8th Wall alternative
8th Wall is shutting down.
Your WebAR doesn't have to.
illust is a no-code AR studio where you place 3D, video and audio at real locations, on images or on faces, then share it with a link or QR code that opens in any phone’s browser. We host it, so there’s nothing to self-host.
What happened
What's happening to 8th Wall.
Nov 2025
Niantic Spatial announced it would wind down 8th Wall and release parts of the engine for teams to self-host.
Feb 28, 2026
Logins and editing ended. Existing projects can no longer be changed.
Feb 28, 2027
Hosting ends. Experiences hosted on 8th Wall stop working.
Today
Your source files still work. Rebuild your experiences in illust, with no code and nothing to self-host.
Why 8th Wall teams
switch to illust.
No code, nothing to self-host.
Build in the browser. illust hosts the experience and keeps the link live.
No app for your audience.
Experiences open in the phone’s browser from a QR code, NFC tag or link.
World, face and image-target AR in one studio,
with lighting, materials, interactions, animation and audio.
Pin work to real places,
from a gallery wall to a city park, and build maps of your placements.
Built by AR creators.
Co-founder Rob McCarty worked with Meta to help launch Spark AR.
WebAR placed with illust at Denver Walls 2024, running in the phone’s browser.
Denver Walls 2024, viewed in AR with illust.
Testimonial
“Illust just adds such interaction and magic to the event and people love it. It’s like stepping into your favorite show or book or having one of the characters join you in the real world. Thank you for realizing my ambitions and making it so fun and also extremely useful for our company’s community-building efforts. Illust rocks!!!”
Henbo, Creative Director, Heatonist
How to switch
Move your project in three steps.
Gather your source files
The .glb models, textures, images, video and audio your 8th Wall project was built from.
Rebuild the scene
Start your free trial, upload the files to AR Studio, and rebuild the experience with world, face or image-target tracking, plus lighting, interactions and animation.
Publish and share
Pin it to a location, image or face, then share it with a QR code, NFC tag or link.
Rather not rebuild it yourself? Our creative services team can rebuild your 8th Wall experiences for you. Book a call and we’ll quote the project.
FAQ
Switching from 8th Wall.
Not directly. 8th Wall projects were built in 8th Wall's own editor and code, so they don't carry over. illust works from your source assets: upload the .glb models, images, video and audio, then rebuild the scene in AR Studio.
Niantic Spatial says experiences hosted on 8th Wall keep running until February 28, 2027. After that, links to them stop working unless the project has been moved.
No. illust experiences open in the phone's web browser.
Plans start at $30/month after a 10-day free trial. Yearly billing saves 25%, and lifetime access is $500 through December 31, 2026.
Yes. Our creative services team can rebuild your 8th Wall experiences. Book a call and we'll quote the project.
Your audience is still out there.
Give your WebAR a new home.
Start a free trial now, or pick a time below for a 15-minute switching call.