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Film & TV · head to head

Adobe After Effects vs ARKit

Adobe After Effects logo

Adobe After Effects

Film & TV

Visual effects and motion graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ARKit logo

ARKit

AR/VR & Metaverse

Apple's framework for iOS AR development

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ARKit 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.; ARKit iOS-only platform, not available for Android or other operating systems
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe After Effects covers Motion graphics, ARKit covers World tracking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Adobe After Effects and ARKit differ
AttributeAdobe After EffectsARKit
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, MacosiOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS
CategoryFilm & TVAR/VR & Metaverse
Founded19901976

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 ARKit

  • World tracking
  • Face tracking
  • Body tracking
  • LiDAR support
  • RealityKit
  • Reality Composer
  • SceneKit
  • Ar support

What people use each for

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

Adobe After Effects

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

ARKit

  • 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.

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

Adobe After Effects

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

ARKit

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full SDK
    • Documentation
    • Sample code

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 ARKit if

  • You need world tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.
  • You also want face tracking.
ARKit review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe After Effects or ARKit better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe After Effects starts at $22.99/month and ARKit at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe After Effects or ARKit?
ARKit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe After Effects and Free for ARKit.
Does Adobe After Effects or ARKit run on more platforms?
Adobe After Effects runs on Windows, Macos. ARKit runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.
Can I use ARKit for free?
Yes. ARKit 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 ARKit is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe After Effects do that ARKit cannot?
Adobe After Effects covers Motion graphics, Visual effects, 2D and 3D compositing, Animation tools. ARKit covers World tracking, Face tracking, Body tracking, LiDAR support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ARKit: 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.

Source
ARKit: 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.

Source
ARKit: 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.

Source
ARKit: 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.

Source
ARKit: 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
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