3DVue vs Zakeke: which 3D configurator should you choose?

Zakeke was founded in 2017 in Milan. In less than ten years, the Italian platform has won over 25,000 e-commerce merchants worldwide, mainly thanks to an accessible SaaS model and easy integration on Shopify and WooCommerce. It is today the most visible solution on the SMB configurator market.

3DVue offers two ways to work. The 3DVue software: you import your 3D files and build your own configurator yourself, self-service, just like with Zakeke. 3DVue custom: our studio takes on the entire project, from modeling to go-live, for catalogs that have no 3D files yet or that demand a very polished look.

These three solutions do not target the same profiles. This comparison helps you identify which one fits your real situation.

Quick comparison

Zakeke: who is it for?

Zakeke is a visual commerce platform: a tool you activate yourself to personalize your products online. Its main asset is accessibility: you create an account, connect your Shopify or WooCommerce store, and start configuring your products from a back office.

What Zakeke does well

• End-customer personalization: text, engraving, image, print-on-demand. This is Zakeke's strength, and something the 3DVue software does not offer.
• Quick integration: the Shopify app installs in minutes. For simple products with color variants, you can be live in a few hours.
• Wide feature set: text personalization, engraving, printing, 3D configurator, AR, virtual try-on: Zakeke covers many use cases on a single platform.
• Community and documentation: 25,000+ customers means abundant documentation and an active community.

Zakeke's limitations

• You must provide your own 3D models. Zakeke does not create the models for you. If you do not have ready-to-use GLTF/GLB files, you need to commission them from a 3D artist: additional cost, extra lead time, an extra contact to manage.
• A commission on every sale. On top of the subscription, Zakeke takes between 1.9% and 1.5% of sales made with a personalized product, depending on the plan.
• Custom integration remains your responsibility. To connect the configurator to your existing color swatches, sync with your inventory system or customize the interface, you need a developer.
• Generic 3D rendering. Visual quality is acceptable for simple products, but hard to push toward photorealism without expertise in shaders and lighting.
• Platform dependency. Your 3D assets and configuration are hosted within the Zakeke ecosystem. In case of cancellation or a price increase, migration is complex.

The 3DVue software: who is it for?

Like Zakeke, the 3DVue software is a self-service tool: you create an account, import your 3D files (glTF, GLB, FBX, OBJ, STL and 4 other formats), pick the materials and options offered for each part, then embed the configurator on your site.

What the 3DVue software does well

• No development cost, no commission. 90-day free trial, no credit card, then a flat plan starting at €49 excl. VAT/month: no percentage taken from your sales.
• Augmented reality included. A button to switch on, with no extra tier to unlock.
• Catalog of 319 materials ready to use, scenes and lighting already set, a thumbnail generated for every combination.
• AI Photo Studio included in paid plans: product photos generated from the 3D model, with its real materials, to fill your product pages without a photoshoot.
• Universal integration. Direct link, iframe or widget: Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, WordPress, Wix or any site that accepts HTML.

The 3DVue software's limitations

• 3D files required. The software does not include modeling: if you don't have 3D files, custom is the option to look at.
• No end-customer personalization. No text, logo or number entered by the buyer: the software manages combinations of materials and options prepared ahead of time, not print-on-demand.
• No proof files or production files. Those exist only on the custom side.

3DVue custom: who is it for?

3DVue custom is a studio that takes care of your project end to end: we model your products in 3D, fine-tune the scene and rendering by hand, integrate the configurator on your site, go live, and remain your point of contact for any change.

What 3DVue custom does well

• Zero technical prerequisites. No existing 3D files needed, no developer required. We start from your photos or technical drawings.
• Modeling included. Creating the 3D models is part of the project: it is the starting point, not a separately billed option.
• Interface built to your brand, settings tuned by hand. Rendering, lighting and compatibility rules between parts are worked out for your catalog, not pulled from generic presets.
• Proof and production files as an option. Useful for made-to-order products.
• Human after-sales support. A new material to add, a theme update that breaks the layout, a new seasonal color: one contact, who knows your project inside out.
• You own your 3D files. All models created are delivered to you at project completion. You can use them for other purposes (print, marketing, AR) or hand them to whoever you choose.

3DVue custom's limitations

• Higher entry budget. From €5,000 excl. VAT, on quote: an investment to weigh against the real cost of a self-service configurator once outside modeling and integration are added in.
• Production lead time. Modeling quality products takes time: 3 to 10 days per object depending on complexity. There is no going live in a few hours like with a self-service tool.
• Not suited to catalogs of hundreds of simple SKUs. For a catalog of 500 t-shirts with basic color variants, the 3DVue software or Zakeke is more cost-effective.

To see what it looks like in practice, we built a complete demo store with 22 configurable products (mugs, t-shirts, jerseys, roll-ups, jewelry…). Product pages, prices, embedded 3D configurator: exactly what a customer would see on your site. See the demo store →

Conclusion: which should you choose?

Choose Zakeke if: you already have your 3D models, and your customers need to personalize a product themselves with their own text, logo or image (print-on-demand).

Choose the 3DVue software if: you have your 3D files, you want to manage your configurator yourself, with no commission on your sales, and a 90-day free trial to test it.

Choose 3DVue custom if: you are starting from scratch (no 3D files), you want carefully crafted photorealistic rendering, you have no developer available, and you need a partner who stays involved after delivery.

The real cost of Zakeke is not just the monthly subscription: it is the subscription plus the commission on every sale plus outside 3D modeling if you don't have files yet. Adding these up, the difference with the 3DVue software (no commission) or with custom (modeling included) is often smaller than it looks.

Frequently asked questions