AR menu providers in the UK, compared
Published by VR Express, one of the providers below. Each provider is described from its own website, checked on 14 November 2026. Where another provider fits better, we say so.
Quick answer
UK AR menu providers fall into three groups. Photo-based services build 3D dishes from photos you send: ARmenu (from £49 a month, first dish free, 48-hour delivery) and Menu3D Lab (London, one-off packages, 48 to 72 hours). Capture services scan the dishes for you: 3Dish (£180 set-up plus £180 a month, unlimited re-capture) and VR Express (scanned in your kitchen, manual quality pass, about two weeks, a one-off set-up plus a per-dish fee). Agencies build bespoke projects on quote: Visuosofts (Manchester, AR menus plus marketing) and RestaurantAR (menus plus an SDK for your own app). For the cheapest trial, start with a photo-based service; if presentation is the product, use a capture service.
Photo-based services: cheapest and fastest
- ARmenu (armenu.co.uk): you take 20 to 30 photos of each dish and send them by WhatsApp or email; ARmenu builds the 3D model with Apple Object Capture, hosts it and sends print-ready QR codes within 48 hours. Published tiers: £49 a month for 5 dishes at one location, £99 a month for 20 dishes at three locations, £199 a month unlimited. First dish free. Best for: trying AR cheaply on many dishes. Check: the model is only as good as your photos.
- Menu3D Lab (menu3d-lab.online, London WC2H): one-off packages of 1, 3 or 5 dishes with no subscription; you send photos from several angles plus dish dimensions, and models and AR links arrive in 48 to 72 hours. Best for: a small one-off. Check: how long hosting lasts after delivery.
Capture services: they scan your dishes
- 3Dish (3dish.co.uk): visits the restaurant and scans the menu. Published price £180 set-up plus £180 a month, which includes unlimited capture for menu and seasonal changes, hosting and support. Branding, dish descriptions and allergen information cost extra. Best for: venues that change dishes often and want capture handled for them on a fixed monthly price.
- VR Express (vrexpress.io): XR studio founded in 2015 in Sofia, with in-person captures in London. Dishes are scanned freshly plated in your kitchen, by us or by your team with our capture kit, and every model gets a manual quality pass for glare, holes and scale. The menu page goes live with sections, prices, allergens and a QR code per dish in about two weeks. Priced as a one-off set-up, typically in the thousands of pounds, plus a per-dish fee in the low hundreds of pounds that includes hosting. Best for: fine dining, cocktail bars and hotels where the plate itself sells. Honest caveat: it costs more up front than a subscription.
Agencies and custom builds: on quote
- Visuosofts (visuosofts.com, Manchester, works UK-wide): browser-based AR menus with allergen and dietary layers, upsell prompts and scan analytics, combined with SEO, PPC and paid social. Price on quote. Best for: groups that want AR and marketing from one agency. Check: ask for production, hosting and marketing costs listed separately.
- RestaurantAR (restaurantar.co.uk): 3D and AR menus, QR codes and 3D scanning, an AR SDK to add dishes to your own website or app, plus marketing services. Price on request. Best for: restaurants that already have their own app. Check: whether guests are asked to install the RestaurantAR app.
How to choose
- Decide who captures: your own photos are cheapest; having someone scan the plates takes less of your time and usually gives better models.
- Ask every provider for a 3D model of one of your own dishes and open it on your own phone, on your Wi-Fi and on mobile data.
- Compare the first-year total, not the headline price: set-up, monthly fees, hosting and re-captures.
- Confirm guests need no app, and ask who owns the 3D models if you stop paying.
- Ask for two restaurant references you can call.
First-year cost from the published prices
- 5 dishes, photo-based (ARmenu Starter): £49 × 12 = £588.
- 20 dishes, photo-based (ARmenu Growth): £99 × 12 = £1,188.
- Whole menu, capture subscription (3Dish): £180 + £180 × 12 = £2,340.
- Studio-made menu (VR Express): a one-off set-up in the thousands of pounds plus the per-dish fee, with no monthly subscription. See the UK AR menu cost guide for the ranges.
- Prices as published on 14 November 2026; check VAT with each provider.
See it and read the case study
Try it on your phone: open the demo menu and tap “See it on your table”. VR Express has built AR, VR and WebXR since 2015, including the AR Menu platform for restaurants and bars. Start with the overview of AR menus for London restaurants, see what an AR menu costs in the UK or compare AR and QR menus.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest AR menu in the UK?
Photo-based services: ARmenu lists plans from £49 a month for five dishes with the first dish free, and Menu3D Lab sells one-off packages with no subscription.
Which UK AR menu providers scan the dishes for you?
3Dish visits and scans on a monthly subscription, and VR Express scans in your kitchen in London (or your team scans with its kit) with a manual quality pass on every model.
Is VR Express a UK company?
No. VR Express is an XR studio founded in 2015 in Sofia, Bulgaria. It works with UK restaurants and does in-person AR menu captures in London.
Do any UK AR menus need an app?
The browser-based ones do not: iPhones open dishes in AR Quick Look and Android phones in Scene Viewer. RestaurantAR also promotes its own app, so ask whether guests need it.
Why is this comparison published by a provider?
Because restaurants ask us how we compare. We describe every provider from its own website and say where another one is the better fit. Corrections are welcome at sales@vrexpress.io.