Across fashion, beauty, eyewear, and mass retail, these players stand out for combining large user bases with sophisticated AR and AI pipelines that are deeply integrated into the shopping journey rather than treated as one‑off experiments. This report will break down the key players, their innovative features, and the underlying sentiment driving their success.
Our Ranking Method
The RB report was conducted by analyzing a wide range of Instagram content, including reels, posts, and stories, using keywords such as “virtual try-on,” “AI try-on,” and brand specific feature names. The sentiment was gauged by evaluating the tone and content of user comments, the number of likes and shares, and the overall narrative surrounding each technology. The ranking is a synthesis of qualitative data and an analysis of the features each brand offers.
Top 10 Virtual Try-On Technologies
The following table provides a ranked overview of the top 10 virtual try-on technologies, their key features, and a summary of the user sentiment observed on Instagram.
| Rank | Brand | Feature Name | Instagram Sentiment | Key Features | User Feedback Summary |
| 1 | Zara | AI Try-On | Extremely Positive / “Obsessed” | Multi body type visualization, Full look creation, One click add to basket | Users are overwhelmingly positive, praising the realism and inclusivity of seeing clothes on different body types. It is frequently described as a “game changer” that significantly reduces the guesswork and frustration of online shopping. |
| 2 | Virtual Try-On (VTO) | Highly Positive / “Game changer” | Generative AI models, Diverse skin tones/body types, Accurate fabric draping | Google’s VTO is lauded for its technical prowess, particularly the realistic draping of fabric and the diverse representation of models. Its integration into search makes it highly accessible and useful. | |
| 3 | Warby Parker | Virtual Try-On | Very Positive / “Effortless” | 3D face mapping, Lifelike frame realism, Home try on integration | As a pioneer in the VTO space, Warby Parker continues to receive positive feedback for its seamless and accurate glasses try on experience. Users trust its technology and appreciate the convenience. |
| 4 | L’Oreal / ModiFace | ModiFace AR | Positive / “Beauty Standard” | AR makeup application, Skin diagnosis, Foundation shade matching | ModiFace is considered the industry standard for beauty AR. The accuracy of its shade matching technology for products like foundation is a frequently cited benefit. |
| 5 | Amazon | Virtual Try-On for Shoes | Positive / “Practical” | AR shoe visualization, 360 degree viewing, “Try Before You Buy” integration | Amazon’s VTO for shoes is seen as a highly practical tool that addresses a key pain point for online shoppers. The ability to view shoes from all angles is a major plus. |
| 6 | Dior | AR Filters | High End / “Immersive” | Hyper realistic sunglasses AR, Instagram Stories integration, Luxury brand experience | Dior’s AR filters are praised for their high quality, immersive experience that aligns with the brand’s luxury image. They are seen as a fun and engaging way to interact with high end products. |
| 7 | Sephora | Virtual Artist | Positive / “Educational” | Step by step tutorials, Product matching, Full face looks | Sephora’s Virtual Artist is valued not just for try on but also for its educational component, which helps users learn new makeup techniques and discover products. |
| 8 | Nike | Nike Fit | Positive / “Utility focused” | AR foot scanning, Precise sizing recommendations, Reduced return rates | Nike Fit is a prime example of a utility focused VTO. Users appreciate its ability to provide accurate sizing recommendations, which reduces the likelihood of returns. |
| 9 | Walmart | Be Your Own Model | Growing Positive / “Inclusive” | Personal photo upload, Model selection, Mass market accessibility | Walmart’s VTO is gaining popularity for its inclusive approach, allowing users to see clothes on models that resemble them or even on themselves by uploading a photo. |
| 10 | Maybelline | Virtual Try-On | Practical / “User friendly” | Shade matching, Lipstick/Eyeshadow try-on, Web based tool | Maybelline’s VTO is a simple, effective, and user friendly tool that is perfect for quick and easy shade checks before making a purchase. |
1. Zara
Zara is rapidly becoming a benchmark in fashion virtual try-on, rolling out an AI‑powered virtual fitting room in Spain through its mobile app. Shoppers upload two photos—a portrait and a full‑body shot—and within about two minutes the system creates a realistic 3D avatar that can try on multiple items at once, including jackets, tops, bottoms, and shoes, with a 360‑degree rotating view. Earlier AR campaigns also let customers point their phones at store windows or packages to see outfits modeled in augmented reality, directly linking the experience to instant purchase in the app or in store.
2. Google
Google has become a key infrastructure player in beauty AR, embedding virtual try-on directly into Google Search and Shopping for makeup and foundation. Users who search for products like “pink lipstick” or specific SKUs can tap “try-on” to see shades live on their own face via their camera or on one of 148 diverse model faces, covering more than 50 beauty brands, including Maybelline, Dior Beauty, Fenty Beauty, CoverGirl, and Laura Mercier. For brands, these AR assets can be integrated into Shopping ads, which Google says helps shoppers make more informed decisions and increases engagement versus static product photos.
3. Warby Parker
Warby Parker is a pioneer in eyewear virtual try-on, using AI and AR to show glasses in real time on a shopper’s face through its mobile app. The technology maps facial features and dimensions via the smartphone camera, originally leveraging Apple’s Face ID depth data, to render frames in a live 3D preview that moves naturally as the user turns their head. According to company commentary, roughly 75% of iOS app users now engage with virtual try-on, and the feature has measurably increased conversion rates by reducing uncertainty and returns when buying frames online.
4. L’Oréal / ModiFace
L’Oréal’s acquisition of ModiFace turned it into one of the most powerful players in AR beauty try-on globally. ModiFace technology powers virtual makeup across multiple L’Oréal brands, including Maybelline, allowing users to instantly test hundreds of lip, eye, and face products live on their own image via advanced face‑tracking algorithms that accurately detect lips, eyes, and cheeks. The system supports live camera try-on, photo upload, before/after comparisons, and side by side views of up to four shades, giving customers high confidence in color selection and significantly boosting online makeup sales.
5. Amazon
Amazon has built a broad ecosystem of virtual try-on tools across categories such as eyewear, shoes, apparel, and cosmetics within its shopping app. Using AR, shoppers can see how sunglasses and eyeglass frames look on their faces, visualize sneakers on their feet, or test selected beauty products digitally, often powered by partnerships with AR specialists like Perfect Corp. These experiences are aimed at increasing conversion and lowering return rates on fit sensitive categories, and are deeply integrated into product detail pages so customers can launch try-on directly from the standard shopping flow.
6. Dior
Dior uses AR both on its own sites and through partners like Google to power beauty and accessories try-on. Dior Beauty’s collections are available in Google’s AR try-on for lip and face makeup, allowing shoppers to test shades on 148 models or on themselves through the camera interface before clicking through to buy. The house also experiments with virtual filters and AR lenses across social platforms for lipstick, eyeshadow, and even sunglasses, blending storytelling, couture aesthetics, and shoppable experiences.
7. Sephora
Sephora has been an early mover in virtual try-on with its Virtual Artist and subsequent AR features in the Sephora app and on sephora.com. Powered by partners such as ModiFace, the tools let users test thousands of lipstick, foundation, eyeshadow, and blush shades in real time, along with features like shade matching and side by side comparison. Internal case studies and third party analyses have highlighted increases in time spent on product pages and higher add‑to‑cart rates when shoppers engage with virtual try-on.
8. Nike
Nike uses computer vision and AR to solve one of the toughest fit problems in retail: shoe sizing. Its Nike Fit feature scans a user’s feet with a smartphone camera and uses AI to recommend the best size for each model, reducing returns due to poor fit. Nike has also experimented with AR overlays in its app and in stores, allowing users to see how sneakers look on their feet or to unlock product information and styling content by pointing their phone at physical displays. These tools are particularly valuable for high‑heat drops, where customers want certainty before purchasing limited footwear online.
9. Walmart
Walmart has invested heavily in apparel virtual try-on as part of its broader fashion push. Its AI‑powered “Choose My Model” and full body try-on tools let shoppers select models that match their height, body shape, and skin tone to see how items might look on a more realistic body type. The retailer has expanded these experiences to cover hundreds of thousands of items across its private labels and marketplace brands, aiming to improve fit confidence and cut down on returns in categories like dresses, denim, and activewear.
10. Maybelline
Maybelline, part of L’Oréal, offers one of the most accessible brand‑specific virtual try-on experiences for mass‑market beauty. On maybelline.com, users can try “any makeup shade virtually” by choosing a product, enabling their live camera, or uploading a photo, and instantly seeing lipstick, eyeshadow, or other products applied to their own face. The ModiFace based system uses advanced face tracking so the digital makeup moves naturally as the user turns or speaks, while features like before/after views and up to four shade comparisons help shoppers refine choices and share looks with friends.
