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ARCore vs Gravity Sketch

ARCore logo

ARCore

Software

Google's platform for building AR experiences

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Gravity Sketch logo

Gravity Sketch

Software

VR 3D design tool

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ARCore aRCore limited to Android 7.0+, excluding older Android devices; Gravity Sketch free plan limited to 150MB cloud storage and 3 simultaneous users per room
  • They diverge on capability: ARCore covers Motion tracking, Gravity Sketch covers VR design.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ARCore and Gravity Sketch actually diverge.

Attributes where ARCore and Gravity Sketch differ
AttributeARCoreGravity Sketch
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsAndroid, iOS, WebVR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web)
Founded19982014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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
  • Unreal
  • Android Studio
  • Ar support
  • Android support

Only in Gravity Sketch

  • VR design
  • Desktop app
  • Surface modeling
  • Collaboration
  • Import/export
  • Presentation mode
  • Rhino
  • Alias

Both cover

  • Unity

What people use each for

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

ARCore

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

Gravity Sketch

  • Spatial 3D design and conceptualisation in VRnot ARCore
  • Collaborative product design sessionsnot ARCore
  • Conceptual model generationnot ARCore
  • Engineering and design team collaboration in immersive environmentnot 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

Gravity Sketch

  • Free plan limited to 150MB cloud storage and 3 simultaneous users per room
  • File format support limited to OBJ and STL on free plan; other formats require paid plan
  • Evaluation tools (surface contours, viewpoints, section tool) not available on free tier
  • VR access requires Meta Quest, Steam, or web app; limited to specific platforms
  • Data localisation only available on Enterprise plan

Pricing, plan by plan

ARCore

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

Gravity Sketch

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Gravity Sketch 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.
ARCore review

Choose Gravity Sketch if

  • You need vr design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on VR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web).
  • You also want desktop app.
Gravity Sketch review

Questions people ask

Is ARCore or Gravity Sketch better?
Neither clearly leads. ARCore starts at Free and Gravity Sketch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ARCore or Gravity Sketch?
ARCore starts at Free and Gravity Sketch at Free.
Does ARCore or Gravity Sketch run on more platforms?
ARCore runs on Android, iOS, Web. Gravity Sketch runs on VR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web).
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. Of those, vr gaming and ar marketing are not what Gravity Sketch is typically brought in for.
What can ARCore do that Gravity Sketch cannot?
ARCore covers Motion tracking, Environmental understanding, Light estimation, Depth API. Gravity Sketch covers VR design, Desktop app, Surface modeling, Collaboration. Both handle Unity.

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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