AR VR · alternatives
Alternatives to Microsoft HoloLens 2
20 ar vr tools sit alongside Microsoft HoloLens 2 in this directory. Below is what separates each from Microsoft HoloLens 2 on the figures we hold, price, model, tier count and rating, and a direct comparison for every one.
- Alternatives listed
- 20
- With a free tier
- 13
- Cheaper to start
- 18
- Microsoft HoloLens 2 starts at
- $3500/one-time
Why people look past Microsoft HoloLens 2
Only what the record supports. Each point below is a figure on the Microsoft HoloLens 2 entry measured against the tools listed beside it.
It costs more than the category median
Microsoft HoloLens 2 starts at $3500/one-time. Across the 10 ar vr tools listed beside it that publish a price, the median entry point is $174.5/month.
There is no free tier
The record for Microsoft HoloLens 2 carries no free tier, so evaluating it means paying first. 13 of the 20 alternatives below can be used without paying.
What each alternative does differently
Ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry. Differences are drawn from price, pricing model, tier count and rating, the fields the category listing carries. For a feature-level difference, follow the head-to-head link on each card: those pages read both full records.
All-in-one VR headset platform for immersive experiences
- Starts $3201 a one-time cheaper, at $299/one-time.
Enterprise AR headset for transformative experiences
- Starts $201 a unit cheaper, at $3299/unit.
Revolutionary spatial computing device
- Starts $1 a one-time cheaper, at $3499/one-time.
VR collaboration platform for enterprise teams
- Can be used without paying; Microsoft HoloLens 2 cannot.
- Starts $3450 a month cheaper, at €50/month.
Google's platform for building AR experiences
- Can be used without paying; Microsoft HoloLens 2 cannot.
- Starts $3500 a month cheaper, at Free.
Create AR experiences for Snapchat and beyond
- Can be used without paying; Microsoft HoloLens 2 cannot.
- Starts $3500 a month cheaper, at Free.
Every Microsoft HoloLens 2 alternative at a glance
A dash means the catalogue entry carries no figure, not that the answer is nothing.
| Tool | Entry price | Model | Tiers | Head to head |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft HoloLens 2 (this page) | $3500/one-time | - | - | |
| Meta QuestStandalone VR headset with broader content ecosystem and lower price point than HoloLens | $299/one-time | One-time | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Magic Leap 2Spatial computing device designed for enterprise with improved field of view and form factor | $3299/unit | - | - | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Apple Vision ProPremium spatial computing headset with advanced displays and hand tracking capabilities | $3499/one-time | One-time | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Glue | Free, then €50/month | Freemium | 3 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| ARCore | Free | Free | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Lens Studio | Free | - | - | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Horizon Worlds | Free | Free | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Engage VR | Free | Freemium | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Frame VR | Free | Freemium | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Gravity Sketch | Free | Freemium | 4 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| ARKit | Free | Free | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Instagram AR Effects | Free | Free | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| MeetinVR | Free, then €10/week | Subscription | 3 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| AltspaceVR | Free | Free | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Babylon.js | Free | - | - | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Immersed | Free, then $5.99/month | Freemium | 2 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Masterpiece VR | $9.99/month | Subscription | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Medium by Adobe | $9.99/month | Subscription | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| HTC Vive | $499/one-time | One-time | 1 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
| Bigscreen | $1019/one-time | One-time | 2 | vs Microsoft HoloLens 2 |
Ratings are aggregated from third-party sources and imported with each catalogue entry; Softwr hosts no reviews of these products. How each figure is used is set out on the Microsoft HoloLens 2 badges page.
Cheaper ways to solve the same problem
Free to start (13)
These publish a tier that costs nothing, so they can be evaluated before any money changes hands.
- Glue , Free, then €50/month
- ARCore , Free
- Lens Studio , Free
- Horizon Worlds , Free
- Engage VR , Free
- Frame VR , Free
- Gravity Sketch , Free
- ARKit , Free
Cheaper than Microsoft HoloLens 2 (18)
Entry price under Microsoft HoloLens 2's $3500/one-time. The record does not say what unit that price is charged in, so confirm per-seat versus flat rate before comparing budgets.
- Meta Quest , $299/one-time
- Magic Leap 2 , $3299/unit
- Apple Vision Pro , $3499/one-time
- Glue , Free, then €50/month
- ARCore , Free
- Lens Studio , Free
- Horizon Worlds , Free
- Engage VR , Free
What you would be giving up
Microsoft HoloLens 2 is most often brought in for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization, immersive experiences. Anything replacing it has to cover the ones you actually depend on, and a cheaper tool that misses one of them is not cheaper.
Two things this page cannot settle. It compares on price, model, tier count and rating, because those are the fields the category listing carries, feature-level differences need both full records, which is what the head-to-head pages load. And the ratings are third-party aggregates imported with each entry rather than reviews written here, so a 0.2 difference between two tools is noise rather than a finding.
If Microsoft HoloLens 2 is broadly right and the question is cost, the Microsoft HoloLens 2 pricing breakdown covers every tier and what each one adds. If you want the whole field rather than a shortlist, the AR VR category lists everything the directory holds, and best ar vr tools ranks them.
Microsoft HoloLens 2 runs on standalone ar headset. Platform coverage is not carried on the category listing for the alternatives, so it is one more thing to check on each head-to-head page rather than here.
Questions about Microsoft HoloLens 2 alternatives
- What are the main alternatives to Microsoft HoloLens 2?
- 20 other ar vr tools are listed in this directory, led by Meta Quest, Magic Leap 2, Apple Vision Pro, Glue. They are ordered by the aggregated rating on each catalogue entry, not by any Softwr ranking.
- What is the best free alternative to Microsoft HoloLens 2?
- 13 of the alternatives listed here can be used without paying: Glue, ARCore, Lens Studio, Horizon Worlds, Engage VR.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to Microsoft HoloLens 2?
- Yes. 18 of the alternatives below start under Microsoft HoloLens 2's $3500/one-time: Meta Quest at $299/one-time, Magic Leap 2 at $3299/unit, Apple Vision Pro at $3499/one-time, Glue at Free, then €50/month.
- Why do people look for an alternative to Microsoft HoloLens 2?
- On the figures on record, 2 things stand out: it costs more than the category median; there is no free tier. Each is set out with the numbers behind it above.
- What would I give up by switching from Microsoft HoloLens 2?
- Microsoft HoloLens 2 is most often brought in for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization, immersive experiences. Anything you replace it with has to cover the ones you actually rely on, the side-by-side comparisons linked from each alternative below put the two feature records against each other.
- Is there an open-source alternative to Microsoft HoloLens 2?
- None of the ar vr tools listed here are recorded as open source. That is what the licence field on each entry says, and the field is not always filled in, so it is worth checking directly for any tool you are serious about.
- How were these Microsoft HoloLens 2 alternatives chosen?
- They are the tools filed in the same category, AR VR, ordered by the aggregated rating on each entry. There is no editorial shortlist, and nothing on this page is paid: no sponsored placement runs on alternatives pages and the order cannot be bought. Softwr has not used these products.
- Where can I compare Microsoft HoloLens 2 against one of these directly?
- Every alternative below has a side-by-side page against Microsoft HoloLens 2 covering price, platforms, features and what each one is used for. Those pages read the full record for both products rather than the summary shown here.
- Does this list cover every ar vr tool?
- No. It covers what this directory holds in the AR VR category, 20 tools beside Microsoft HoloLens 2. The category page lists the rest of the catalogue as it grows.