Compare Integration Approaches
Compare full Vision native apps, embedded Vision, and Lens Web SDK to choose the right balance of workflow, customer experience, and secure capture.
Use this guide to choose the integration approach that best fits your customer experience, workflow requirements, and security needs.
The four approaches
Lens Web SDK — You build your own inspection UX; Lens provides controlled capture and a verification pipeline. Best for organizations that want full control over their UX and are willing to build the inspection experience themselves.
Vision Web Inspection App — Truepic's ready-made mobile web inspection experience. Best for organizations that want customers to complete inspections without downloading an app, while still getting a full inspection flow and Dashboard review.
Embedded Vision — The Vision Web Inspection App embedded inside your native app via WebView. Best for organizations that want customers to stay inside their own app without rebuilding a full inspection workflow from scratch.
Vision Native Apps — Truepic's iOS and Android apps. Best for organizations that want the most complete inspection experience with the strongest device controls and feature depth.
Comparison
| Lens Web SDK | Vision Web App | Embedded Vision | Vision Native Apps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| End-user experience provided by Truepic | No — you build your own UI and flows | Yes — gallery, capture, questions, finish inspection | Yes — same as Web App, embedded in WebView with branding options | Yes — full native iOS/Android experience |
| Inspection workflow (lists, required items, statuses, completion) | You must build this yourself | Built-in, including required item enforcement | Built-in; can redirect users back to your app on completion | Built-in, with the broadest set of app capabilities |
| Capture types | Photos + videos; camera facing switch; browser-based location | Photos + videos; short answer + multiple choice questions | Same as Web App (it is the web app, embedded) | Photos + videos + questions, plus native-only affordances |
| Device / browser support | iOS Safari and Android Chrome; unsupported user agents are blocked | Mobile web: Safari + Chrome | Runs inside your native app via WebView | iOS + Android native apps |
| Offline capture | ❌ Not supported | Limited — expect weaker offline behavior vs. native | Same constraints as web | ✅ Supported |
| Camera capabilities (flash, zoom) | ❌ Not supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Supported |
| Jailbreak / root detection | ❌ Not supported | ❌ Not supported | ❌ Not supported | ✅ Supported |
| Device attestation | ❌ Not supported | ❌ Not supported | ❌ Not supported | ✅ Supported (AppAttest / SafetyNet) |
| Signing model | Server-side signing | Server-side signing | Server-side signing | On-device signing with device key |
| Metadata richness | Limited — no sensor data; exact device model unavailable | Limited — no sensor data; exact device model unavailable | Limited — no sensor data; exact device model unavailable | Rich — sensor data + complete device identification |
| Branding / customization | High — you own the UX entirely | Moderate — org name, logo, colors, and messaging | High — match org fonts and colors while keeping the user within your app | Moderate — org name, logo, colors, and messaging |
| Implementation lift | Highest — build inspection UX, integrate SDK, handle edge cases | Lowest — send inspection links; customers use mobile web | Medium — embed web app in native app + Branch smart links (typically 1–2 weeks) | Lowest for your app team; requires customers to download an app |
| Key limitations | Must build inspection constructs; no wide-angle, can't always identify exact device model | Intentionally "lite" — some features (geofencing, conditional questions) not available | Requires effort to integrate into your own native application | Requires end-user app download |
Choose this if...
Vision Native Apps
- You want the most complete, polished inspection experience with the least implementation work.
- You need the strongest device integrity controls — attestation, root detection, on-device signing, and richer metadata.
- An app download is acceptable (or preferred) for your end users. Most of our clients choose this option.
Vision Web Inspection App
- You want a ready-made inspection flow with no app download required.
- You don't need customers to stay inside your own app.
- You want the fastest path to offering no-download inspections and are comfortable with a "lite" capture experience.
Embedded Vision
- You want the full Vision inspection workflow, but customers must stay inside your native app.
- You're comfortable adding a WebView, permissions, and deep linking.
- You want to match your app's branding while keeping the pre-built inspection flow.
Lens Web SDK
- You need secure photo or video capture in a mobile web experience.
- You want to orchestrate the capture flow from your own app interface.
- You do not need Vision inspections, lists, questions, statuses, or Dashboard review.
Next steps
- Start with Vision — Review the main getting-started guide to choose your backend integration level and inspection experience.
- Embed Vision in your app — Add the pre-built inspection experience to your native app with a WebView.
- Build with Lens Web SDK — Add the Lens camera to your mobile web or in-app web experience.
Updated about 1 month ago