Zappar vs Blippar
A Hands-on WebAR Platform Review by Developers
Zappar vs Blippar
A Hands-on WebAR Platform Review by Developers
Content
- **Introduction**
- **Official Tools & Feature Highlights**
- **Hands-on with Zappar**
- **Hands-on with Blippar**
- **Conclusion**
Introduction
In this article, we share our hands-on review of **Zappar and [Blippar](https://www.blippar.com/), two major WebAR platforms increasingly gaining attention in the AR development landscape. Both platforms offer promising toolkits for modern WebAR development, each with clear strengths. At [Designium](https://www.designium.jp/xr), we primarily use [8th Wall](https://www.8thwall.com/)** for WebAR projects due to its robust tracking, comprehensive documentation, and strong developer community. However, in an effort to broaden our technical understanding and expand client options, we tested Zappar and Blippar to evaluate their capabilities. Although Zapper and Blippar are still expanding their official documentation and templates, they give teams more choices depending on project size, goals, and technical approach.
Official Tools & Feature Highlights
Both Zappar and Blippar offer powerful toolsets for WebAR creation, but they cater to slightly different development needs and team styles.
What Is Zappar?
Zappar provides two main environments — the no-code Designer and the code-based Mattercraft — this review focuses on testing Mattercraft to evaluate its flexibility and development potential.
- **Zapworks Designer**: a no-code 3D web tooling for AR, VR and WebXR with ready-made templates for quick prototyping.
- **Mattercraft / Universal AR SDK**: a flexible development environment designed for code-based workflows, supporting TypeScript, Unity, and Three.js. It enables the creation of more advanced 3D visuals and game-like interactive experiences.
- **Zapcodes system**: Zapcodes can be scanned via the native Zappar app or Zappar’s WebAR platform.
- Advanced Tracking Technologies: a variety of tracking technologies such as image, face, and surface recognition.
- **Pricing Model**: Its subscription-based pricing with unlimited publishing makes it suitable for large-scale or long-term use.
What Is Blippar?
Blippar offers a no-code platform, Blippbuilder Studio, along with a developer-friendly WebAR SDK for custom development, which is compatible with a wide range of frameworks. While promising, it would benefit from more refined templates and clearer documentation to support broader team use.
- **Blippbuilder Studio: **a no-code WebAR builder with an intuitive UI and a rich library of 3D assets, making it accessible to non-developers.
- Developer Extensions: for custom projects, Blippar offers developer tools such as scripting, SDKs, and a Unity plugin.
- **Pricing Model**: a free plan plus pay-as-you-go pricing based on usage volume — highly cost-efficient for small-scale or short-term projects.
Hands-on with Zappar
Mattercraft: A Set of Initial Experiments
[embed]
Mattercraft by Zappar provides a user-friendly development environment that supports both code-based and template-based workflows. It enables users to build 3D web experiences — whether embedding 3D content into a website or constructing full WebAR interactions. The tool offers a high level of customization, including support for custom components and npm package integration. While Mattercraft’s flexibility is impressive, some features — like SLAM tracking and the animation system — may require additional tuning or familiarity to use effectively.
In this set of experiments, we aimed to simulate realistic WebAR use cases to assess how efficiently Mattercraft handles them. We implemented:
- Tap-to-place objects for anchoring 3D models
- Physics simulations
- Reflection effects
- Image detection with a portal transition
- Shader effects
- Integration of external npm packages
All features tested were implemented using Mattercraft’s built-in tools and development environment. These experiments, based on common WebAR use cases, offered valuable insights into Mattercraft’s performance, usability, and overall suitability for typical development needs.
Mattercraft: First Mini Game
[embed]
We set out to build a simple WebAR mini game as a way to explore Mattercraft’s capabilities, particularly its integration of the **Havok physics engine**, which is available directly within the platform. The goal was to create a fully functional prototype that demonstrates core gameplay elements and interaction design in WebAR.
The concept is straightforward: players throw a ball to knock down a pyramid of cans. To support this, we implemented a basic scoring system, a simple user interface, and collision handling.
The result showed that Mattercraft is capable of supporting lightweight, interactive AR games. This makes it a viable option for building engaging WebAR experiences.
Analyzing Mattercraft’s Toolset and Extensibility
Hands-on with Blippar
Blippbuilder: AR Portal
[embed]
Blippbuilder runs smoothly on both Android and iOS, with reliable basic tracking. It supports everything from simple no-code prototypes to full-scale WebAR development using custom code. However, due to limited official documentation, building complex AR scenes or multi-step user flows requires repeated testing and presents a steeper learning curve compared to platforms like 8th Wall.
In this experiment, we tested SLAM tracking capabilities and performance through an AR portal effect. A 3D astronaut character was animated to walk from inside the portal toward the user, dynamically tracking the device’s camera position — as if the astronaut were trying to reach you. The interior of the portal featured a 360-degree image texture, while a smoke shader was used to accentuate the portal’s edge, adding to the overall immersive effect.
Blippbuilder: Image Detection & GenAI
[embed]
This test combined image detection with generative AI to animate a static artwork. Using a wooden Japanese illustration as the marker, we created a dynamic AR scene where a short animated video is triggered the moment the image is recognized. The animation stops automatically once the marker goes out of view, ensuring a tight sync between recognition and playback.
The generative AI-based image-to-video animation approach shows promising creative potential, particularly for bringing still images to life in interactive WebAR experiences. It demonstrates how AI can enhance the visual dynamics of marker-based AR content.
Analyzing Blippbuilder’s Toolset and Extensibility
Conclusion
We’re constantly testing and analyzing emerging WebAR platforms to expand our technical insights and provide clients with the most suitable solutions for their unique needs. This hands-on comparison of Zappar and Blippar allowed us to evaluate their flexibility, creative potential, and readiness for various use cases. We’ve identified where each platform excels and where extra effort may be needed. Both platforms offer distinct advantages, and understanding these trade-offs enables us to recommend the right stack for your project’s timeline, scope, and audience.
Whether you’re looking for a **rapid AR prototype, a [campaign-ready WebAR experience](https://www.designium.jp/xr/webar-development)**,or an **AI-enhanced visual interaction, [Designium](https://www.designium.jp/xr)** can help you choose, build, and deliver the best-fit solution.
Designium Inc.
Designium is a forward-thinking XR studio that renowned for its innovative approach to AR and immersive technology development. They have been pioneers in harnessing diverse VPS services for research and development, pushing boundaries in XR creations. Since 2023, Designium has employed generative AI technology to enhance its projects, emphasizing its ability to seamlessly integrate real-world elements with digital environments, making significant progress in creating advanced prototypes for various XR Equipments.
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