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AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head

Gravity Sketch vs Unity AR Foundation

Gravity Sketch logo

Gravity Sketch

AR/VR & Metaverse

VR 3D design tool

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unity AR Foundation logo

Unity AR Foundation

AR/VR & Metaverse

Unified AR development framework for Unity

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Gravity Sketch free plan limited to 150MB cloud storage and 3 simultaneous users per room; Unity AR Foundation requires platform-specific plugins (ARCore, ARKit) to actually implement AR features
  • They diverge on capability: Gravity Sketch covers VR design, Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Gravity Sketch and Unity AR Foundation actually diverge.

Attributes where Gravity Sketch and Unity AR Foundation differ
AttributeGravity SketchUnity AR Foundation
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsVR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web)iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor
Founded20142004

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Gravity Sketch

  • VR design
  • Desktop app
  • Surface modeling
  • Collaboration
  • Import/export
  • Presentation mode
  • Rhino
  • Alias

Only in Unity AR Foundation

  • Plane detection
  • Image tracking
  • Face tracking
  • Point clouds
  • ARKit
  • ARCore
  • OpenXR
  • Magic Leap

What people use each for

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

Gravity Sketch

  • Spatial 3D design and conceptualisation in VRnot Unity AR Foundation
  • Collaborative product design sessionsnot Unity AR Foundation
  • Conceptual model generationnot Unity AR Foundation
  • Engineering and design team collaboration in immersive environmentnot Unity AR Foundation

Unity AR Foundation

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

Where each one falls short

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

Gravity Sketch

  • Free plan limited to 150MB cloud storage and 3 simultaneous users per room
  • File format support limited to OBJ and STL on free plan; other formats require paid plan
  • Evaluation tools (surface contours, viewpoints, section tool) not available on free tier
  • VR access requires Meta Quest, Steam, or web app; limited to specific platforms
  • Data localisation only available on Enterprise plan

Unity AR Foundation

  • Requires platform-specific plugins (ARCore, ARKit) to actually implement AR features
  • Performance varies significantly by device, with battery drain and heat generation on mobile
  • Emulators cannot accurately test AR experiences due to missing camera and sensor data
  • No WebXR support for browser-based AR experiences
  • Occlusion features show lower performance at 25-40 FPS compared to other features at 40-60 FPS
  • Limited access to latest platform-specific features compared to native ARKit or ARCore

Pricing, plan by plan

Gravity Sketch

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Gravity Sketch review.

Unity AR Foundation

Free
  • Included with Unity PersonalFree
    • Free for individuals and small teams with under $200K revenue/funding
    • AR Foundation package included
    • Access to all core AR features
  • Included with Unity Pro$185/month
    • Professional tier licensing
    • AR Foundation package included
    • All core AR features plus Pro-level support

Which should you pick?

Choose Gravity Sketch if

  • You need vr design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on VR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web).
  • You also want desktop app.
Gravity Sketch review

Choose Unity AR Foundation if

  • You need plane detection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor.
  • You also want image tracking.
Unity AR Foundation review

Questions people ask

Is Gravity Sketch or Unity AR Foundation better?
Neither clearly leads. Gravity Sketch starts at Free and Unity AR Foundation at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Gravity Sketch or Unity AR Foundation?
Gravity Sketch starts at Free and Unity AR Foundation at Free.
Does Gravity Sketch or Unity AR Foundation run on more platforms?
Gravity Sketch runs on VR (Meta Quest, Steam, Web). Unity AR Foundation runs on iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor.
Can I use Gravity Sketch for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Gravity Sketch best used for?
Gravity Sketch is most often used for spatial 3d design and conceptualisation in vr, collaborative product design sessions, conceptual model generation, engineering and design team collaboration in immersive environment. Of those, spatial 3d design and conceptualisation in vr and collaborative product design sessions are not what Unity AR Foundation is typically brought in for.
What can Gravity Sketch do that Unity AR Foundation cannot?
Gravity Sketch covers VR design, Desktop app, Surface modeling, Collaboration. Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection, Image tracking, Face tracking, Point clouds.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Unity AR Foundation: Is Unity AR Foundation free?

Yes, AR Foundation is free and included with Unity. It is a package within the Unity engine, though you need a Unity license (available free for personal use with under $200K revenue).

Source
Unity AR Foundation: What platforms does AR Foundation support?

AR Foundation supports iOS (via ARKit), Android (via ARCore), visionOS, HoloLens 2 (via OpenXR), and Meta Quest (via OpenXR). Testing in the Unity Editor is available through XR Simulation.

Source
Unity AR Foundation: Do I need additional plugins to use AR Foundation?

Yes. AR Foundation is an abstraction layer and requires platform-specific plugins: ARCore XR Plugin for Android and ARKit XR Plugin for iOS. These plugins implement actual AR features using native SDKs.

Source
Unity AR Foundation: Can I test AR experiences in the Unity Editor?

AR Foundation supports XR Simulation in the Editor for early testing, but accurate AR testing requires real devices because emulators cannot replicate camera and sensor data accurately.

Source
Unity AR Foundation: Does AR Foundation support web-based AR?

No, AR Foundation does not support WebXR. Unity has stated there are no current plans to add WebXR support to AR Foundation. Web AR requires alternative solutions like 8th Wall.

Source
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