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Film & TV · head to head

Adobe After Effects vs ARCore

Adobe After Effects logo

Adobe After Effects

Film & TV

Visual effects and motion graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ARCore logo

ARCore

AR/VR & Metaverse

Google's platform for building AR experiences

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ARCore has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Adobe After Effects the Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's After Effects page on 1 January 2022 priced the standalone app at US$20.99 per month, with the full Creative Cloud All Apps bundle at US$52.99 per month; current prices may differ.; ARCore aRCore limited to Android 7.0+, excluding older Android devices
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe After Effects covers Motion graphics, ARCore covers Motion tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe After Effects and ARCore actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe After Effects and ARCore differ
AttributeAdobe After EffectsARCore
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, MacosAndroid, iOS, Web
CategoryFilm & TVAR/VR & Metaverse
Founded19901998

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Adobe After Effects

  • Motion graphics
  • Visual effects
  • 2D and 3D compositing
  • Animation tools
  • Keying and rotoscoping
  • Color correction
  • Text animation
  • Particle systems

Only in ARCore

  • Motion tracking
  • Environmental understanding
  • Light estimation
  • Depth API
  • Unity
  • Unreal
  • Android Studio
  • Ar support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe After Effects

  • Motion graphics creationnot ARCore
  • Visual effects compositingnot ARCore
  • Title sequencesnot ARCore
  • Commercial advertisingnot ARCore
  • Social media contentnot ARCore

ARCore

  • VR Gamingnot Adobe After Effects
  • AR Marketingnot Adobe After Effects
  • Virtual Trainingnot Adobe After Effects
  • 3D Visualizationnot Adobe After Effects
  • Immersive Experiencesnot Adobe After Effects

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe After Effects

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's After Effects page on 1 January 2022 priced the standalone app at US$20.99 per month, with the full Creative Cloud All Apps bundle at US$52.99 per month; current prices may differ.

ARCore

  • ARCore limited to Android 7.0+, excluding older Android devices
  • Requires integration with game engines or frameworks for most applications
  • Cloud anchors rely on internet connectivity for shared AR experiences
  • Performance varies significantly across different Android device capabilities

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe After Effects

$22.99/month
  • After Effects Single App$22.99/month
    • Motion graphics and VFX
    • 3D design space
    • Data-driven animation

ARCore

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full SDK
    • Cloud Anchors
    • Geospatial API

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe After Effects if

  • You need motion graphics.
  • You work on Windows, Macos.
  • You also want visual effects.
Adobe After Effects review

Choose ARCore if

  • You need motion tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Android, iOS, Web.
  • You also want environmental understanding.
ARCore review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe After Effects or ARCore better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe After Effects starts at $22.99/month and ARCore at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe After Effects or ARCore?
ARCore has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe After Effects and Free for ARCore.
Does Adobe After Effects or ARCore run on more platforms?
Adobe After Effects runs on Windows, Macos. ARCore runs on Android, iOS, Web.
Can I use ARCore for free?
Yes. ARCore has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe After Effects starts at $22.99/month.
What is Adobe After Effects best used for?
Adobe After Effects is most often used for motion graphics creation, visual effects compositing, title sequences, commercial advertising. Of those, motion graphics creation and visual effects compositing are not what ARCore is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe After Effects do that ARCore cannot?
Adobe After Effects covers Motion graphics, Visual effects, 2D and 3D compositing, Animation tools. ARCore covers Motion tracking, Environmental understanding, Light estimation, Depth API.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ARCore: What platforms does ARCore support?

ARCore supports Android 7.0 (Nougat) and later on qualified Android phones. SDKs are also available for iOS, Unity, Unreal Engine, and Web (WebXR).

Source
ARCore: What are the three core capabilities of ARCore?

ARCore provides motion tracking to monitor device position, environmental understanding to detect surfaces like floors and walls, and light estimation to analyze surrounding lighting conditions.

Source
ARCore: Can developers build shared AR experiences with ARCore?

Yes, ARCore supports cloud anchors enabling multiple users to see the same virtual objects in the real world, enabling shared AR experiences.

Source
ARCore: What programming languages does ARCore support?

ARCore supports Kotlin and Java for Android, C through Android NDK, and provides APIs for Unity, Unreal Engine, iOS, and Web platforms.

Source
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