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Game Development · head to head

Defold vs Vuforia

Defold logo

Defold

Game Development

The game engine for the creators of King

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 Defold has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Defold the Defold License requires you to include the Defold license and copyright notice in any work you create with the engine; Vuforia image target recognition requires training images and performs poorly with low lighting
  • They diverge on capability: Defold covers Lua scripting, Vuforia covers Image recognition.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Defold and Vuforia actually diverge.

Attributes where Defold and Vuforia differ
AttributeDefoldVuforia
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, WebAndroid, iOS, Magic Leap, UWP, HoloLens
CategoryGame DevelopmentAR/VR & Metaverse
Founded20051985

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 Defold

  • Lua scripting
  • Physics engine
  • Sprite system
  • Particle effects
  • Sound management
  • Collection editor
  • Mobile optimization
  • Lightweight

Only in Vuforia

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

Both cover

  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Defold

  • Building 2D games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single projectnot Vuforia
  • Shipping small-footprint HTML5 gamesnot Vuforia
  • Teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on gamesnot Vuforia

Vuforia

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

Where each one falls short

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

Defold

  • The Defold License requires you to include the Defold license and copyright notice in any work you create with the engine
  • The licence forbids commercialising original or modified versions of the Defold editor or engine itself
  • Significant changes made to the Defold source must be documented under the licence terms

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

Defold

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full editor
    • Lua scripting
    • Physics engine

Vuforia

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Defold if

  • You need lua scripting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want physics engine.
Defold 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 Defold or Vuforia better?
Neither clearly leads. Defold 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, Defold or Vuforia?
Defold has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Defold and $99/month for Vuforia.
Does Defold or Vuforia run on more platforms?
Defold runs on Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. Vuforia runs on Android, iOS, Magic Leap, UWP, HoloLens.
Can I use Defold for free?
Yes. Defold has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Vuforia starts at $99/month.
What is Defold best used for?
Defold is most often used for building 2d games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single project, shipping small-footprint html5 games, teams wanting a free engine with no revenue share on games. Of those, building 2d games for mobile, desktop, web and console from a single project and shipping small-footprint html5 games are not what Vuforia is typically brought in for.
What can Defold do that Vuforia cannot?
Defold covers Lua scripting, Physics engine, Sprite system, Particle effects. Vuforia covers Image recognition, Model targets, Area targets, Cloud recognition. Both handle Ios support, Android support.

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
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