Softwr

Game Development · head to head

Construct 3 vs Vuforia

Construct 3 logo

Construct 3

Game Development

Create games without coding. Powered by the Scirra engine.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vuforia logo

Vuforia

AR/VR & Metaverse

Enterprise AR platform for industrial applications

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Construct 3 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Construct 3 the free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account; Vuforia image target recognition requires training images and performs poorly with low lighting
  • They diverge on capability: Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Vuforia covers Image recognition.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Construct 3 and Vuforia actually diverge.

Attributes where Construct 3 and Vuforia differ
AttributeConstruct 3Vuforia
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebAndroid, iOS, Magic Leap, UWP, HoloLens
CategoryGame DevelopmentAR/VR & Metaverse
Founded20071985

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Construct 3

  • Visual event system
  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Physics engine
  • Sprite editor
  • Particle effects
  • Sound effects
  • Web-based
  • HTML5 support

Only in Vuforia

  • Image recognition
  • Model targets
  • Area targets
  • Cloud recognition
  • Unity
  • ThingWorx
  • Creo
  • Ar support

What people use each for

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

Construct 3

  • Building 2D browser games without writing codenot Vuforia
  • Publishing HTML5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one projectnot Vuforia

Vuforia

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

Where each one falls short

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

Construct 3

  • The free version caps projects at 50 events, or 25 when used without an account
  • Free projects are limited to 2 layers, 2 special effects, 1 timeline animation of up to 5 seconds and 1 web font
  • The free version can only publish to HTML5 and the Construct Arcade, so desktop, Android, iOS and Facebook Instant Games all need a paid plan
  • Licences are per seat and annual, at $129.99 for Personal, $168.99 for Startup Business and $468.99 for Business

Vuforia

  • Image target recognition requires training images and performs poorly with low lighting
  • Commercial licensing can be expensive for enterprise deployments
  • Image tracking performance degrades with poor lighting or reflective surfaces
  • Requires integration with Unity or native development environments

Pricing, plan by plan

Construct 3

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Web-based editor
    • HTML5 export
    • Asset library
  • Personal$99/year
    • All Free features
    • Offline editor
    • Advanced export

Vuforia

$99/month
  • Basic$99/month
    • Image targets
    • Model targets
    • Cloud recognition

Which should you pick?

Choose Construct 3 if

  • You need visual event system.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want drag-and-drop editor.
Construct 3 review

Choose Vuforia if

  • You need image recognition.
  • You work on Android, iOS, Magic Leap, UWP, HoloLens.
  • You also want model targets.
Vuforia review

Questions people ask

Is Construct 3 or Vuforia better?
Neither clearly leads. Construct 3 starts at Free and Vuforia at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Construct 3 or Vuforia?
Construct 3 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Construct 3 and $99/month for Vuforia.
Does Construct 3 or Vuforia run on more platforms?
Construct 3 runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Vuforia runs on Android, iOS, Magic Leap, UWP, HoloLens.
Can I use Construct 3 for free?
Yes. Construct 3 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Vuforia starts at $99/month.
What is Construct 3 best used for?
Construct 3 is most often used for building 2d browser games without writing code, publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project. Of those, building 2d browser games without writing code and publishing html5 games to the web, desktop and mobile stores from one project are not what Vuforia is typically brought in for.
What can Construct 3 do that Vuforia cannot?
Construct 3 covers Visual event system, Drag-and-drop editor, Physics engine, Sprite editor. Vuforia covers Image recognition, Model targets, Area targets, Cloud recognition.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Vuforia: What platforms does Vuforia support?

Vuforia Engine supports AR development for Android, iOS, Magic Leap, and UWP devices. Applications can run on mobile phones, tablets, head-worn AR devices, and mixed reality headsets like HoloLens.

Source
Vuforia: What AR tracking capabilities does Vuforia provide?

Vuforia offers Image Targets for recognizing images, Model Targets for precise 3D object tracking, Area Targets for persistent AR experiences using 3D scans, VuMarks for QR-code-like identification, and Cylinder Targets for tracking cylindrical objects.

Source
Vuforia: Is Vuforia a free or paid product?

Vuforia offers both free development licenses and commercial licensing. The free tier allows development and testing, while commercial use requires appropriate licensing from PTC.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Construct 3

More on Vuforia

Keep looking

Other head to heads