Spline vs Three.js for 3D on the Web
Spline is the faster way for a designer to get a good-looking 3D scene onto a page without code. Three.js is the better choice when the 3D has to do real work: physics, game logic, custom shaders or performance tuning. My 3D experiments, like Haribo Pick & Mix with real gummy bear physics, are built on three.js because they need that control.
Pick Spline for hero scenes, product spins and quick interactive 3D. Pick three.js when the 3D is the product: physics, logic, shaders or tight performance budgets.
Spline vs Three.js: side by side
| Spline | Three.js | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Visual 3D design tool with web export | JavaScript 3D library (MIT license) |
| Skills needed | Design, no code | JavaScript and 3D basics |
| Price | Free, Hobby $12/mo yearly, Pro $25/mo yearly | Free and open source |
| Free plan limits | Web exports carry a watermark | None |
| Code export | Pro plan and above | It is code |
| Physics and logic | Built-in events and states | Anything you write, plus libraries like Rapier |
| Custom shaders | Limited to the editor's materials | Full control over GLSL |
| Performance tuning | Mostly handled for you | Fully in your hands |
| Collaboration | Shared files, unlimited viewers | Git, like any codebase |
| Best for | Hero scenes, product spins, mockups | Configurators, games, data-driven 3D |
Where Spline wins
Spline lets a designer model, light and animate in a browser tab, add simple interactions, and embed the result on a page. For a landing page hero or a product turntable, that is hours instead of days.
Check the plan before you ship: free web exports carry a watermark, and code, video, Apple and Android exports sit on Pro and above.
Where three.js wins
Three.js is a library, so the ceiling is yours. In Haribo, real 3D gummy bears pour into a bag and a live scale weighs them, using three.js with Rapier physics. In Muse, a 3D gadget on a desktop runs Meta's open-source firmware through WebAssembly. Neither is a scene you can click together in a visual editor.
The cost is skill and time. You own loading, lighting, performance on weak phones and every bug.
Performance and maintenance on real devices
3D is where pages get heavy fast. With Spline, a lot of the optimisation is handled for you, but you still control model complexity, textures and how many scenes load on one page. Keep hero scenes simple and test on a mid-range phone.
With three.js you own everything: geometry budgets, texture sizes, lighting cost, when to pause rendering and how to fall back on weak devices. That is more work and more control. In Haribo, the physics, the bag and the live scale all have to stay smooth together, which is only possible when you can tune each piece.
Maintenance differs as well. A Spline scene lives in a design file that a designer can update. A three.js scene lives in a codebase, reviewed and versioned like any other code. Pick the one your team can keep alive after launch.
Which one should you pick?
- You are a designer without a developer
- The scene is decorative or a product spin
- You need it this week
- Basic hover and click states are enough
- The 3D has physics, rules or game logic
- You need custom shaders or effects
- Performance on mobile must be tuned
- You are comfortable in JavaScript or work with AI coding tools
How I use them
I build my 3D pieces in code with three.js, working with Claude from my Figma designs. Haribo and Muse both run on three.js, and NEB X uses WebGL shaders for its x-ray reveal.
If you are a designer who wants 3D on a page without touching code, start with Spline. If you hit its limits, you will know exactly what to ask a developer for.
FAQ
Is Spline better than three.js?
Spline is easier and faster for designers. Three.js is more powerful and free, but needs code. Pick by what the 3D has to do.
Is Spline free?
There is a free plan, but web exports carry a watermark. Hobby is $12 a month and Pro is $25 a month when billed yearly.
Is three.js free for commercial use?
Yes. Three.js is released under the MIT license.
Can I export Spline to three.js?
Spline's code export sits on the Pro plan and above. For deep customisation, many teams rebuild the scene directly in three.js.
The bottom line
Start in Spline when the 3D is decoration and speed matters. Move to three.js when the 3D carries the product and you need full control over how it behaves and performs.
Need a product designer or design engineer for your product? I work remotely with teams worldwide, from research to shipped code.