracker can anchor virtual objects to images using natural-feature tracking and allows experiences to run through mobile and desktop browsers without requiring a dedicated app.
Key Features
- Unity WebGL support
- Image tracking
- Face tracking tools
- World tracking tools
- Multiple image tracking
- Natural-feature tracking
- Browser-based AR
- White-label deployment
- Self-hosting
- Runtime image-target compilation
- Texture extraction
Its Image Tracker is particularly useful for marketing campaigns, packaging, print materials, product demonstrations, and interactive advertising.
Pricing
The current Unity Asset Store listing shows Imagine WebAR – Image Tracker at $225, while a free version is also available with limitations. Pricing can change because Unity Asset Store prices and promotions vary.
Benefits
One of the biggest advantages is the ability to host WebAR experiences on your own infrastructure rather than depending on a hosted WebAR subscription.
This can be attractive to developers who want:
- More deployment control
- White-label experiences
- Unity integration
- Web-based AR
- Lower recurring platform costs
Best for: Unity developers and businesses creating browser-based AR campaigns, image tracking experiences, and custom WebAR applications.
4. 8th Wall
8th Wall has historically been one of the best-known WebAR technologies for creating browser-based augmented-reality experiences.
However, its business model changed significantly in 2026. The hosted 8th Wall platform was retired, and the current 8th Wall offering provides open-source tools and a distributed XR Engine binary. The company states that paid subscriptions ended on February 28, 2026.
Key Features
- WebAR
- Face effects
- Image targets
- World tracking
- 3D experiences
- Browser-based AR
- XR development
- Open-source components
- Self-hosted development
Pricing
The current 8th Wall website states that there is no paid subscription tier for the current platform because the hosted platform has been retired. The open-source tools and distributed engine binary are available free under their applicable licensing terms.
This is important when comparing older articles about 8th Wall because historical pricing information may no longer apply.
Benefits
8th Wall is especially attractive for developers who want advanced browser-based AR without requiring users to download a dedicated application.
Best for: Developers building sophisticated WebAR experiences and teams comfortable managing their own deployment and development stack.
5. MediaPipe
Google’s MediaPipe is fundamentally different from Banuba or DeepAR.
MediaPipe provides computer-vision building blocks, rather than a complete ecommerce VTO platform.
Its Face Landmarker can detect 3D facial landmarks, facial expressions, blendshape scores, and transformation matrices. These outputs can be used to build virtual avatars, filters, and try-on experiences.
Key Features
- Face landmarks
- 3D face mesh
- Facial-expression detection
- Blendshapes
- Transformation matrices
- Real-time processing
- Web support
- Android support
- Custom rendering
- Custom computer-vision pipelines
The current Face Landmarker model provides a dense facial mesh and blendshape information that developers can use for rendering AR effects.
Pricing
MediaPipe is available as a developer technology without the commercial VTO subscription model used by companies such as Banuba.
The main cost is therefore development, infrastructure, 3D assets, testing, optimization, and ongoing maintenance.
Benefits
MediaPipe gives developers significantly more control over the VTO pipeline.
For example, a company can build:
Camera → Face Detection → Landmark Detection → Product Positioning → 3D Rendering → Occlusion → Ecommerce
This is powerful, but it requires considerably more engineering than using a complete VTO platform.
Best for: Developers and companies that want maximum control and are prepared to build their own VTO solution.
6. ARKit
Apple’s ARKit is Apple’s native augmented-reality framework.
ARKit provides face tracking that can detect facial position, orientation, topology, and expressions. Developers can attach virtual 3D content to the user’s face and build custom AR experiences.
Key Features
- Face tracking
- Face mesh
- Facial expressions
- 3D face anchors
- Light estimation
- Eye tracking capabilities
- Native iOS integration
- Metal/SceneKit integration
- High-performance Apple hardware integration
Pricing
ARKit itself does not use a per-user VTO subscription.
The framework is part of Apple’s development ecosystem, so the major costs are:
- Developer time
- 3D product modeling
- App development
- Testing
- Backend infrastructure
- Maintenance
Benefits
ARKit can provide excellent performance on supported Apple devices because it is deeply integrated into Apple’s hardware and software ecosystem.
However, ARKit is not a complete virtual try-on ecommerce platform. Developers must create the product rendering, shopping interface, product catalog, asset pipeline, and other VTO components.
Best for: iPhone and iPad developers building highly customized native AR applications.
7. ARCore
Google’s ARCore is Google’s augmented-reality framework for Android and supported platforms.
ARCore’s Augmented Faces API provides face-region poses and a detailed face mesh that developers can use to position digital assets on a user’s face. Google specifically identifies try-ons, filters, and face effects as use cases.
Key Features
- Augmented Faces
- 3D face mesh
- Face-region poses
- Front-camera support
- Android integration
- Unity support through AR Foundation
- Custom 3D models
- Custom textures
- Real-time face tracking
Google’s Augmented Faces API provides a 468-point 3D face mesh, which can be used to create detailed face-based AR effects and virtual try-on experiences.
Pricing
ARCore does not use the same commercial VTO subscription model as Banuba or DeepAR.
The technology itself is available to developers, while the overall cost comes from developing and maintaining the application.
Benefits
ARCore is a strong foundation for Android-based VTO applications.
However, just like ARKit and MediaPipe, it does not automatically provide a complete ecommerce virtual try-on experience.
Best for: Android developers building custom native AR applications.
Commercial VTO Platform vs AR Development Framework
This is perhaps the most important distinction in this comparison.
Commercial platforms
Banuba and DeepAR provide more of the technology required to create a finished AR experience.
They can reduce development time because developers do not need to build every component from scratch.
WebAR development platforms
8th Wall and Imagine WebAR focus heavily on browser-based AR.
They are useful when the customer should be able to open an AR experience through a link or QR code.
Computer-vision frameworks
MediaPipe provides foundational computer-vision capabilities.
Developers can use these capabilities to construct their own VTO pipeline.
Native AR frameworks
ARKit and ARCore provide powerful native AR capabilities for Apple and Android ecosystems respectively.
They are excellent foundations for custom applications but require additional development for a complete VTO solution.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Banuba | DeepAR | Imagine WebAR | 8th Wall | MediaPipe | ARKit | ARCore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Face Tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅* | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Face Mesh | ✅ | ✅ | Depends on tracker | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Eyewear VTO | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom |
| Makeup VTO | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom |
| WebAR | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Limited/native | Limited/native |
| iOS | ✅ | ✅ | Via web/native SDK | Web | ✅ | ✅ | — |
| Android | ✅ | ✅ | Via WebGL | Web | ✅ | — | ✅ |
| Unity | ✅ | —/integration dependent | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | — | Integration possible | AR Foundation | AR Foundation |
| Product Digitization | ✅ | Limited/custom | Developer-managed | Developer-managed | Developer-managed | Developer-managed | Developer-managed |
| Ecommerce Integration | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | Custom | Custom | Custom |
| Customization | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Development Effort | Low–Medium | Low–Medium | Medium | Medium–High | High | High | High |
| Ready-to-Use VTO | ✅ | Partially | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
*Imagine WebAR’s specific tracking capabilities depend on the Imagine WebAR products/modules being used.
Pricing Comparison
Pricing should not be compared only by the advertised subscription price. The underlying pricing model is equally important.
| Platform | Pricing Approach | Starting/Current Published Price |
|---|---|---|
| Banuba TINT | Monthly try-on volume | $49/month |
| DeepAR | Monthly active users | $25/month for up to 1,000 MAU |
| Imagine WebAR Image Tracker | Unity Asset Store license | $225 currently listed |
| 8th Wall | Open-source/current distributed tools | Free |
| MediaPipe | Developer framework | No VTO subscription |
| ARKit | Native Apple framework | No VTO subscription |
| ARCore | Native Google framework | No VTO subscription |
Banuba’s published pricing is based on virtual try-on usage, while DeepAR uses MAU. Imagine WebAR’s Image Tracker is sold as a Unity asset. 8th Wall’s current offering is different from its historical subscription model because its hosted platform was retired in February 2026.
For MediaPipe, ARKit, and ARCore, the absence of a VTO subscription should not be interpreted as “zero cost.” Development and maintenance can become the largest expense.
Which Platform Is Best for Eyewear Virtual Try-On?
If your primary objective is virtual glasses try-on, the decision becomes easier.
Best for ready-to-use ecommerce VTO: Banuba
Banuba provides dedicated eyewear VTO capabilities, including face tracking and realistic product placement.
Best for custom face AR: DeepAR
DeepAR is a strong option when glasses try-on needs to be combined with filters, beauty effects, and social-style camera features.
Best for custom development: MediaPipe
MediaPipe gives developers the computer-vision foundation needed to build their own eyewear tracking and rendering system.
Best for native iOS: ARKit
ARKit is a natural choice when the application is exclusively focused on Apple’s ecosystem.
Best for native Android: ARCore
ARCore is the corresponding strong foundation for Android applications.
Best for WebAR campaigns: 8th Wall or Imagine WebAR
These are particularly useful when the user should access the experience through a browser rather than installing an application.
Benefits of Virtual Try-On for Businesses
1. Higher Customer Engagement
Instead of simply viewing a product image, customers actively interact with the product.
This can increase the time spent on product pages and create a more memorable shopping experience.
2. Better Purchase Confidence
Customers can visualize how products may look on them before purchasing.
For eyewear, for example, virtual try-on can help shoppers evaluate frame styles, colors, and general appearance.
3. Reduced Product Uncertainty
Traditional ecommerce makes it difficult for customers to visualize certain products.
VTO provides an additional layer of information by showing the product in the context of the customer’s own appearance.
4. Interactive Marketing
Brands can combine VTO with:
- QR codes
- Social media campaigns
- Packaging
- Digital advertising
- Product pages
- Influencer campaigns
- Interactive landing pages
5. Mobile Shopping Experience
WebAR solutions can eliminate the need for customers to install an application, making the experience easier to access.
Challenges to Consider
Virtual try-on is powerful, but implementation is not always simple.
Product Asset Quality
A realistic VTO experience requires high-quality 2D or 3D product assets.
Poorly created assets can make the experience look unrealistic even when the tracking technology is excellent.
Face Tracking Accuracy
The product must remain correctly aligned while the user moves.
Poor tracking can cause glasses or accessories to drift, float, or clip through the face.
Occlusion
Realistic VTO often requires the system to understand which parts of the product should appear in front of or behind the user’s face.
Device Performance
Older smartphones may struggle with sophisticated 3D rendering and computer vision.
Lighting
Lighting conditions can influence how realistic the product appears.
Development Cost
A framework such as MediaPipe, ARKit, or ARCore may have no VTO subscription fee, but creating a complete production-grade VTO solution requires substantial engineering.
How to Choose the Right Virtual Try-On Platform
Consider these factors before selecting a technology.
Choose Banuba if:
- You need production-ready VTO.
- You want ecommerce integration.
- Eyewear or beauty is a major use case.
- You want to reduce development time.
- You need product digitization and commercial support.
Choose DeepAR if:
- You need face AR and filters.
- You want mobile and WebAR support.
- VTO is part of a larger camera experience.
- You prefer MAU-based pricing.
Choose Imagine WebAR if:
- You use Unity.
- You want WebAR.
- Image tracking is important.
- You want self-hosting.
- You are building interactive marketing campaigns.
Choose 8th Wall if:
- You want browser-based AR.
- You are comfortable with a more developer-oriented workflow.
- You want to use the current open-source/distributed 8th Wall ecosystem.
Choose MediaPipe if:
- You want complete control.
- You have computer-vision developers.
- You want to build your own VTO pipeline.
- You want to minimize dependency on a commercial VTO vendor.
Choose ARKit if:
- Your target audience uses Apple devices.
- You want a native iOS AR application.
- You need deep Apple hardware integration.
Choose ARCore if:
- Android is your primary target.
- You want native Android AR.
- You need Google’s face and AR capabilities.
Final Verdict
There is no single “best” virtual try-on platform for every project.
Banuba is the strongest choice when the goal is a commercially ready virtual try-on solution, particularly for ecommerce, eyewear, beauty, and accessories.
DeepAR is a good choice for developers who want VTO combined with interactive face effects and camera experiences.
Imagine WebAR is attractive for Unity developers creating self-hosted WebAR and image-tracking experiences.
8th Wall is worth considering for browser-based AR, especially given its transition to an open-source/distributed model in 2026.
MediaPipe is better viewed as a computer-vision foundation rather than a complete VTO product.
ARKit and ARCore are excellent native AR foundations for iOS and Android respectively, but developers need to build much of the actual virtual try-on experience themselves.
For a business that wants to launch quickly, a commercial platform such as Banuba can significantly reduce engineering requirements. For a company with a strong development team and highly specific requirements, MediaPipe, ARKit, or ARCore can provide greater control and customization.
Ultimately, the right choice depends on whether your priority is speed to market, VTO quality, platform reach, customization, development cost, or long-term control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Banuba better than DeepAR for virtual try-on?
For dedicated ecommerce VTO, Banuba generally has an advantage because it offers a broader commercial VTO solution and dedicated product categories such as eyewear, makeup, contacts, hair dye, headwear, and jewelry. DeepAR is particularly strong for broader face AR and interactive camera experiences.
Is MediaPipe a virtual try-on SDK?
MediaPipe provides computer-vision components that can be used to build virtual try-on applications. It is not the same type of complete commercial VTO platform as Banuba.
Can ARKit be used for virtual glasses try-on?
Yes. ARKit’s face-tracking and face-mesh capabilities can be used to position 3D glasses and other digital assets on a user’s face.
Can ARCore be used for virtual eyewear?
Yes. ARCore’s Augmented Faces API provides face-region poses and a detailed face mesh that developers can use to render virtual eyewear.
Which option is cheapest?
For licensing alone, open developer frameworks such as MediaPipe, ARKit, and ARCore can be very cost-effective. However, total project cost depends heavily on development, 3D asset creation, testing, infrastructure, and maintenance.
Which platform is best for Shopify virtual try-on?
Banuba is one of the strongest choices because it offers a dedicated Shopify virtual try-on integration and current plans designed specifically for ecommerce use.
Which technology is best for WebAR?
8th Wall and Imagine WebAR are strong options for WebAR, while MediaPipe can also be used as a foundation for a custom browser-based implementation.
Which platform offers the most customization?
MediaPipe, ARKit, and ARCore generally provide the greatest control because developers build more of the experience themselves. Commercial platforms trade some low-level control for faster implementation and ready-made capabilities.
What should an eyewear company choose?
If the priority is a fast, production-ready ecommerce eyewear experience, Banuba is a strong candidate. If the company has a large engineering team and wants to build its own technology, MediaPipe, ARKit, or ARCore can provide a more customizable foundation.
Virtual Try-On Platforms Comparison Table
| Platform | Type | Best For | Virtual Try-On | Web Support | iOS | Android | Unity | Customization | Pricing Approach | Development Effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banuba | Commercial AR/VTO SDK | Ecommerce, eyewear, beauty | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Subscription / usage-based | Low–Medium |
| DeepAR | Commercial AR SDK | Face filters, beauty, interactive AR | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Integration dependent | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | MAU-based | Low–Medium |
| Imagine WebAR | WebAR / Unity tool | WebAR campaigns and image tracking | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ | ✅ | Browser | Browser | ✅ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Asset/license based | Medium |
| 8th Wall | WebAR/XR platform | Browser-based AR experiences | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ✅ | Browser | Browser | — | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Current open-source/distributed model | Medium–High |
| MediaPipe | Computer vision framework | Custom VTO solutions | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ✅ | Custom | ✅ | Integration possible | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Developer framework | High |
| ARKit | Native AR framework | iOS AR applications | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ❌* | ✅ | ❌ | Via AR Foundation | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | No VTO subscription | High |
| ARCore | Native AR framework | Android AR applications | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ | ❌* | ❌ | ✅ | Via AR Foundation | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | No VTO subscription | High |
* ARKit and ARCore are primarily native AR frameworks rather than dedicated WebAR platforms.
Quick Recommendation
| Requirement | Recommended Platform |
|---|---|
| Ready-made ecommerce VTO | Banuba |
| Eyewear virtual try-on | Banuba |
| Face filters + VTO | DeepAR |
| Unity WebAR | Imagine WebAR |
| Advanced browser AR | 8th Wall |
| Maximum technical control | MediaPipe |
| Native iPhone/iPad VTO | ARKit |
| Native Android VTO | ARCore |
| Lowest licensing cost / custom development | MediaPipe / ARKit / ARCore |
| Fastest route to production VTO | Banuba |
Key takeaway: Banuba and DeepAR are closer to ready-to-use commercial AR/VTO solutions, while MediaPipe, ARKit, and ARCore are primarily development foundations. 8th Wall and Imagine WebAR are particularly relevant when the priority is browser-based AR.
FAQs About Virtual Try-On Platforms
1. What is a virtual try-on platform?
A virtual try-on platform uses AR, computer vision, face tracking, and 2D or 3D rendering to allow customers to see how products such as glasses, makeup, jewelry, and accessories may look on them through a camera.
2. Which is the best virtual try-on platform?
The best platform depends on your requirements. Banuba is a strong choice for production-ready ecommerce VTO, DeepAR is suitable for face AR and interactive effects, while MediaPipe, ARKit, and ARCore are better for developers building highly customized solutions.
3. How does Banuba compare with DeepAR?
Banuba focuses strongly on commercial virtual try-on and ecommerce applications, including eyewear and beauty. DeepAR provides broader face AR capabilities, including filters, beauty effects, and interactive camera experiences.
4. Can MediaPipe be used for virtual try-on?
Yes. MediaPipe provides facial landmarks, face mesh, blendshapes, and other computer-vision capabilities that developers can use to create custom virtual try-on experiences. However, developers must build much of the VTO application themselves.
5. Can ARKit and ARCore be used for virtual glasses try-on?
Yes. ARKit can be used to build native iOS eyewear try-on applications, while ARCore provides face-tracking capabilities for Android applications. Both require additional development for product rendering, ecommerce functionality, and the overall VTO experience.
6. Is 8th Wall suitable for WebAR virtual try-on?
Yes. 8th Wall is designed for browser-based AR and can support face effects and other WebAR experiences. Its platform changed significantly in 2026, with the hosted platform retired and the current ecosystem focused on open-source tools and a distributed XR Engine.
7. What is Imagine WebAR used for?
Imagine WebAR is particularly useful for Unity developers creating browser-based AR experiences. It supports technologies such as image tracking and can be used as a foundation for custom WebAR marketing and product experiences.
8. How much does virtual try-on software cost?
Pricing varies significantly between platforms. Commercial services such as Banuba and DeepAR use different subscription or usage-based pricing models, while MediaPipe, ARKit, and ARCore provide development frameworks without a traditional VTO subscription. Development, 3D modeling, infrastructure, and maintenance should also be included when calculating total cost.
9. Which virtual try-on platform is best for an eyewear business?
For a ready-to-use ecommerce eyewear experience, Banuba is a strong choice because of its dedicated eyewear VTO capabilities. Companies wanting complete control over their technology can consider MediaPipe, ARKit, or ARCore, while WebAR-focused businesses can evaluate 8th Wall or Imagine WebAR.
10. What should businesses consider before choosing a VTO platform?
Businesses should consider tracking accuracy, product realism, platform compatibility, WebAR support, ecommerce integration, pricing, customization, development time, scalability, and ongoing maintenance. The right platform should balance technical requirements with budget and the desired customer experience.
Zeanex Studio’s virtual glasses try-on solution is built using the ImagineAR SDK, which provides the AR technology used to create the real-time try-on experience. Zeanex Studio adds the business layer around it, including the admin panel, product management, analytics, QR code sharing, and website integration.
Conclusion
Choosing the right virtual try-on platform depends on your business goals, technical requirements, budget, and preferred deployment platform. Banuba, DeepAR, Imagine WebAR, 8th Wall, MediaPipe, ARKit, and ARCore all offer valuable capabilities, but they serve different purposes.
For businesses looking for a ready-to-use and ecommerce-focused virtual try-on solution, Banuba is a strong option, particularly for eyewear, beauty, and accessories. DeepAR is well suited for applications that combine virtual try-on with face filters, beauty effects, and interactive AR experiences.
For browser-based experiences, Imagine WebAR and 8th Wall provide useful options for creating WebAR campaigns without requiring users to install a dedicated mobile app. Meanwhile, MediaPipe offers powerful computer-vision capabilities for developers who want to build a fully customized virtual try-on system.
ARKit and ARCore are excellent foundations for creating high-performance native AR applications on iOS and Android. However, they require more development work because businesses must build additional features such as product rendering, ecommerce integration, user interfaces, and product-management systems.
Ultimately, there is no single platform that is best for every project. Businesses that prioritize speed and ready-made VTO features may prefer commercial solutions such as Banuba or DeepAR. Those seeking maximum customization and technical control may choose MediaPipe, ARKit, or ARCore, while companies focused on browser-based AR experiences can explore Imagine WebAR and 8th Wall.
The best approach is to evaluate each platform based on virtual try-on accuracy, platform compatibility, customization, pricing, development effort, ecommerce integration, and long-term scalability. By selecting the right technology, businesses can create more interactive shopping experiences, improve customer engagement, and help customers make more confident purchasing decisions.