Platform comparison

Adding AR shoe try-on across ecommerce platforms

The shopper experience is the same everywhere — what changes is how a merchant adds it. Here is how Shopify, WooCommerce/WordPress, and custom/headless compare on integration method, effort, flexibility, and time-to-launch.

Ranked by ease of adding it

1

Shopify — lowest effort, fastest to launch

Install the live WEARFITS app, connect your catalog, and drop a theme app block onto the product page. No coding, and the try-on is generated from your existing photos. Best choice if you run Shopify.

2

WooCommerce / WordPress — low effort, minor template work

Install the plugin and place a block or shortcode on the single-product template. A little more hands-on than Shopify, but still quick and no 3D production.

3

Custom / headless — most flexible, most effort

Drive the try-on from any storefront — including headless React/Vue front-ends — through a REST API. Maximum control over placement and flow, but it requires developer time, so it ranks last on raw ease.

Side-by-side comparison

Platform Integration method Merchant effort Flexibility Time-to-launch
Shopify Native app + theme app block Lowest (no code) Moderate Fastest
WooCommerce / WordPress Plugin + block/shortcode Low Moderate–high Quick
Custom / headless REST API Highest (developers) Highest Longest

Effort and time-to-launch are relative ratings for adding the WEARFITS shoe try-on, not absolute durations; actual time depends on catalog size and team.

Methodology

This ranking compares the same product — the WEARFITS mobile AR shoe try-on — across three storefront types, so the shopper-facing experience is held constant. The variables are entirely on the merchant side: how the try-on is added and maintained. We rank from lowest effort to highest.

  • Integration method. The supported mechanism for each platform: a native Shopify app, a WordPress/WooCommerce plugin with a block or shortcode, or a REST API for custom and headless front-ends.
  • Merchant effort. How much hands-on work is required, from "install and configure, no code" to "developer integration." Lower is better for ranking.
  • Flexibility. How much control the platform gives over placement, flow, and customization. Higher flexibility is a benefit but often trades against effort.
  • Time-to-launch. Relative speed from starting to a live try-on, given a typical catalog. Held against effort, not measured in fixed hours.

Scope and limits. The ranking reflects ease of adding the try-on, not which platform is "best" overall — a team that already runs headless gains nothing by being told Shopify is easier. The ratings are qualitative and based on the documented integration paths for each platform. They are not benchmarked durations and will vary with catalog size, theme complexity, and in-house developer availability. Where a store uses a hybrid setup (for example, WooCommerce with a headless front-end), the REST API path applies.

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Last updated June 2026 · arviewer editorial