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ARCore vs Arnold

ARCore logo

ARCore

Software

Google's platform for building AR experiences

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Arnold logo

Arnold

Software

Advanced Monte Carlo ray tracing renderer

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ARCore has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ARCore aRCore limited to Android 7.0+, excluding older Android devices; Arnold the Internet Archive's capture of Autodesk's Arnold overview page on 30 December 2022 stated a subscription can be installed on up to 3 computers or devices, though only the named user may run it on one machine at a time, and includes access to the 3 previous major versions.
  • They diverge on capability: ARCore covers Motion tracking, Arnold covers Ray tracing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ARCore and Arnold actually diverge.

Attributes where ARCore and Arnold differ
AttributeARCoreArnold
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAndroid, iOS, WebWindows, MacOS, Linux

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (1998).

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 Arnold

  • Ray tracing
  • GPU rendering
  • Production shading
  • OSL
  • Denoising
  • Maya
  • 3ds Max
  • Cinema 4D

What people use each for

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

ARCore

  • VR Gamingnot Arnold
  • AR Marketingnot Arnold
  • Virtual Trainingnot Arnold
  • 3D Visualizationnot Arnold
  • Immersive Experiencesnot Arnold

Arnold

  • Film productionnot ARCore
  • Animationnot ARCore
  • VFXnot ARCore

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

Arnold

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Autodesk's Arnold overview page on 30 December 2022 stated a subscription can be installed on up to 3 computers or devices, though only the named user may run it on one machine at a time, and includes access to the 3 previous major versions.

Pricing, plan by plan

ARCore

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

Arnold

$29/month
  • Arnold$360/month
    • Standalone renderer

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.
ARCore review

Choose Arnold if

  • You need ray tracing.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want gpu rendering.
Arnold review

Questions people ask

Is ARCore or Arnold better?
Neither clearly leads. ARCore starts at Free and Arnold at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ARCore or Arnold?
ARCore has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ARCore and $29/month for Arnold.
Does ARCore or Arnold run on more platforms?
ARCore runs on Android, iOS, Web. Arnold runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use ARCore for free?
Yes. ARCore has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arnold starts at $29/month.
What is ARCore best used for?
ARCore is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization. Of those, vr gaming and ar marketing are not what Arnold is typically brought in for.
What can ARCore do that Arnold cannot?
ARCore covers Motion tracking, Environmental understanding, Light estimation, Depth API. Arnold covers Ray tracing, GPU rendering, Production shading, OSL.

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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