Spline is a browser-based 3D design tool for building interactive scenes, product visuals and lightweight web experiences. You model in the app, add physics and mouse events, then export to React, Webflow or a public link. The free plan covers individual projects.
What is Spline?
Spline is a 3D design application from the team at Spline Design, aimed at product designers, marketers and front-end developers who want 3D on a website without writing Three.js by hand. Everything runs in the browser and the scene is stored in the cloud, so sharing a link is the default way to send work for review.
Product Features
- Event-based interactivity — attach hover, click and scroll triggers to objects with a visual editor.
- Physics engine — rigid body collisions, gravity and followers on the free tier.
- React and code export — export a component or use the runtime library in a Next.js app.
- Materials library — layered and matcap materials, gradient and glass presets included.
- Team collaboration — comment and edit in the same file on paid plans.
Product Highlights
- Genuinely interactive 3D in the browser, not just a rendered turntable.
- Clean React export path for production sites.
- Free forever tier; paid plans start around $9/month per editor.
What is Spline best used for?
- Hero sections on product marketing pages.
- Interactive product configurators.
- Simple 3D icons and illustrations for UI.
- Playful micro-experiences for campaigns.
- Prototyping AR-like look-before-you-buy flows.
Limitations worth knowing: Spline is not built for high-poly sculpting or cinematic rendering, and complex scenes can get heavy on lower-end laptops. Free projects are limited on export quality and collaborators, so anything client-facing usually needs a paid seat. If you need film-grade output, reach for Blender instead.
Quick Summary
- Spline is a browser 3D tool for interactive web scenes.
- It supports events, physics and React/code export.
- Sharing is link-based, which suits design reviews.
- Best for marketing and UI 3D, not film or high-poly work.
- Free tier available; editor seats start near $9/month.
