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ARKit vs Quill

ARKit logo

ARKit

Software

Apple's framework for iOS AR development

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Quill logo

Quill

Software

VR illustration and animation tool

From
$24.99/one-time
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; Quill quill.art, run by Smoothstep LLC, discloses no pricing anywhere on its own site (confirmed by direct fetch); Quill was originally a Facebook/Meta product and was handed to its creator Inigo Quilez in 2021 when Meta open-sourced the Quill file format and stopped supporting the original Oculus Store listing, so buyers today are dealing with a small independent studio rather than a large platform vendor.
  • They diverge on capability: ARKit covers World tracking, Quill covers VR illustration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ARKit and Quill actually diverge.

Attributes where ARKit and Quill differ
AttributeARKitQuill
Starting priceFree$24.99/one-time
Pricing modelfreeone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOSVr, Quest
Founded19762021

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 Quill

  • VR illustration
  • Animation timeline
  • Layers
  • Brushes
  • FBX export
  • Video export
  • Alembic
  • Vr 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

Quill

  • 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

Quill

  • quill.art, run by Smoothstep LLC, discloses no pricing anywhere on its own site (confirmed by direct fetch); Quill was originally a Facebook/Meta product and was handed to its creator Inigo Quilez in 2021 when Meta open-sourced the Quill file format and stopped supporting the original Oculus Store listing, so buyers today are dealing with a small independent studio rather than a large platform vendor.

Pricing, plan by plan

ARKit

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full SDK
    • Documentation
    • Sample code

Quill

$24.99/one-time
  • Quill$24.99/one-time
    • VR illustration
    • Animation
    • Export

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 Quill if

  • You need vr illustration.
  • You work on Vr, Quest.
  • You also want animation timeline.
Quill review

Questions people ask

Is ARKit or Quill better?
Neither clearly leads. ARKit starts at Free and Quill at $24.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ARKit or Quill?
ARKit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ARKit and $24.99/one-time for Quill.
Does ARKit or Quill run on more platforms?
ARKit runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS. Quill runs on Vr, Quest.
Can I use ARKit for free?
Yes. ARKit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Quill starts at $24.99/one-time.
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 Quill cannot?
ARKit covers World tracking, Face tracking, Body tracking, LiDAR support. Quill covers VR illustration, Animation timeline, Layers, Brushes.

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
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