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AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head

Bigscreen vs Wikitude

Bigscreen logo

Bigscreen

AR/VR & Metaverse

Watch movies and hang out in VR

From
Free
Rated
-
Wikitude logo

Wikitude

AR/VR & Metaverse

Cross-platform AR SDK for mobile applications

From
€2490/year
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Bigscreen has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Bigscreen covers Virtual theaters, Wikitude covers Image tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bigscreen and Wikitude actually diverge.

Attributes where Bigscreen and Wikitude differ
AttributeBigscreenWikitude
Starting priceFree€2490/year
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsVr, Pc, Quest, PsvrAr, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses
Founded20142008

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 Bigscreen

  • Virtual theaters
  • Social viewing
  • Desktop streaming
  • 3D movies
  • Pluto TV
  • Paramount+
  • Desktop apps
  • Vr support

Only in Wikitude

  • Image tracking
  • Instant tracking
  • Object recognition
  • Geo AR
  • Unity
  • Cordova
  • Xamarin
  • Flutter

What people use each for

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

Bigscreen

  • 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.

Bigscreen

Nothing recorded yet. See the Bigscreen review.

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

Bigscreen

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Social viewing
    • Private rooms
    • Desktop streaming

Wikitude

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Bigscreen if

  • You need virtual theaters.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Vr, Pc, Quest, Psvr.
  • You also want social viewing.

Choose Wikitude if

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

Questions people ask

Is Bigscreen or Wikitude better?
Neither clearly leads. Bigscreen 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, Bigscreen or Wikitude?
Bigscreen has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bigscreen and €2490/year for Wikitude.
Does Bigscreen or Wikitude run on more platforms?
Bigscreen runs on Vr, Pc, Quest, Psvr. Wikitude runs on Ar, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses.
Can I use Bigscreen for free?
Yes. Bigscreen has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Wikitude starts at €2490/year.
What is Bigscreen best used for?
Bigscreen is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization.
What can Bigscreen do that Wikitude cannot?
Bigscreen covers Virtual theaters, Social viewing, Desktop streaming, 3D movies. Wikitude covers Image tracking, Instant tracking, Object recognition, Geo AR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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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