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ARKit vs ARCore

ARKit logo

ARKit

Software

Apple's framework for iOS AR development

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ARCore logo

ARCore

Software

Google's platform for building AR experiences

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ARKit iOS-only platform, not available for Android or other operating systems; ARCore aRCore limited to Android 7.0+, excluding older Android devices
  • They diverge on capability: ARKit covers World tracking, ARCore covers Motion tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ARKit and ARCore actually diverge.

Attributes where ARKit and ARCore differ
AttributeARKitARCore
PlatformsiOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOSAndroid, iOS, Web
Founded19761998

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (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 ARKit

  • World tracking
  • Face tracking
  • Body tracking
  • LiDAR support
  • RealityKit
  • Reality Composer
  • SceneKit
  • Ipados support

Only in ARCore

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

Both cover

  • Ar support
  • Ios support

What people use each for

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

ARKit

  • VR Gaming
  • AR Marketing
  • Virtual Training
  • 3D Visualization
  • Immersive Experiences

ARCore

  • 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.

ARKit

  • iOS-only platform, not available for Android or other operating systems
  • Location-based AR accuracy limited to 3-5 meters, insufficient for precise applications
  • Cannot handle very fast motion capture
  • Accuracy varies with lighting conditions and surface characteristics
  • Requires iOS 11 or later and specific device hardware

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

Pricing, plan by plan

ARKit

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full SDK
    • Documentation
    • Sample code

ARCore

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

Which should you pick?

Choose ARKit if

  • You need world tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.
  • You also want face tracking.
ARKit review

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

Questions people ask

Is ARKit or ARCore better?
Neither clearly leads. ARKit starts at Free and ARCore at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ARKit or ARCore?
ARKit starts at Free and ARCore at Free.
Does ARKit or ARCore run on more platforms?
ARKit runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS. ARCore runs on Android, iOS, Web.
Can I use ARKit for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ARKit best used for?
ARKit is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization.
What can ARKit do that ARCore cannot?
ARKit covers World tracking, Face tracking, Body tracking, LiDAR support. ARCore covers Motion tracking, Environmental understanding, Light estimation, Depth API. Both handle Ar support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ARKit: Is ARKit free to use?

Yes, ARKit is free to use. It is included in Apple's iOS SDK and requires only Xcode and a Mac to start building AR apps. There are no licensing fees or subscription costs.

Source
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
ARKit: What iOS devices support ARKit?

ARKit is supported on iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro models, and the latest iPad models. It requires iOS 11 or later. Apple Vision Pro also supports ARKit with enhanced capabilities through visionOS.

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
ARKit: Can ARKit work offline?

ARKit can function offline for tracking and scene understanding since these operations run locally on the device. However, multiplayer AR features and cloud-based object detection require internet connectivity.

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
ARKit: Does ARKit integrate with game engines?

Yes, ARKit integrates with Unity through the Unity ARKit Plugin and with Unreal Engine. Developers can also use it with Metal, SceneKit, and Apple's RealityKit framework.

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
ARKit: What are ARKit's limitations with location-based AR?

ARKit's location-based positioning has accuracy limitations. Image-based positioning is primarily useful in urban areas, and beacon-based navigation provides accuracy of 3-5 meters, which is insufficient for precise AR applications requiring 1-meter accuracy or better.

Source
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