AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head
ARCore vs 8th Wall
ARCore
AR/VR & Metaverse
Google's platform for building AR experiences
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
8th Wall
AR/VR & Metaverse
WebAR platform for browser-based AR experiences
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: ARCore aRCore limited to Android 7.0+, excluding older Android devices; 8th Wall platform shutdown as of February 2026, with hosted services ending
- They diverge on capability: ARCore covers Motion tracking, 8th Wall covers SLAM tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ARCore and 8th Wall actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (AR/VR & Metaverse).
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 ARCore
- Motion tracking
- Environmental understanding
- Light estimation
- Depth API
- Unity
- Unreal
- Android Studio
- Ar support
Only in 8th Wall
- SLAM tracking
- Image targets
- Face effects
- World tracking
- Three.js
- A-Frame
- Babylon.js
- PlayCanvas
Both cover
- Android support
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
ARCore
- VR Gaming
- AR Marketing
- Virtual Training
- 3D Visualization
- Immersive Experiences
8th Wall
- 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.
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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
ARCore
Free- FreeFree
- Full SDK
- Cloud Anchors
- Geospatial API
8th Wall
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the 8th Wall review.
Which should you pick?
Choose ARCore if
- You need motion tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Android, iOS, Web.
- You also want environmental understanding.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is ARCore or 8th Wall better?
- Neither clearly leads. ARCore starts at Free and 8th Wall at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ARCore or 8th Wall?
- ARCore starts at Free and 8th Wall at Free.
- Does ARCore or 8th Wall run on more platforms?
- ARCore runs on Android, iOS, Web. 8th Wall runs on Web (WebXR), Mobile browsers, Open source (local deployment).
- Can I use ARCore for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is ARCore best used for?
- ARCore is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization.
- What can ARCore do that 8th Wall cannot?
- ARCore covers Motion tracking, Environmental understanding, Light estimation, Depth API. 8th Wall covers SLAM tracking, Image targets, Face effects, World tracking. Both handle Android support, Ios support.
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).
Source8th 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.
SourceARCore: 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.
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.
SourceARCore: 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.
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.
SourceARCore: 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