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AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head

ARCore vs Wikitude

ARCore logo

ARCore

AR/VR & Metaverse

Google's platform for building AR experiences

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wikitude logo

Wikitude

AR/VR & Metaverse

Cross-platform AR SDK for mobile applications

From
€2490/year
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; Wikitude service discontinued September 21, 2024 - no longer available for purchase or use
  • They diverge on capability: ARCore covers Motion tracking, Wikitude covers Image tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ARCore and Wikitude actually diverge.

Attributes where ARCore and Wikitude differ
AttributeARCoreWikitude
Starting priceFree€2490/year
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAndroid, iOS, WebAr, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses
Founded19982008

Identical on both: 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
  • Unreal
  • Android Studio

Only in Wikitude

  • Image tracking
  • Instant tracking
  • Object recognition
  • Geo AR
  • Cordova
  • Xamarin
  • Flutter
  • Smart-glasses support

Both cover

  • Unity
  • Ar support
  • 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

Wikitude

  • 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

Wikitude

  • Service discontinued September 21, 2024 - no longer available for purchase or use
  • All developer and cloud services shut down permanently
  • Apps built with Wikitude lost backend functionality after shutdown
  • No migration path provided to successor platform

Pricing, plan by plan

ARCore

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

Wikitude

€2490/year
  • Pro$2490/year
    • All tracking features
    • Cloud recognition
    • Support

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 Wikitude if

  • You need image tracking.
  • You work on Ar, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses.
  • You also want instant tracking.
Wikitude review

Questions people ask

Is ARCore or Wikitude better?
Neither clearly leads. ARCore starts at Free and Wikitude at €2490/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ARCore or Wikitude?
ARCore has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ARCore and €2490/year for Wikitude.
Does ARCore or Wikitude run on more platforms?
ARCore runs on Android, iOS, Web. Wikitude runs on Ar, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses.
Can I use ARCore for free?
Yes. ARCore has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Wikitude starts at €2490/year.
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 Wikitude cannot?
ARCore covers Motion tracking, Environmental understanding, Light estimation, Depth API. Wikitude covers Image tracking, Instant tracking, Object recognition, Geo AR. Both handle Unity, Ar support, 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).

Source
Wikitude: Is Wikitude AR SDK still available?

No. Wikitude services were permanently shut down on September 21, 2024. All Wikitude mobile SDK, Studio, Cloud, and API services are no longer available, and stored data became inaccessible.

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
Wikitude: Why did Wikitude shut down?

Qualcomm, which acquired Wikitude in 2021, decided to retire the Wikitude brand and consolidate AR development into Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform, focusing exclusively on headworn AR experiences.

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
Wikitude: What happened to apps built with Wikitude?

More than 40,000 mobile apps were created using Wikitude SDK and delivered to millions of users. After the September 2024 shutdown, these apps no longer have access to Wikitude backend services, though the apps themselves may continue functioning with local features.

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
Wikitude: When was Wikitude acquired by Qualcomm?

Qualcomm acquired Wikitude in 2021. The acquisition consolidated Qualcomm's AR strategy, leading to the 2024 decision to discontinue mobile AR services.

Source
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