Software · head to head
8th Wall vs ARKit
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 8th Wall platform shutdown as of February 2026, with hosted services ending; ARKit iOS-only platform, not available for Android or other operating systems
- They diverge on capability: 8th Wall covers SLAM tracking, ARKit covers Face tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 8th Wall and ARKit actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 8th Wall
- SLAM tracking
- Image targets
- Face effects
- Three.js
- A-Frame
- Babylon.js
- PlayCanvas
- Webar support
Only in ARKit
- Face tracking
- Body tracking
- LiDAR support
- RealityKit
- Reality Composer
- SceneKit
- Ar support
- Ipados support
Both cover
- World tracking
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
8th Wall
- VR Gaming
- AR Marketing
- Virtual Training
- 3D Visualization
- Immersive Experiences
ARKit
- VR Gaming
- AR Marketing
- Virtual Training
- 3D Visualization
- Immersive Experiences
Both are used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization, immersive experiences, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
8th Wall
- Platform shutdown as of February 2026, with hosted services ending
- WebAR performance limitations compared to native app AR experiences
- Requires internet connection for all AR experiences to function
- Limited browser support; Firefox and Safari do not support WebXR on desktop and mobile
ARKit
- iOS-only platform, not available for Android or other operating systems
- Location-based AR accuracy limited to 3-5 meters, insufficient for precise applications
- Cannot handle very fast motion capture
- Accuracy varies with lighting conditions and surface characteristics
- Requires iOS 11 or later and specific device hardware
Pricing, plan by plan
8th Wall
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the 8th Wall review.
ARKit
Free- FreeFree
- Full SDK
- Documentation
- Sample code
Which should you pick?
Choose 8th Wall if
- You need slam tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web (WebXR), Mobile browsers, Open source (local deployment).
- You also want image targets.
Choose ARKit if
- You need face tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.
- You also want body tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is 8th Wall or ARKit better?
- Neither clearly leads. 8th Wall starts at Free and ARKit at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 8th Wall or ARKit?
- 8th Wall starts at Free and ARKit at Free.
- Does 8th Wall or ARKit run on more platforms?
- 8th Wall runs on Web (WebXR), Mobile browsers, Open source (local deployment). ARKit runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.
- Can I use 8th Wall for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is 8th Wall best used for?
- 8th Wall is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization.
- What can 8th Wall do that ARKit cannot?
- 8th Wall covers SLAM tracking, Image targets, Face effects, Three.js. ARKit covers Face tracking, Body tracking, LiDAR support, RealityKit. Both handle World tracking, Ios support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
8th Wall: What is 8th Wall and how does it work?
8th Wall was a WebAR platform enabling AR experiences in web browsers without native app installation. As of February 2026, it transitioned to open source at 8thwall.org with free MIT-licensed technology.
SourceARKit: Is ARKit free to use?
Yes, ARKit is free to use. It is included in Apple's iOS SDK and requires only Xcode and a Mac to start building AR apps. There are no licensing fees or subscription costs.
Source8th Wall: Is 8th Wall still available?
The paid hosted platform shut down February 28, 2026. The core technology was released as open source at 8thwall.org. Existing published projects remain online until February 28, 2027, when all hosted content will be permanently deleted.
SourceARKit: What iOS devices support ARKit?
ARKit is supported on iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro models, and the latest iPad models. It requires iOS 11 or later. Apple Vision Pro also supports ARKit with enhanced capabilities through visionOS.
Source8th Wall: What licensing is available for 8th Wall?
8th Wall is now released under the MIT open source license at no cost for commercial use. Previously, commercial licensing started at $700 per month per project.
SourceARKit: Can ARKit work offline?
ARKit can function offline for tracking and scene understanding since these operations run locally on the device. However, multiplayer AR features and cloud-based object detection require internet connectivity.
SourceARKit: Does ARKit integrate with game engines?
Yes, ARKit integrates with Unity through the Unity ARKit Plugin and with Unreal Engine. Developers can also use it with Metal, SceneKit, and Apple's RealityKit framework.
SourceARKit: What are ARKit's limitations with location-based AR?
ARKit's location-based positioning has accuracy limitations. Image-based positioning is primarily useful in urban areas, and beacon-based navigation provides accuracy of 3-5 meters, which is insufficient for precise AR applications requiring 1-meter accuracy or better.
Source