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Immersed vs Unity AR Foundation

Immersed logo

Immersed

Software

Work from anywhere in VR

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Unity AR Foundation logo

Unity AR Foundation

Software

Unified AR development framework for Unity

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Immersed the free Starter Mode is limited to 3 virtual screens; Unity AR Foundation requires platform-specific plugins (ARCore, ARKit) to actually implement AR features
  • They diverge on capability: Immersed covers Virtual monitors, Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Immersed and Unity AR Foundation differ
AttributeImmersedUnity AR Foundation
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsVr, Quest, PciOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor
Founded20172004

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

  • Virtual monitors
  • Hand tracking
  • Passthrough
  • Collaboration
  • Mac/Windows
  • Video calls
  • Keyboard tracking
  • Vr support

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.

Immersed

  • Working with multiple virtual monitors inside a VR or mixed reality headsetnot Unity AR Foundation
  • Remote co-working in a shared virtual officenot Unity AR Foundation
  • Replacing physical monitors for laptop-based worknot Unity AR Foundation

Unity AR Foundation

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

Where each one falls short

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

Immersed

  • The free Starter Mode is limited to 3 virtual screens
  • Free screen resolutions are capped at standard sizes up to 1440x900
  • The free tier rotates through only 2 alternating environments each week
  • The free tier's 4 collaborator private rooms and offline mode are both marked as limited time only features
  • Offline mode still requires a Wi-Fi connection at startup
  • Immersed Pro starts at $5.99 per month billed monthly on a pay what you want slider
  • A supported headset such as Apple Vision Pro or Quest 3 must be bought separately

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

Immersed

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 2 virtual monitors
    • Basic environments
    • Solo work

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 Immersed if

  • You need virtual monitors.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Vr, Quest, Pc.
  • You also want hand tracking.
Immersed 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 Immersed or Unity AR Foundation better?
Neither clearly leads. Immersed 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, Immersed or Unity AR Foundation?
Immersed starts at Free and Unity AR Foundation at Free.
Does Immersed or Unity AR Foundation run on more platforms?
Immersed runs on Vr, Quest, Pc. Unity AR Foundation runs on iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor.
Can I use Immersed for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Immersed best used for?
Immersed is most often used for working with multiple virtual monitors inside a vr or mixed reality headset, remote co-working in a shared virtual office, replacing physical monitors for laptop-based work. Of those, working with multiple virtual monitors inside a vr or mixed reality headset and remote co-working in a shared virtual office are not what Unity AR Foundation is typically brought in for.
What can Immersed do that Unity AR Foundation cannot?
Immersed covers Virtual monitors, Hand tracking, Passthrough, 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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