Anyone who’s had the thrill of catching a wild Pikachu on their street corner while playing Pokémon Go, the popular mobile game, has experienced augmented reality.
The market for technologies like augmented and virtual reality is expected to be worth more than $250 billion by 2028, and ecommerce businesses have good reasons to invest. It can increase your bottom line by improving sales and reducing product returns—but only if you’re using the right AR technology.
There are plenty of options for ecommerce businesses that want to incorporate AR features into their websites. Here are 11 of the most popular augmented reality apps you can choose from, with examples of how to use them.
What is augmented reality?
Augmented reality (AR) is a type of technology that uses digital elements to enhance the user’s real-world environment. It overlays computer-generated sensory input—sound, video, graphics, or GPS data—onto a real-world view, typically through a wearable or mobile device. The result is an immersive and interactive merging of the physical and digital worlds.
Unlike virtual reality (VR), which creates an entirely immersive computer-generated environment, AR combines computer-generated imagery with the real world.
11 best augmented reality apps
- Shopify AR
- Google Lens
- ThreeKit
- Vuforia
- GIPHY World
- ARuler
- Augment
- IKEA Place
- Houzz
- Zapworks
- YouCam Makeup
Explore some of the most popular AR apps on the market:
1. Shopify AR
Shopify offers an AR tool, Shopify AR, that integrates with your Shopify ecommerce site. Users can overlay images, 3D models, and videos of your products onto their live surroundings using desktop or mobile devices. Notable brands that use it include Allbirds, Pure Cycles, Arthaus, and Instant Pot.
Shopify’s AR app allows you to add images or models directly to product pages or by using metafields—so the models map to a specific product category, and make the products more discoverable by visitors on your site, on marketplaces, and on search engines.
The Shopify App Store is also home to several other of the best AR apps, including a 3D model viewer, virtual eyewear try-on tool, and 3D virtual store creator. And because they integrate with your ecommerce store, you won’t have to leave Shopify to offer AR to your online shoppers.
2. Google Lens
Google Lens allows users to take pictures of objects and search for them online using image recognition technology. People can download Google Lens on their iOS or Android devices to identify unknown products that interest them.
You can integrate the Google Lens app with your ecommerce site, driving sales by connecting customers with outfits, furniture, or other goods they see out in the world.
3. Threekit
Threekit helps businesses build 3D models of products to display on ecommerce sites.
With Threekit models, customers can view all angles of a product and try different styles, sizes, or colors. The platform lets customers test 3D models in their homes or other spaces by superimposing the objects over personal photos or videos.
4. Vuforia
Vuforia Engine is a software development tool that allows brands to create augmented reality experiences. You could use it to create 3D models of your products or allow online shoppers to customize product attributes (such as the color or materials) on your product pages.
That said, Vuforia is geared toward enterprise brands. It might be more difficult to get to grips with the AR software if you don’t already have some knowledge of how the technology works.
5. GIPHY World
GIPHY World is an AR app from GIPHY, the most popular website for finding and creating GIFs. It allows you to place GIFs on an overlay of your camera stream. It’s available for Oculus and Vive headsets, as well as devices that download apps from the Apple App Store.
The biggest advantage of GIPHY World is that GIFs in its library (all 10 billion+ of them) are available to experience in 3D. In an ecommerce context, that means you can create your own GIF, upload it to GIPHY, and let customers see your products in their environment through the GIPHY World app.
6. ARuler
ARuler is an augmented reality app that lets users measure the distance between two points. It’s ideal if online shoppers are debating whether a product will fit in the place they’re planning.
If you’re selling furniture online, for example, customers might be hesitant to purchase a sofa if they’re unsure that it will fit in their lounge area. You could divert them to the ARuler app. It will measure the gap they have available (in their preferred unit: metric or imperial) so that they can be confident the sofa they purchase is the right size.
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 Factory tool can also help you turn two or three static images into 3D models. And you can do it at scale: Augment allows brands to upload a list of your shop’s products that need 3D models. After that, you can add the models to your online store from your 3D Vault so that your prospective customers can use them in purchasing decisions.
8. IKEA Place
IKEA was one of the first brands to foray into the world of AR. Launched back in 2017, the IKEA Place app uses augmented reality to show customers how its furniture looks in their own homes. The app automatically scales the 3D model of a product based on the room’s dimensions.
IKEA reports that its AR app has a 98% accuracy rate.
9. Houzz
Houzz is a home décor company with an AR app that helps customers envision what products look like in their homes. Shoppers can use the AR app on their phone to rotate, zoom, and reposition 3D models of furniture within their home.
Houzz’s AR app is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android. It runs on Apple’s ARKit technology and allows online shoppers to complete their purchase once they're satisfied with how the furniture will look.
10. Zapworks
Zapworks’ AR technology specializes in low- or no-code tools that help ecommerce owners create their own AR apps. It’s a good option if you don’t have advanced coding skills.
Zapworks is owned by Zappar, an agency that specializes in helping brands create their own AR apps. So, if you do need an expert pair of hands, you can contact its team for support.
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 to showcase their products in the AR app. It’s collaborated with household names like L'Oréal, Target, and Estée Lauder. Each brand can show its inventory using the AR app—and reach its millions of users—without developing and marketing its own branded AR software.
Top uses for AR apps in ecommerce
- Enhanced online shopping experiences
- Interactive marketing and advertising
- Virtual product trials and demos
- Education and training
- Navigation and maps integration
- Interactive games
Enhanced online shopping experiences
Augmented reality apps let online shoppers see what products look like in the flesh, whether that’s a makeup product on their own skin or a piece of furniture in their home. It gives them a better understanding of a product’s size, shape, and appearance, something that’s hard to gauge with traditional 2D product imagery.
Interactive marketing and advertising
Experiential marketing invites potential customers to participate in memorable experiences. It’s these kinds of experiences that modern shoppers say they want from their favorite brands.
AR apps allow ecommerce brands to create immersive experiences without the logistical hassle of choosing a date, time, and location for the experience to take place. Plus, because AR experiences are virtual, they’re instantly more accessible. People don’t have to be in a certain location at a specific time; they can use AR technology to participate whenever, wherever.
Virtual product trials and demos
Brick-and-mortar retail is still booming because it offers benefits that online shopping simply can’t. AR apps bring personalized shopping experiences to the masses without forcing people to head in-store and chat with a sales assistant.
The YouCam Makeup AR app, for example, allows online shoppers to experiment with different makeup shades before buying something. It’s a “try before you buy” approach that can convince on-the-fence shoppers to make their first purchase.
Education and training
It’s not just potential customers who rely on AR apps. If a first-time customer is unsure of how to use the product they’ve just bought, you can alleviate pressure on your customer service team by pointing out your interactive training manuals.
Augmented reality can turn traditional product manuals into interactive, step-by-step guides. Customers can use their device’s camera to retrieve product set-up guides next to a live feed, making it easier to understand complex assembly instructions or manuals.
Navigation and maps integration
Google Maps is perhaps the most well-known AR app to offer this feature. If users are 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.
Google also announced it’s working with retailers to expand its AR experiences. Users can scan a shopfront, then press AR Experience and see the 3D content on an overlay of the storefront, as well as share the experience with friends using a QR code on social media.
Interactive games
Pokémon Go set the scene for interactive games that blend offline experiences with AR technology. Similarly, online merchants can create their own interactive tools to gamify the shopping experience.
For example, you could:
- Reward existing customers with loyalty points when they use your AR app.
- Host a treasure hunt for in-person shoppers to locate surprise items around your retail store.
- Create competitions for customers to experiment with your AR apps and share their results on social media to win 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:
Increase sales
Companies can use augmented reality to enhance the customer experience, allowing users to virtually try on clothes, makeup, glasses, or gear or try out furniture in their apartments. This kind of AR experience helps reduce the perceived risk of purchasing a product they have not tested out physically.
Reduce product returns
Since augmented reality can help visualize and test products, customers can be more certain about what they’re buying and, therefore, less likely to make returns or contact you with issues. This is more common than you might think: 31% of all items bought online are later returned because the product looked different upon arrival.
Boost customer satisfaction
AR is popular amongst younger generations; nine in 10 Gen Zers say they’re interested in AR shopping experiences, particularly those that show how a piece of furniture or decoration would look from their mobile phones. Tapping into what customers want is an excellent way to increase their satisfaction, leading to repeat business and increased sales.
Implement augmented reality into your business with Shopify AR
Augmented reality can sound intimidating if you’re not clued in to how the technology works.
Shopify AR makes it more accessible to anyone, anywhere—even if you’re not a coding whizz. It can bring your products to life using 3D models and allow iOS or Android shoppers to visualize your products in their homes before they buy.
Augmented reality apps FAQ
Do you need an AR app?
Augmented reality isn’t essential to every online business, but it can help differentiate you from competitors. It’s also great at reducing product returns, particularly if most online shoppers return items because they’re too big, too small, or look different upon arrival.
What app do I use to create AR?
There are many apps you can experiment with, including Google Lens and Vuforia. Shopify AR is the preferred platform for brands like Allbirds, Magnolia, and Instant Pot.
How do I install AR apps?
Choose your preferred AR app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, download it, and complete the sign-up and permission protocols to use the app. Some AR apps operate on web pages—like try-on features on some ecommerce sites—in which case you don’t need to download anything.
