How to Pick the Best Product Configurator (With Real Examples)
Learn how to choose the best 3D product configurator for your business. We cover software types, real examples, and tips to match your products, buyers, and workflows.
The success of a product configurator depends on how well it fits your business. It needs to handle your product logic, support your sales process, and connect with your existing tools. Picking the wrong type can lead to poor user experience, pricing issues, or wasted time.
This guide breaks down the main configurator software types, shows real examples from furniture, construction, and e-commerce, and gives you hints to pick a configurator that fits your products, your buyers, and your workflows.
Why 3D Configuration Is Becoming the Standard
If you're reading this, chances are you already know what a 3D configurator is and you're considering implementing one for your business.
That makes sense. In 2025, 3D configuration has gone from a competitive edge to an industry standard, not only for brands selling custom products online but also for B2B manufacturers with complex, configurable products. Whether it’s customizable cabinets, modular furniture, industrial equipment, buyers and sales teams alike expect to visualize and configure products in real time. Not just imagine them from a dropdown menu or take hours to deliver a quote.
Why is 3D product configuration becoming the norm?
- Customers expect personalization: 80% of consumers are more likely to buy when the experience feels tailored, and 71% feel frustrated when it is not.
- Visual interaction drives conversions: 82% of product page visitors activate 3D view when it is available, and AR increases conversion rates by 20%.
- Product flexibility has exploded: To respond to the demand for hyper-personalization, products now come with thousands of combinations in dimensions, finishes, and options.
So the real question isn’t whether you need a product configurator. If you sell configurable products, you need one. For e-commerce brands it delivers the visual, personalized experience buyers expect. For B2B it speeds up quoting, reduces errors, and keeps sales, engineering, and production aligned. The real challenge is finding the solution that fits your products and your workflows.
What Are the Different Types of Configurator Software?
Not all configurators are built the same. Some are designed for simple personalization, while others can manage thousands of product rules and generate files for manufacturing. Here are four types of configurator software, ranging from the least advanced to the most powerful:
1. 3D Product Viewer
A product viewer lets users rotate a 3D model and zoom in on details. It’s great for showcasing products visually but has no real product customization or logic built in.
Best for: brands that want to show their products in 3D without adding complexity.
2. Basic 3D Customizer
Allows users to change simple attributes like colors, materials, or finishes. It creates engagement but it doesn’t manage complex options or connect to production.
Best for: consumer products with a handful of variations, like accessories or simple furniture.
3. Modular 3D Configurator
An interactive or real-time 3D configurator goes beyond 3D visuals. Users can change modules, dimensions, or finishes while seeing instant updates, not just to the visuals but also to the price. Because it integrates CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote), buyers understand the impact of their choices immediately.
Best for: modular products where pricing clarity and confidence matter, such as kitchens, closets, or office furniture.
4. Complex 3D Configurator
Also referred to as a custom 3D configurator, it manages advanced product rules and parametric logic. It not only updates 3D visuals and pricing in real time but also generates outputs like BOMs, cut lists, or CAD files. In other words, it connects the buying experience directly to manufacturing.
Best for: technical or highly configurable products such as railings, cabinetry, modular furniture systems, or industrial equipment.
Best Product Configurator Examples Per Industry
3D Furniture Configurator: For Home and Office Modular Furniture
3D furniture configurators are best for manufacturers of modular products where buyers need to adapt size, layout, and finish to their own space. This includes home and office furniture such as kitchen cabinets, office desks, shelving systems, sofas, or wardrobes.
What Makes the Best 3D Furniture Configurator:
- Modular design support: when users can arrange multiple pieces in a room and configure each one separately, creating entire setups in a single session.
- Limitless dimensions: instead of presets, dimensions can be defined with unlimited precision thanks to parametric models. It unlocks every variation a product line supports.
- Real time pricing: the configurator automatically calculates pricing based on chosen options and shows it in real-time to users.
- Manufacturing-Ready Export: once a design is done, the configurator generates BOMs or CAD files, so production teams can instantly start manufacturing the product.
Real-World Example - 3D Furniture Configurator for Cabinets:
This cabinet manufacturer offers customers a fast, fully visual way to design and order their dream vanity. Buyers can start from scratch or choose from curated inspirations, interact with the 3D model to move and rotate the design, and see pricing update instantly with every selection. They can also add walls, sinks, and accessories for a realistic preview, then send the finished configuration straight to checkout.
B2B Manufacturing Configurator: For Commercial & Residential Construction
Construction products like railings, pergolas, or staircases need to be tailored to exact dimensions and meet safety standards. A B2B manufacturing configurator makes it faster and more accurate by applying rules, enforcing constraints, and generating outputs for both buyers and dealers.
What Makes the Best B2B Manufacturing Configurator:
- Multi-component layouts: Users can assemble a full system in one scene and configure each component independently in a single session.
- Parametric models: users can define dimensions with unlimited precision for complex building components, unlocking all the possibilities a product offers.
- Visual CPQ: The configurator automatically calculates pricing based on chosen options and shows it in real-time, ensuring instant quotes.
- Build-ready deliverables: once a product is built, the configurator automatically generates BOMs, cut lists, and CAD models, making it instantly ready for manufacturing.
Real-World Example - 3D Pergola Configurator
This pergola manufacturer replaced their outdated, manual quoting system with a pergola configurator powered by parametric models. Dealers can now design pergolas step by step, get instant pricing with built-in CPQ, and share 3D views with customers. The configurator also generates BOMs, syncs with their CRM, and includes an order management dashboard.
E-Commerce Configurator: For E-Commerce & Retail
Brands selling made-to-order or customizable products online need a fast, visual, and mobile-first buying experience. An e-commerce product configurator brings interactivity and clarity to the shopping journey, and lets buyers complete the purchase in one flow.
What Makes the Best E-Commerce Configurators:
- E-Commerce Integration: Shoppers configure products and add them straight to the cart without leaving the online shop. Checkout remains quick and simple.
- High-fidelity 3D previews. The 3D models should display all shapes, colors, and materials so shoppers can appreciate every detail of the product.
- Mobile-friendly configuration. A responsive experience ensures configuration is as smooth on mobile as it is on desktop, so buyers can customize and purchase anywhere.
- Multi-language and multi-currency support. International shoppers can configure and order in their own language and currency, removing barriers and building trust.
Real-World Example – E-Commerce Product Configurator for Custom Cushions:
This cushion brand moved business online with an e-commerce configurator that guides buyers end-to-end. Shoppers get an AI assistant to navigate a large fabric catalog, set exact cushion sizes with parametric models, preview their design with AR at home, and check out in one flow with real-time pricing. The rollout cut design time by about 20% and coordination time by about 60%, while improving visualization and scaling DTC sales.
How to Choose the Best Product Configurator for Your Business
Now that we have seen different types of configurators and industry examples, it is time to assess what is best for your business. Below are questions you should ask yourself and answer, to go in the right direction.
Product complexity & rules
- How customizable are your products: preset sizes, or fully modular with precise dimensions?
- Do users need to configure multiple components together in one scene?
Tip: If users can only choose colors or materials, a basic configurator may work. But if you offer modular products with precise dimensions, you need a more complex configurator.
Pricing & conversion
- Do you need the price to update live as options change?
- Do you sell bundles or multi-item projects that need a clear total?
Tip: If price must update live, picking a product configurator with visual CPQ is a must.
Manufacturing Output
- Do engineering or production teams need data from the configurator?
- Do you need CAD, BOM, or cut lists for every order?
Tip: Choose a configurator that can generate build files your team already uses (BOM and CAD with correct units and part IDs) and attach a version stamp for traceability.
Integration & audience
- Which systems must the configurator connect to: ecommerce, CRM, ERP, PIM
- Who will use it: consumers, sales team, dealers? on mobile or desktop? One or multiple countries?
Tip: Choose a configurator that can run fast on mobile and connect to your ecommerce, CRM, and ERP out of the box.
Need a Custom Configurator That Can Handle Real Complexity?
Most configurators stop at basic options. If your products are modular, complex, or require advanced logic and backend integration, you need more than a plug-and-play tool.
Salsita specializes in building custom 3D configurators that support complex product configuration rules, real-time visuals, pricing logic, and production-ready outputs. We work with companies across furniture, construction, and e-commerce industries to deliver solutions that are tailored end to end, from UX to 3D to backend systems.