Softwr

Software · head to head

ARKit vs Arnold

ARKit logo

ARKit

Software

Apple's framework for iOS AR development

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 ARKit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ARKit iOS-only platform, not available for Android or other operating systems; 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: ARKit covers World tracking, Arnold covers Ray tracing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ARKit and Arnold actually diverge.

Attributes where ARKit and Arnold differ
AttributeARKitArnold
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOSWindows, MacOS, Linux
Founded19761998

Identical on both: 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
  • 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.

ARKit

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

Arnold

  • Film productionnot ARKit
  • Animationnot ARKit
  • VFXnot ARKit

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

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

ARKit

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full SDK
    • Documentation
    • Sample code

Arnold

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

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 Arnold if

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

Questions people ask

Is ARKit or Arnold better?
Neither clearly leads. ARKit 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, ARKit or Arnold?
ARKit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ARKit and $29/month for Arnold.
Does ARKit or Arnold run on more platforms?
ARKit runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS. Arnold runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
Can I use ARKit for free?
Yes. ARKit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arnold starts at $29/month.
What is ARKit best used for?
ARKit 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 ARKit do that Arnold cannot?
ARKit covers World tracking, Face tracking, Body tracking, LiDAR support. Arnold covers Ray tracing, GPU rendering, Production shading, OSL.

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
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
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
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
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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on ARKit

More on Arnold

Keep looking

Other head to heads