8th Wall vs WorldCAST

8th Wall provides tools for building 3D experiences and WebAR for web browsers or self-hosted projects. Its XR Engine includes World Effects, Absolute Scale, Image Targets, Face Effects, and Sky Effects, and is designed to work with A-Frame, Three.js, Babylon.js, and PlayCanvas. 8th Wall Desktop is an XR game engine with a visual editor; downloads are available for Apple Silicon Mac, Intel Mac, and Windows x64. Projects can be deployed and hosted wherever a developer needs. The Free plan costs nothing, with no login required. The engine binary is closed source, cannot be modified or reverse engineered, and is subject to a limited-use license; other listed tools and example projects use MIT licenses. The distributed binary omits Niantic Spatial VPS, Lightship Maps, and Hand Tracking. Native export is coming soon, and export through the retired hosted platform is no longer available. Projects exported before February 28, 2026 can be moved to local or self-hosted use. Hosted projects are scheduled to remain live through February 28, 2027, when hosting is due to be decommissioned.

WorldCAST is a browser-based, no-code platform for creating and publishing interactive WebAR experiences. Its PrintCAST studio adds video, audio, 3D models, buttons, and links to print materials, with audience analytics. GeoCAST places content at an address or geographic coordinate for discovery through a QR code, geofence, or link. ShowCAST uses SLAM to place digital content at real-world scale in a space. Canva is integrated into PrintCAST, and the maker says users can access Sketchfab 3D models within the studios. Creators can monitor audience use; Advanced Analytics is included in the paid Upgrade plan. Creator costs nothing and includes all studios, basic analytics, unlimited monthly views, and no expiry date. Upgrade costs $10 a month per CAST. No software download or app is needed to create or access browser-based experiences, but the webAR editor is optimized for laptops and desktop computers rather than mobile. PrintCAST and GeoCAST accept videos up to 100 MB; ShowCAST does not support audio or video.