An augmented reality (AR) app overlays digital content like text or images onto a live view of the real world, typically through a phone camera or webcam. In the context of ecommerce, that means a shopper can see how a sofa looks in their own living room or how a lipstick shade looks on their face before ordering the product.
The NRF’s ”2025 Retail Returns Landscape” report shows that retailers expect 19.3% of online sales to be returned in 2025; but AR may help mitigate that statistic. These tools give shoppers a way to test out size, scale, color, and fit before they buy, using the phone already in their hand.
This guide covers what AR is, 11 apps and platforms worth considering in 2026, and how to add 3D and AR to your own ecommerce product pages.
What is augmented reality?
Augmented reality is technology that places computer-generated images, video, or information on top of a live view of a real environment, so the digital content appears to occupy physical space. It runs on hardware online shoppers already own, like a smartphone, tablet, laptop camera, or headset.
AR has four main capabilities that set it apart:
- Real-time overlay: Digital content renders on the live camera feed, staying in place even as the scene changes, rather than being overlaid on a static image.
- Spatial tracking: The software recognizes floors, walls, tables, and faces, then anchors the digital object so it stays put as the device moves around it.
- True-to-scale rendering: A 3D model displays at its real-world dimensions, so customers can more accurately judge whether a chair fits through a doorway.
- Direct interaction: Shoppers can rotate, resize, reposition, and swap variants of the object with their finger.
An AR app is any software that delivers one of those experiences to an end user. Some AR apps are standalone apps a shopper downloads from the Apple App Store or Google Play, like a retailer’s branded room planner. Others are web-based, built into a product page so the AR view opens in the mobile browser with nothing to install.
AR is often confused with virtual reality (VR), which replaces the real environment with a fully computer-generated one. AR keeps the real environment and adds to it, which is why it complements online shopping so well.
11 best augmented reality apps
There are two distinct types of AR apps. The first includes AR software and platforms, which a store owner can use to build AR commerce experiences. These turn product files into 3D models and publish AR experiences to a website, an app, or a social channel.
Consumer AR apps are what shoppers install directly onto their smartphones or tablets. These might be a store’s specific app, or a third-party app that brands can send AR data to for customers to interact with.
The list below covers both, sharing what each AR app does, how it’s priced, and whether shoppers need to install anything to use it:
- Shopify AR
- Google Lens
- Threekit
- Vuforia
- Snap AR
- 8th Wall
- Augment
- IKEA Kreativ
- Houzz
- Zapworks
- YouCam Makeup
1. Shopify AR
Shopify AR puts interactive 3D models on your product pages so shoppers can spin a product on screen or place it in their own room at real-world scale. Notable brands using Shopify AR include Oakywood, Gunner Kennels, and Rebecca Minkoff.
The 3D scanner built into the Shopify mobile app captures a product in three passes and builds a model in about 10 to 15 minutes. Products need to be at least 3 inches (8 cm) in each dimension for the scanner to detect them.
Every 3D model you add is converted to both a .USDZ and a .GLB version, which ensures the model works on both Android and iOS devices. Shoppers don’t need to install a separate AR app on either platform.
Once you’ve uploaded a 3D model to your media files (and you’re using a supported theme), shoppers get an image they can rotate and a button that drops the product into their space through the camera.
Beyond the built-in tools, the 3D, AR, and VR category in the Shopify App Store carries model viewers, virtual eyewear try-on tools, and 3D store builders that connect to your catalog.
2. Google Lens
Google Lens is primarily a visual search tool rather than a dedicated AR app. It identifies a product from a photo or a live camera view and connects the shopper to places selling it, with AR placement for some categories.
Google reported that Lens was one of the fastest growing search methods, with over 25 billion queries per month. It’s suited to ecommerce brands, as 1 in 5 Lens searches show commercial intent.
Say a shopper photographs a lamp they like in a hotel lobby, then opens it in the Lens app. Google Lens surfaces matching and similar products from retailers across the web. If you have a similar lamp for sale, it might appear there through your product feed and structured data, rather than anything you install or upload.
Keeping clean product images, complete product data, and accurate attributes are good practices for your product listings. Learn more about Google’s free listings to see how you can increase your placements.
3. Threekit
Threekit is a visual configuration platform for products that sell in many variations. It connects your product catalog to your configuration rules, so a buyer can pick out the materials, colors, dimensions, and components they’re interested in, and the 3D model re-renders with every change.
AR is just one component of Threekit’s visual configurator. Once a buyer finds a configuration they like, they can then place the model in their own room or office through a phone camera to see how everything fits before making a large order. Threekit generates product photography from the same 3D assets, too, so catalog images stay consistent as a product line changes.
Threekit also offers a Shopify visual configurator integration so Shopify stores can set up 3D models.
4. Vuforia
ALT: Vuforia markets itself as a market-leading enterprise AR app.
Vuforia from PTC is a toolkit for creating AR experiences that anchor content to flat images, cylindrical surfaces, 3D objects, or entire rooms. Retail companies can then incorporate those experiences as part of their own branded application.
That said, Vuforia is geared toward enterprise brands. Its custom pricing model can make it less accessible than other AR apps on the list, especially for basic 3D models.
5. Snap AR
Snap AR allows ecommerce businesses to use Snapchat’s tools to create and share AR experiences.
They use the creation tool Lens Studio, which is free to download and use with no license fees or subscription costs. Snap’s ecommerce templates include face tracking for cosmetics and eyewear, body mesh and cloth simulation for apparel, and world placement for furniture.
Then there’s Camera Kit, a tool that lets brands embed the AR experience directly on a product page. This way a shopper can try on frames without leaving the page or downloading anything.
Brands can also build ad campaigns around their Lenses so that Snapchat users can access the AR experiences right inside the Snapchat app. This platform had 493 million daily active users as of Q1 2026.
6. 8th Wall
8th Wall used to offer a paid, hosted platform that retired at the end of February 2026. Since then, the platform has become open source, meaning the tool is free to use. It’s fully available for all kinds of projects, including commercial, and doesn’t require an account. You also don’t need to install anything to use it: You can run the AR app from a link or QR code.
7. Augment
Augment has its own AR technology that's specifically designed for ecommerce merchants. Its Web 3D feature allows shoppers to view your product from any angle without having to leave your online store to download another app.
Augment's 3D Viewer tool can also help you turn static images into 3D models. It reportedly lets ecommerce brands install these models on their website or mobile apps in under an hour.
8. Ikea Kreativ
Ikea Kreativ is an AR experience built right into the Ikea app and website. It replaced Ikea Place, which launched in 2017 as one of the first mainstream retail AR apps on the market.
The Kreativ Scene Scanner captures a series of photographs of a room and assembles them into a wide-angle interactive replica with accurate perspective and dimensions. Shoppers can then virtually delete what’s already in the room and place Ikea products in the empty space, to determine the right products.
You can’t license Kreativ for your own usage, so treat it as the reference standard for AR furniture shopping.
9. Houzz
Houzz is an AR solution for home decor retail stores as well as service providers. Consumers can use the app to brainstorm anything from full-scale renovations to minor updates, like new paint colors, while also shopping for furniture and other decor items right inside the app.
Shoppers can tap “View in My Room 3D” to open their smartphone camera and render the product at real scale in the room they’re standing in. If they like it, they can check out in the same session.
The app connects shoppers to more than 3 million home improvement professionals, too, so a purchase can seamlessly turn into a project with a contractor attached. Apple lists it as an Editors’ Choice app, and its App Store listing carries 4.8 out of 5 stars from more than 323,000 ratings.
10. Zapworks
Zapworks' AR technology specializes in low- or no-code tools that help ecommerce owners create their own AR apps. It’s owned by Zappar, an agency that specializes in helping brands create their own AR apps. If you do need an expert pair of hands, you can contact its team for support.
With Zapworks, everything is distributed through web AR, so a shopper can scan a code or open a link and see the experience in their mobile browser. This interface makes it a natural fit for packaging inserts, in-store displays, and print campaigns.
11. YouCam Makeup
YouCam Makeup is one of the most popular AR apps for consumers in the beauty industry. Boasting over 100 million downloads in the Google Play Store alone, it allows users to change their hair color, reshape their faces, apply makeup, and whiten their teeth using face mapping technology.
YouCam Makeup also collaborates with brands like Panasonic, Target, and Estée Lauder to showcase their products in the AR app. Each brand can show inventory using the app—and reach its millions of users—without developing and marketing its own branded AR software.
Perfect Corp also sells the underlying technology as an enterprise product, with try-on and skin analysis available through APIs you can run on your own site.
Top uses for AR apps in ecommerce
The apps mentioned above get used in a handful of recognizable ways. Find six of these top uses below:
Enhanced online shopping experiences
AR helps customers get an actual feel for a product they’re interested in while shopping online. They’re able to gauge things like how big the product is, how the finish reads in their home’s specific lighting, and whether it fits the spot they have in mind.
To set this up on a Shopify store, add a GLB or USDZ file to a product in Shopify admin under Products > Media > Upload new. Oakywood used Shopify AR to build Precismo, which lets customers build a 3D model of custom furniture they’ve built using the online configurator.
“It’s had a tremendous effect on our business,” says Oakywood’s founder Mateusz Haberny. “[Customers] reach out post-purchase to say the AR model was a game-changer and the thing that made them purchase those products.”
Interactive marketing and advertising
AR turns a campaign asset into something a customer actively interacts with instead of just watches. A QR code on packaging, a shelf talker, or a print ad opens a browser-based experience.
“We use augmented reality to help customers visualize the rug within their own space,” says Daniel Graupensperger, director of product management at Ruggable. “It does a fantastic job, even just with the native iOS and Android tools. Our customers can see the rug sitting beneath their couch and chairs. ”
Virtual product trials and demos
The virtual try-on market is worth $18.1 billion in 2026, and is projected to grow to $46.4 billion by 2030.
You’ll find virtual try-ons for cosmetics, eyewear, watches, and jewelry. If you sell in these categories, YouCam Makeup’s APIs or a Snap AR Lens allow you to offer this experience on your own product page.
Education and training
AR isn’t only a pre-purchase tool. Assembly instructions, installation guides, and troubleshooting tips can also run as an overlay on a live camera view, allowing customers to see the next step right in front of them rather than on a diagram.
Navigation and maps integration
Google Maps Live View is a built-in AR feature that helps users navigate directions. If someone is confused about where their destination is or when to take a turn, they can open their device’s camera and see directions overlaid on their phone screen.
To ensure customers can find your retail store through this feature, make sure your Google Business listing is fully up to date. This includes up-to-date hours, an accurate pin, current photos, and correct category information.
Interactive games
Pokémon Go set the scene for attaching a game to real locations, and stores can adapt this idea at a much smaller scale to drive foot traffic and repeat visits.
“3D media makes for a much more interactive shopping experience,” says Uri Minkoff, cofounder and CEO of Rebecca Minkoff. “Customers can examine our products from every angle, including the option to view products in augmented reality, which helps them get a better sense of quality, size, and other details that matter.”
A few immersive offerings that translate to retail:
- Award loyalty points when a customer scans an AR code in-store.
- Hide virtual items around a shop floor for customers to “find.”
- Run a contest where customers share their AR results on social media for a prize.
Benefits of augmented reality applications for ecommerce sites
If you’re not yet sold on implementing AR apps in your ecommerce experiences, here are three benefits that might convince you otherwise:
Sales increases
Augmented reality lets customers see what they’re buying before they commit, which can lead to more sales. For example, Rebecca Minkoff found the 3D models of their luxury bags made shoppers 44% more likely to add an item to their cart and 27% more likely to place an order.
Reduction in product returns
Augmented reality helps shoppers visualize and test products, so customers can be more certain about fit before they even make a purchase.
Gunner Kennels found this firsthand. They created 3D models of their dog crates so customers could check for size next to their own pet, which reduced return rates by 5%.
“3D models have served as a tool to further bridge the gap between a retail experience and online,” says Gunner Kennels’ VP of marketing, Macey Benton. “As we see higher adoption rates with the models, we are also seeing lower return and exchange rates.”
Look at your own returns data to guide your AR strategy. Pull your return rate by product in Shopify Analytics, identify the products where reason codes point at size or appearance. Test 3D models on those SKUs first.
Greater customer satisfaction
Luxury furniture brand Arhaus aims to create a seamless customer experience. They do this through AR and VR features that let online shoppers visualize products in their own room before buying.
“We really want our customers to truly invest in Arhaus and invest in these pieces,” says Steve Bauer, vice president of ecommerce and digital at Arhaus. “We want to instill as much confidence as possible into the customer before they purchase with our solutions and website capabilities.”
What’s more, The Cambridge Satchel Company, one of the first brands to lean into Shopify AR, has found the service significantly elevates their user experience and “puts us on a level playing field with people who have much greater resources than we do,” says Julie Deane, founder and CEO. “I’ve no doubt that if big luxury brands create this kind of AR experience [in-house], they would be paying ten times what we are.”
Implement augmented reality into your business with Shopify AR
Getting AR live on a Shopify product page takes four steps. Here’s the process:
- Confirm your theme supports 3D models. All Online Store 2.0 themes built by Shopify and every theme in the Horizon family display 3D models and video content. If you’re on a third-party theme, check your theme documentation or contact the developer.
- Create a 3D model. Open the Shopify mobile app, tap the Products icon, select a product; in the Media section tap Add images, videos, or 3D models, then 3D scanner. Follow the three scan passes and tap Continue to build the model.
- Or upload an existing file. In Shopify admin, go to Products, select a product, and in the Media section click Upload new. Accepted 3D file types are GLB and USDZ, up to 500 MB.
- Check the model on your product page. Open the page on both an iPhone and an Android device to confirm the viewer loads and the AR button appears.
Augmented reality apps FAQ
Do you need an AR app?
You don’t need an AR app to run a successful store, and plenty sell well without one. AR pays off most in retail categories where size, fit, or finish are hard to judge from photographs (such as furniture, cosmetics, eyewear, and large appliances). If your returns data shows few complaints about appearance or dimensions, your budget might be better spent elsewhere. If it shows the opposite, AR helps mitigate that specific problem.
Can you use augmented reality without an app?
Yes, you can use augmented reality without an app because web AR runs in a mobile browser. A shopper opens a link or scans a QR code and the experience loads with nothing to install. Product-page AR on Shopify works this way on both iOS and Android. Zapworks and Snap’s Camera Kit both publish to the browser, too.
Are there free augmented reality apps?
Google Lens, the Houzz app, and IKEA Kreativ are free for customers to use. For ecommerce brands building AR experiences, Snap’s Lens Studio is free with no license or subscription fees, Vuforia Engine has a free Basic plan, and 8th Wall is free to use commercially. However, some AR apps may come with additional costs for businesses to integrate.
How do I install AR apps?
Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, open it, and grant camera access when prompted. Some apps also request motion and storage permissions to track surfaces and save captures. Check the compatibility list first.
What are examples of augmented reality applications?
Retail examples include virtual makeup try-on in YouCam Makeup, furniture placement in IKEA Kreativ and Houzz, and 3D product viewers on Shopify product pages. Outside retail, walking directions in Google Maps Live View, assembly instructions overlaid on machinery, and location-based games like Pokémon Go all use the same underlying AR technology.
