Best Snap Specs Lens Developers and Agencies in 2026

Snap Specs are here. Revealed at AWE 2026 and shipping this fall for $2,195, Specs are Snap's first consumer augmented reality glasses: standalone, see-through, and one of the most anticipated developer platforms in AR. They are the consumer successor to the 2024 fifth-generation Spectacles developer kit, built on the same Snap OS and Lens Studio foundation but in a lighter design aimed at everyday wear. For studios, Specs open the door to reaching consumers with true AR Lenses rather than phone-screen effects.

Building for Specs is a Lens Studio discipline. Experiences are created as Lenses in Snap's free Lens Studio using JavaScript or TypeScript, and 2026 brings a new Native Development Kit plus agentic development support through integrations with Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor. Snap OS is Android-based but runs sandboxed Lenses rather than APKs, so the craft is spatial AR design and real-time computer vision rather than traditional app development. The studios that excel here pair deep Lens Studio expertise with strong AR creative direction.

A quick note on naming: Snap's earlier glasses were called Spectacles, and the 2024 fifth-generation Spectacles were a developer-only kit. The new consumer product is branded Specs, and it runs the same Snap OS and Lens Studio toolchain. Throughout this guide, the development ecosystem and studio expertise apply to both, so any team that has shipped Spectacles Lenses is ready to build for Specs. Whether you are an enterprise exploring AR workforce tools, a brand building consumer experiences, or a developer entering AR, these are the partners best positioned to deliver.

Top Snap Specs Development Companies at a Glance

The Best Snap Specs Development Companies in 2026

Ranking Methodology

• Portfolio breadth: Studios evaluated across Snap Lens Studio, SnapAR SDK, and broader AR platform experience.
• Technical depth: Assessment of Lens Studio expertise, real-time computer vision, and wearable AR development.
• Client caliber: Weight given to enterprise and brand engagements with measurable campaign or deployment outcomes.
• Delivery track record: Review of published Lenses, case studies, and awards in the AR creative industry.
• Industry specialization: Depth of Snap-specific expertise relative to broader AR glasses development capability.

1. Treeview - Best Overall for Enterprise Spatial Computing

Treeview is a world-leading XR studio that transforms bold ideas into spatial computing applications. Specializing in enterprise-grade AR, VR, and mixed reality, Treeview delivers end-to-end projects with startup speed and long-term partnership focus. When it comes to Snap Spectacles, Treeview brings unmatched cross-platform spatial expertise - designing experiences that don't just look good but solve real business problems.

Notable clients include Microsoft (digital twin visualization), NEOM (AR ski navigation), Ulta Beauty (Ariana Grande immersive experience), and Daiichi-Sankyo (cardiovascular patient onboarding). Treeview retains full IP ownership for clients and maintains a senior team capable of enterprise-grade delivery at speed.

• Specialties: Enterprise AR/VR/MR, spatial computing, cross-platform XR
• Notable clients: Microsoft, NEOM, Ulta Beauty, Daiichi-Sankyo
• Strengths: Full IP ownership, senior team, enterprise delivery, startup agility
• Website: treeview.studio

2. Poplar Studio - Lens Studio Specialists with Scale

Poplar Studio is a London-based AR agency with deep Lens Studio expertise and a portfolio of over 1,000 AR experiences for global brands. The team works across Snap's ecosystem from consumer lenses to Spectacles-optimized spatial content, making them one of the most capable pure-play AR studios for Snap's platform.

Their production pipeline is proven at scale - building for campaigns that need fast turnaround, multiple lens variants, or global rollout. For brands entering the Snap Spectacles ecosystem for the first time, Poplar's onboarding process and AR consultancy make them an ideal launch partner.

• Specialties: Lens Studio, branded AR, social AR campaigns
• Portfolio: 1,000+ AR experiences across global brands
• Strengths: Scale, speed, Lens Studio depth, brand partnerships
• Website: poplar.studio

3. Aircards - WebAR and Lens Studio Hybrid Experts

Aircards occupies a unique space: they're experts in both WebAR and Lens Studio, allowing them to build experiences that work seamlessly across platforms while optimizing for Snap Spectacles where appropriate. Their approach to no-download AR makes them particularly valuable for brands who want broad reach alongside a dedicated Spectacles experience.

Their team is technically strong with a track record in e-commerce AR, product visualization, and event activations - all of which translate naturally to Spectacles use cases.

• Specialties: WebAR, Lens Studio, cross-platform AR
• Best for: Brands wanting reach across Snap + web + other AR channels
• Strengths: Hybrid platform expertise, no-download AR, e-commerce integrations
• Website: aircards.co

4. Zappar - AR Platform and Agency Combined

Zappar is both an AR technology platform and a full-service agency, offering a rare combination of build tools (ZapWorks) and creative services. Their Lens Studio work is backed by years of AR production experience across consumer, retail, and enterprise contexts.

For organizations that want to build their own AR capabilities over time, Zappar's platform approach allows teams to eventually take development in-house - making them a strategic partner, not just a vendor.

• Specialties: AR platform, Lens Studio, enterprise AR strategy
• Unique value: Platform + agency model enables client capability building
• Strengths: Long-term partnership, AR training, ZapWorks toolchain
• Website: zappar.com

5. Unit9 - Award-Winning Creative Lens Experiences

Unit9 is a creative technology studio with a string of Cannes Lions, D&AD pencils, and Webby Awards for their AR and immersive work. Their Snap Lens campaigns consistently push the boundary of what's possible in the Spectacles ecosystem, combining strong creative direction with technical precision.

Best suited for brands and agencies looking to make a statement - Unit9 is the studio you hire when the work needs to win awards and drive conversation.

• Specialties: Creative technology, Snap Lens, immersive brand experiences
• Accolades: Cannes Lions, D&AD, Webby Award-winning work
• Best for: High-profile brand activations and award-caliber campaigns
• Website: unit9.com

6. MediaMonks - Large-Scale AR Production Powerhouse

As part of S4 Capital, MediaMonks has the resources and network to execute Snap Spectacles campaigns at a scale few agencies can match. Their global production infrastructure means they can localize lenses, manage multi-market rollouts, and integrate AR into broader brand ecosystems.

For Fortune 500 brands running major Snap campaigns, MediaMonks is a natural choice - though smaller teams may find their process more structured than nimble.

• Specialties: Large-scale AR, Lens Studio, global brand campaigns
• Parent: S4 Capital global network
• Best for: Enterprise brands needing global AR rollout
• Website: mediamonks.com

7. Nexus Studios - BAFTA-Winning Narrative AR

Nexus Studios is a BAFTA-winning creative studio known for pushing the artistic and narrative boundaries of immersive media. Their Spectacles work focuses on storytelling-led experiences - AR that feels like art, not advertising.

If your Spectacles project has a creative or cultural dimension - a film promotion, an artist collaboration, a cultural institution - Nexus Studios has the creative pedigree to deliver something genuinely memorable.

• Specialties: Narrative AR, immersive storytelling, Spectacles experiences
• Accolades: BAFTA-winning creative studio
• Best for: Cultural campaigns, entertainment AR, storytelling-forward briefs
• Website: nexusstudios.com

8. We Are Social - Social-First Lens Campaigns

We Are Social is a global social media agency that has built Lens Studio capabilities as part of its Snap platform expertise. Their strength is understanding social behavior - how people share, engage, and create - and building lenses that plug directly into those patterns.

For brands whose Spectacles strategy is part of a broader social media campaign, We Are Social's ability to integrate lens development with content strategy and community management is a genuine differentiator.

• Specialties: Social AR, Lens Studio, Snap platform campaigns
• Strengths: Social behavior expertise, campaign integration, content amplification
• Website: wearesocial.com

9. Immersive Garden - Leading European XR Studio

Immersive Garden is a French XR agency with strong Lens Studio and Spectacles capabilities, making them the top choice for European brands and institutions looking for a regional partner with global-quality output.

Their work spans cultural institutions, luxury brands, and tech companies - all demanding high production value and creative ambition. Their compact team means clients get senior attention on every project.

• Specialties: Lens Studio, spatial XR, cultural and luxury brand AR
• Region: Europe (France-based, global clients)
• Best for: European brands, cultural institutions, luxury sector
• Website: immersive.garden
• Rating: 7.5/10

10. Dimension Studio - Volumetric and Spatial Capture

Dimension Studio specializes in volumetric capture and spatial experiences - capturing real humans and environments in 3D and deploying them across immersive platforms including Snap Spectacles. If your Spectacles experience requires realistic human presence, celebrity scanning, or spatial reconstruction of physical spaces, Dimension is in a class of its own.

Their technical capabilities complement traditional Lens Studio work, making them ideal for experiences where photorealism and spatial fidelity are non-negotiable.

• Specialties: Volumetric capture, spatial experiences, Spectacles integration
• Unique value: Photorealistic 3D human capture for AR experiences
• Best for: Celebrity/talent experiences, high-fidelity spatial AR
• Website: dimension.studio
• Rating: 7.5/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Snap Specs?

Snap Specs are Snap's first consumer augmented reality glasses, revealed at AWE 2026 and shipping in fall 2026 for $2,195. They are standalone, see-through AR glasses that run Snap OS and display interactive AR content in the wearer's field of view, without a tethered phone. Specs are the consumer successor to the 2024 fifth-generation Spectacles developer kit, built on the same Snap OS and Lens Studio foundation but in a lighter, consumer-ready design. They launch first in the US, UK, and France.

How do you develop for Snap Specs?

Developers build for Snap Specs using Lens Studio, Snap's free AR creation environment for Windows and macOS. Experiences are built as Lenses using JavaScript or TypeScript against Snap's APIs; Snap OS is Android-based but does not run APKs, so all apps are sandboxed Lenses. For 2026, Snap added a Native Development Kit and agentic development support in Lens Studio through integrations with Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor, alongside its existing SnapAR tooling. Because Specs share Snap OS and Lens Studio with the earlier Spectacles dev kit, existing Spectacles Lenses and skills carry over.

What is Lens Studio?

Lens Studio is Snap's official, free AR development tool for Windows and macOS, used to build Lenses for Snap Specs, Spectacles, and Snapchat. It provides real-time computer vision, 3D rendering, hand and world tracking, and templates, with scripting in JavaScript or TypeScript. In 2026 Snap expanded it with a Native Development Kit and agentic development support via Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor, making it the central toolchain for Specs development.

How do Snap Specs compare to Meta Ray-Ban?

Snap Specs and Meta Ray-Ban target different needs. Specs are true see-through AR glasses with a transparent display that overlays interactive 3D Lenses on the world, running Snap OS as a standalone device. Meta Ray-Ban glasses are primarily camera-and-AI glasses focused on capture and voice assistance, without a full AR display in the current consumer models. For developers building visual AR experiences, Specs are the relevant platform; for capture and voice AI, Ray-Ban fits better. Specs are also a premium device at $2,195, versus Ray-Ban's lower price point.

How much does Snap Specs development cost?

A custom Snap Specs or Lens Studio experience typically ranges from about $15,000 for a focused branded Lens to $150,000 or more for a complex, multi-feature AR application with custom 3D assets, computer vision, and integrations. Cost depends on interactivity, the volume and quality of 3D content, and whether the experience is a one-off activation or an ongoing product. Because Lenses built for Specs also run across the Spectacles dev kit and reuse Snap OS skills, studios can often amortize development across Snap's AR surfaces.

Related Resources

• Best AR Development Companies - Leading AR studios and platforms building production-grade applications
• Best Smart Glasses Companies in 2026 - Hardware makers and development studios across the smart glasses ecosystem
• Reality Atlas Agency Directory - Browse all XR and AR development agencies by specialty and technology