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AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head

ARCore vs Mudbox

ARCore logo

ARCore

AR/VR & Metaverse

Google's platform for building AR experiences

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mudbox logo

Mudbox

AR/VR & Metaverse

Digital painting and sculpting software

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; Mudbox a Mudbox subscription license may be installed on up to 3 computers (Internet Archive capture, 12 November 2023)
  • They diverge on capability: ARCore covers Motion tracking, Mudbox covers Digital sculpting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ARCore and Mudbox actually diverge.

Attributes where ARCore and Mudbox differ
AttributeARCoreMudbox
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAndroid, iOS, WebWindows, MacOS, Linux
CategoryAR/VR & MetaverseUnknown
Founded19981982

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 ARCore

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

Only in Mudbox

  • Digital sculpting
  • Texture painting
  • Retopology
  • PTEX support
  • Layer system
  • Stencils
  • Stamps
  • GPU tessellation

What people use each for

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

ARCore

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

Mudbox

  • Character sculptingnot ARCore
  • Texture creationnot ARCore
  • Asset detailingnot 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

Mudbox

  • A Mudbox subscription license may be installed on up to 3 computers (Internet Archive capture, 12 November 2023)
  • Sold as monthly, annual or 3-year subscription terms with no perpetual license option offered on the pricing page (Internet Archive capture, 12 November 2023)

Pricing, plan by plan

ARCore

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

Mudbox

$29/month
  • Mudbox$85/month
    • Full sculpting
    • Texture painting
  • M&E Collection$2390/month
    • Mudbox + Maya + 3ds Max + more

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 Mudbox if

  • You need digital sculpting.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want texture painting.
Mudbox review

Questions people ask

Is ARCore or Mudbox better?
Neither clearly leads. ARCore starts at Free and Mudbox at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ARCore or Mudbox?
ARCore has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ARCore and $29/month for Mudbox.
Does ARCore or Mudbox run on more platforms?
ARCore runs on Android, iOS, Web. Mudbox runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use ARCore for free?
Yes. ARCore has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mudbox 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 Mudbox is typically brought in for.
What can ARCore do that Mudbox cannot?
ARCore covers Motion tracking, Environmental understanding, Light estimation, Depth API. Mudbox covers Digital sculpting, Texture painting, Retopology, PTEX 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).

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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