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Clickteam Fusion vs Niantic Lightship

C

Clickteam Fusion

Software

Professional visual game development software

From
$99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Niantic Lightship logo

Niantic Lightship

Software

Build real-world AR experiences at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Niantic Lightship has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Clickteam Fusion listed on Steam, the vendor's own storefront, at $99.99 for a perpetual licence of Clickteam Fusion 2.5, published directly by Clickteam; Niantic Lightship platform migration in 2026 requires developers to move projects to new infrastructure
  • They diverge on capability: Clickteam Fusion covers Visual event system, Niantic Lightship covers Visual Positioning System.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clickteam Fusion and Niantic Lightship actually diverge.

Attributes where Clickteam Fusion and Niantic Lightship differ
AttributeClickteam FusionNiantic Lightship
Starting price$99/one-timeFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebiOS, Android, Unity
Founded19962010

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 Clickteam Fusion

  • Visual event system
  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Physics engine
  • Sound and music
  • Sprite animation
  • Extensions support
  • Multi-core support
  • Fast compiler

Only in Niantic Lightship

  • Visual Positioning System
  • Semantic segmentation
  • Meshing
  • Multiplayer
  • Unity
  • 8th Wall
  • Niantic games
  • Ar support

What people use each for

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

Clickteam Fusion

  • 2D game developmentnot Niantic Lightship
  • Professional gamesnot Niantic Lightship
  • Cross-platform developmentnot Niantic Lightship

Niantic Lightship

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Clickteam Fusion

  • Listed on Steam, the vendor's own storefront, at $99.99 for a perpetual licence of Clickteam Fusion 2.5, published directly by Clickteam

Niantic Lightship

  • Platform migration in 2026 requires developers to move projects to new infrastructure
  • VPS (Visual Positioning) requires online connectivity unlike ARKit/ARCore
  • Smaller developer community compared to Apple ARKit and Google ARCore
  • Location-based features limit use cases compared to device-only AR systems
  • Less mature ecosystem of third-party tools and assets compared to Unity AR Foundation

Pricing, plan by plan

Clickteam Fusion

$99/one-time
  • Standard$99/one-time
    • Visual event editor
    • Desktop export
    • HTML5 export
  • Premium$199/one-time
    • All Standard features
    • Android export
    • iOS export

Niantic Lightship

Free
  • FreeFree
    • ARDK access
    • VPS
    • Semantic segmentation

Which should you pick?

Choose Clickteam Fusion if

  • You need visual event system.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want drag-and-drop interface.
Clickteam Fusion review

Choose Niantic Lightship if

  • You need visual positioning system.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Unity.
  • You also want semantic segmentation.
Niantic Lightship review

Questions people ask

Is Clickteam Fusion or Niantic Lightship better?
Neither clearly leads. Clickteam Fusion starts at $99/one-time and Niantic Lightship at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clickteam Fusion or Niantic Lightship?
Niantic Lightship has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/one-time for Clickteam Fusion and Free for Niantic Lightship.
Does Clickteam Fusion or Niantic Lightship run on more platforms?
Clickteam Fusion runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Niantic Lightship runs on iOS, Android, Unity.
Can I use Niantic Lightship for free?
Yes. Niantic Lightship has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Clickteam Fusion starts at $99/one-time.
What is Clickteam Fusion best used for?
Clickteam Fusion is most often used for 2d game development, professional games, cross-platform development. Of those, 2d game development and professional games are not what Niantic Lightship is typically brought in for.
What can Clickteam Fusion do that Niantic Lightship cannot?
Clickteam Fusion covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop interface, Physics engine, Sound and music. Niantic Lightship covers Visual Positioning System, Semantic segmentation, Meshing, Multiplayer.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Niantic Lightship: What does Niantic Lightship provide for AR developers?

Niantic Lightship includes tools for visual positioning (VPS) for real-world location-based AR, depth sensing, occlusion, mesh generation, semantic segmentation, and shared multiplayer AR experiences across Unity, Swift, and Kotlin.

Source
Niantic Lightship: What is the Niantic Spatial Platform transition in 2026?

Lightship.dev is being decommissioned as of February 27, 2026. Projects must migrate to scaniverse.nianticspatial.com starting February 20, 2026.

Source
Niantic Lightship: Does Niantic provide maps for developers?

Yes. Lightship Maps for Unity allows developers to utilize the same base maps that Niantic uses for its own games like Pokemon Go, enabling real-world mapping integration.

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