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AR VR · head to head

Glue vs Niantic Lightship

Glue logo

Glue

AR VR

VR collaboration platform for enterprise teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Niantic Lightship logo

Niantic Lightship

AR VR

Build real-world AR experiences at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Glue glue has been acquired, and the pricing page carries a Glue Has Been Acquired notice; Niantic Lightship platform migration in 2026 requires developers to move projects to new infrastructure
  • They diverge on capability: Glue covers VR meetings, Niantic Lightship covers Visual Positioning System.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Glue and Niantic Lightship differ
AttributeGlueNiantic Lightship
PlatformsVr, Pc, QuestiOS, Android, Unity
Founded20172010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (AR VR).

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 Glue

  • VR meetings
  • Realistic avatars
  • Spatial tools
  • 3D visualization
  • Microsoft 365
  • Slack
  • Enterprise SSO
  • Vr support

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.

Glue

  • Virtual reality team collaboration spaces for distributed teamsnot Niantic Lightship
  • Immersive training and workshops in shared 3D environmentsnot Niantic Lightship
  • Reviewing 3D content together in VRnot Niantic Lightship

Niantic Lightship

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

Where each one falls short

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

Glue

  • Glue has been acquired, and the pricing page carries a Glue Has Been Acquired notice
  • The free tier is limited to 10 team members, 10 team spaces, 30 minutes of session time per session and 2GB of team file storage
  • Professional is EUR 50 per user per month billed yearly and EUR 60 per user per month billed monthly
  • Single sign on, service level agreement, priority support and premium onboarding are Enterprise only
  • Branded and custom team spaces and custom hosting options are Enterprise only
  • Browser only sessions are an Enterprise feature
  • Enterprise pricing is not published and requires contacting sales

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

Glue

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10 team members
    • 10 team spaces
    • 30-minute session limit per session
  • Professional$50/month
    • All free tier features
    • Unlimited team spaces
    • Unlimited session time
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • All Professional features
    • Branded and custom spaces
    • Customized hosting

Niantic Lightship

Free
  • FreeFree
    • ARDK access
    • VPS
    • Semantic segmentation

Which should you pick?

Choose Glue if

  • You need vr meetings.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Vr, Pc, Quest.
  • You also want realistic avatars.
Glue 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 Glue or Niantic Lightship better?
Neither clearly leads. Glue starts at Free and Niantic Lightship at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Glue or Niantic Lightship?
Glue starts at Free and Niantic Lightship at Free.
Does Glue or Niantic Lightship run on more platforms?
Glue runs on Vr, Pc, Quest. Niantic Lightship runs on iOS, Android, Unity.
Can I use Glue for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Glue best used for?
Glue is most often used for virtual reality team collaboration spaces for distributed teams, immersive training and workshops in shared 3d environments, reviewing 3d content together in vr. Of those, virtual reality team collaboration spaces for distributed teams and immersive training and workshops in shared 3d environments are not what Niantic Lightship is typically brought in for.
What can Glue do that Niantic Lightship cannot?
Glue covers VR meetings, Realistic avatars, Spatial tools, 3D visualization. Niantic Lightship covers Visual Positioning System, Semantic segmentation, Meshing, Multiplayer.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Glue: How much does Glue cost?

Glue Free plan is €0 per month. Professional plan is €50 per user per month when billed annually or €60 per user per month for monthly billing. Enterprise plan requires custom pricing.

Source
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
Glue: Is Glue free for team collaboration?

Glue offers a free tier supporting 10 team members, 10 team spaces, and 2 GB storage with 30-minute session limits.

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
Glue: What does the Professional plan include?

Professional plan at €50 per user per month (annual billing) includes unlimited team spaces, unlimited session time, and unlimited file storage.

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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