Software · head to head
ARKit vs Wikitude
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; Wikitude service discontinued September 21, 2024 - no longer available for purchase or use
- They diverge on capability: ARKit covers World tracking, Wikitude covers Image tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ARKit and Wikitude actually diverge.
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
- Ipados support
Only in Wikitude
- Image tracking
- Instant tracking
- Object recognition
- Geo AR
- Unity
- Cordova
- Xamarin
- Flutter
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
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.
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
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
ARKit
Free- FreeFree
- Full SDK
- Documentation
- Sample code
Wikitude
€2490/year- Pro$2490/year
- All tracking features
- Cloud recognition
- Support
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.
Choose Wikitude if
- You need image tracking.
- You work on Ar, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses.
- You also want instant tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is ARKit or Wikitude better?
- Neither clearly leads. ARKit 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, ARKit or Wikitude?
- ARKit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ARKit and €2490/year for Wikitude.
- Does ARKit or Wikitude run on more platforms?
- ARKit runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS. Wikitude runs on Ar, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses.
- Can I use ARKit for free?
- Yes. ARKit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Wikitude starts at €2490/year.
- 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 Wikitude cannot?
- ARKit covers World tracking, Face tracking, Body tracking, LiDAR support. Wikitude covers Image tracking, Instant tracking, Object recognition, Geo AR. 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.
SourceWikitude: 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.
SourceARKit: 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.
SourceWikitude: 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.
SourceARKit: 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.
SourceWikitude: 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.
SourceARKit: 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.
SourceWikitude: 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.
SourceARKit: 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