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Software · head to head

Mmhmm vs Niantic Lightship

Mmhmm logo

Mmhmm

Software

Presentation platform for video calls

From
On request
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: Mmhmm renamed to Airtime and split into four separate tools, Camera, Recorder, Creator and Stacks, rather than the single app the mmhmm name refers to; Niantic Lightship platform migration in 2026 requires developers to move projects to new infrastructure
  • They diverge on capability: Mmhmm covers Custom layouts, Niantic Lightship covers Visual Positioning System.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mmhmm and Niantic Lightship actually diverge.

Attributes where Mmhmm and Niantic Lightship differ
AttributeMmhmmNiantic Lightship
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsDesktop Mac, Desktop WindowsiOS, Android, Unity
Founded20202010

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 Mmhmm

  • Custom layouts
  • Screen sharing
  • Virtual backgrounds
  • Picture-in-picture
  • Recording
  • Zoom
  • Google Meet
  • Microsoft Teams

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.

Mmhmm

  • Putting a presenter on screen over slides during a video callnot Niantic Lightship
  • Recording a screen walkthrough up to an hournot Niantic Lightship
  • Adding effects and reactions to a webcam feednot Niantic Lightship
  • Collecting materials for a meeting in a shared stacknot Niantic Lightship

Niantic Lightship

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

Where each one falls short

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

Mmhmm

  • Renamed to Airtime and split into four separate tools, Camera, Recorder, Creator and Stacks, rather than the single app the mmhmm name refers to
  • Screen recordings are capped at one hour
  • Windows support requires Windows 10 or 11
  • Pricing is not shown on the product pages

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

Mmhmm

On request
  • Standard$9.99/month
    • Unlimited presentations
    • Custom layouts
    • Recording

Niantic Lightship

Free
  • FreeFree
    • ARDK access
    • VPS
    • Semantic segmentation

Which should you pick?

Choose Mmhmm if

  • You need custom layouts.
  • You work on Desktop Mac, Desktop Windows.
  • You also want screen sharing.
Mmhmm 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 Mmhmm or Niantic Lightship better?
Neither clearly leads. Mmhmm starts at On request and Niantic Lightship at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mmhmm or Niantic Lightship?
Niantic Lightship has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Mmhmm and Free for Niantic Lightship.
Does Mmhmm or Niantic Lightship run on more platforms?
Mmhmm runs on Desktop Mac, Desktop Windows. 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. Mmhmm starts at On request.
What is Mmhmm best used for?
Mmhmm is most often used for putting a presenter on screen over slides during a video call, recording a screen walkthrough up to an hour, adding effects and reactions to a webcam feed, collecting materials for a meeting in a shared stack. Of those, putting a presenter on screen over slides during a video call and recording a screen walkthrough up to an hour are not what Niantic Lightship is typically brought in for.
What can Mmhmm do that Niantic Lightship cannot?
Mmhmm covers Custom layouts, Screen sharing, Virtual backgrounds, Picture-in-picture. 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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