VividWorks Alternatives: Why Zolak is the Modern Choice for Visual Commerce

E-commerce has entered a new era. Shoppers no longer settle for static product photos or basic customization tools. They expect to see products in real context, modify them,  and explore full, lifelike rooms before purchasing.

But not all 3D and configuration platforms were built with this shift in mind.

VividWorks originated in the CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) and manufacturing world, optimized for rule-based configuration and quoting accuracy.

Zolak, in contrast, was built from the ground up for visual commerce — immersive shopping, photorealistic visualization, and scalable content creation for modern e-commerce teams.

Both platforms offer value, but they serve fundamentally different purposes. This guide breaks down the core differences so you can choose the platform that aligns with your goals.

1. Two Different Philosophies: CPQ Engine vs. Visual Commerce Platform

VividWorks: Engineered for Manufacturing Accuracy

VividWorks is rooted in configuration logic and sales engineering. It excels at enforcing rules, dependencies, and constraints,  ensuring every configuration is technically valid and ready for production.

Ideal for:

• B2B workflows
• Modular cabinetry
• Industrial shelving
• Custom manufacturing environments

Core strength: Generating 100% error-free orders for highly complex, modular products.

Source: VividWorks

Zolak: Designed for Shopper Engagement and Visual Storytelling

Zolak is an AI-powered visual commerce suit built for modern e-commerce reality. It combines a powerful 3D configurator, AI-driven showroom, multi-object room planning, rapid marketing content production, and a self-managed CMS in one platform.

Ideal for:

• D2C and omnichannel retailers
• Furniture, décor, home improvement, lifestyle brands
• Merchandising teams that need speed and flexibility

Core strength: Delivering immersive, conversion-driven shopping experiences that boost sales and reduce returns.

2. VividWorks vs. Zolak: Comparison Table

The table below breaks down the key differences to help you identify which platform aligns with your business goals.

3. 3D Configuration: Engineering Precision vs. Shopper Engagement

VividWorks: Logic-First

VividWorks configurator is robust for rule validation and component compatibility. It’s ideal for industries where manufacturing logic drives the sale.

Use Case: A manufacturer selling industrial shelving systems where structural integrity is paramount. The system prevents users from placing a shelf where there is no support.

Zolak: Experience-First

Zolak 3D configurator is built for engagement. It focuses on realistic visuals, dynamic lighting, and true-to-life materials to replicate the in-store feeling.

Use Case: A furniture brand launching a new sofa collection. The priority is ensuring the velvet texture looks soft on both a mobile and desktop screen and that the customer can instantly visualize it in "Dark Blue Velvet" without lag.

Key features:

• Unlimited customization (materials, finishes, fine details)
• 360° product view with zoom and full rotation
• Adjustable lighting (daylight / evening / studio)
• Full-screen material swatches
• AR placement
• Preview static visuals (silos, lifestyle shots, videos)

4. Room Visualization: Planning Tools vs. Immersive Showrooms

VividWorks

VividWorks expands into spatial design with its measurement-driven Space Planner. It’s ideal for teams needing precise room layouts and technical validation, but the experience is more functional rather than visually inspiring.

Source: VividWorks

Zolak

Zolak’s 3D digital showroom is a sales engine designed to increase basket size.

Increase AOV with Multi-Product Placement

Instead of configuring a single item, users can place multiple products, say a sofa, rug, and lamp, in one photorealistic scene. For high-ticket items, visualizing the "whole look" is a proven driver of higher AOV, often by up to 60%.

AI-Powered "Try-Before-You-Buy"

The Interior Smart Planner uses advanced neural networks to scan a user’s photo. It removes existing furniture and allows the customer to place your products in their actual room true-to-scale. This removes the guesswork that leads to costly returns.

Shop-The-Room with Bundles & Presets 

Let’s imagine a real-world scenario. A merchandiser wants to push a "Spring Bundle." With Zolak, they can set up a pre-styled digital room featuring the bundle and embed it on the landing page, allowing customers to "Add All to Cart" in one click.

5. Content Production: BOM Files vs. AI-Driven Assets

VividWorks

VividWorks generates technical files essential for modular product sales: quotes, BOM, and order summary. They don't support marketing content production so brands need to rely on external 3D rendering studios or photography.

Zolak

Zolak equips your marketing team with everything needed to power your channels and build an engaging, high-converting Product Detail Page (PDP).

Studio + AI Assistant is a creative automation tool designed to transform a single 3D model, or a standard product photo into a complete suite of market-ready content. No photoshoots, no manual rendering workflows, no outsourcing.

With a few clicks, you can produce:

• 📸 Lifestyle Renders: Your products in stylish, fully furnished 3D environments.
• ⚪ Silo Images: Clean, white-background shots for product pages.
• 📝 AI Product Descriptions: Engaging copy tailored to the visual context.

The ROI: A brand launching 50 SKUs can generate all required product photography and marketing visuals in hours instead of weeks, reducing production costs by up to 5× and speeding up time-to-market.

6. CMS & Workflow: Vendor-Dependent vs. Team-Driven

VividWorks

CPQ platforms like VividWorks often have backends designed for engineers, not e-commerce managers. The admin panel is complex and technically dense, often forcing brands to rely on the vendor or developers for even simple catalog updates.

Real VividWorks users report a steep learning curve and a reliance on technical support that slows down business agility:

Source: g2 reviews

Zolak

With self-managed, user-friendly CMS, there's no need to submit a support ticket to change a fabric color. Your merchandising, marketing, or a product team can manage the digital catalog quickly and independently.

• ✅ New fabric collection? Upload it.
• ✅ New product variation? Create it with a few clicks.
• ✅ Seasonal campaign? Design a new showroom scene with your products in minutes.

This level of control provides the balance of quality and speed, freeing you from the lengthy development cycles and "programmed updates".

7. UI/UX: Technical Tools vs. Modern, Shopper-First Design

VividWorks

VividWorks’ interface reflects its manufacturing-first origins, which can feel technical for consumer-facing e-commerce. Users mention the interface can feel technical and dated:

Source: g2 reviews

Zolak

Zolak is built for modern e-commerce: clean, intuitive, visual-first, and optimized for mobile. Every interaction is designed to feel effortless for both your team and your customers, combining visual appeal with the necessary accuracy and precision for confident purchasing.

• ✅ No tutorials needed: Customers shouldn’t need a video guide to buy a sofa. The UI is self-explanatory.
• ✅ Visuals first: High-fidelity visuals and immersive interaction take priority over complex menus.
• ✅ Speed is key: A lightweight 3D viewer ensures fast load times, reducing bounce rates by up to 32-56%.

8. Pricing: Enterprise Gating vs. Modular Scalability

VividWorks

VividWorks follows a traditional enterprise pricing model centered on tiered plans and upfront configuration fees. This works well for large manufacturers with complex CPQ needs, but creates a high barrier to entry for brands seeking flexibility or fast deployment.

1. Limited starter plan (€247/mo). Excludes core essentials like space planning, high-quality rendering, save/load functionality, and advanced customization tools.
2. Large jump to Pro Plan (€747/mo). Adds more capability, but many important features still remain locked behind Enterprise-level access.
3. Enterprise-only access to critical features. APIs, custom UX, floor plans, scene creation, advanced rules, and HD rendering require a custom-priced Enterprise package.
4. High implementation costs: Setup for a medium-complexity sofa starts around €5,000, while modular products with detailed rules can exceed €50,000. Costs increase with catalog size and product complexity.

Zolak

Zolak uses a modern, modular pricing structure: a low Platform Fee + optional interactive modules, so you only pay for what you actually use.