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AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head

Niantic Lightship vs Spatial

Niantic Lightship logo

Niantic Lightship

AR/VR & Metaverse

Build real-world AR experiences at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Spatial logo

Spatial

AR/VR & Metaverse

3D spaces for collaboration and commerce

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Niantic Lightship platform migration in 2026 requires developers to move projects to new infrastructure; Spatial pricing page shows no plan tiers or figures; the only actions offered are Try for Free and Contact Sales, gating price behind a sales conversation
  • They diverge on capability: Niantic Lightship covers Visual Positioning System, Spatial covers 3D space creation.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Niantic Lightship and Spatial differ
AttributeNiantic LightshipSpatial
PlatformsiOS, Android, UnityWeb, Mobile, Vr
Founded20102016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Niantic Lightship

  • Visual Positioning System
  • Semantic segmentation
  • Meshing
  • Multiplayer
  • Unity
  • 8th Wall
  • Niantic games
  • Ar support

Only in Spatial

  • 3D space creation
  • NFT display
  • Events
  • Commerce
  • Web3 wallets
  • NFT marketplaces
  • Streaming
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Niantic Lightship

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

Spatial

  • Teams wanting virtual/AR meeting spaces who are prepared to contact sales for pricingnot Niantic Lightship

Where each one falls short

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

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

Spatial

  • Pricing page shows no plan tiers or figures; the only actions offered are Try for Free and Contact Sales, gating price behind a sales conversation

Pricing, plan by plan

Niantic Lightship

Free
  • FreeFree
    • ARDK access
    • VPS
    • Semantic segmentation

Spatial

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Space creation
    • NFT galleries
    • Social features

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Spatial if

  • You need 3d space creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Vr.
  • You also want nft display.
Spatial review

Questions people ask

Is Niantic Lightship or Spatial better?
Neither clearly leads. Niantic Lightship starts at Free and Spatial at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Niantic Lightship or Spatial?
Niantic Lightship starts at Free and Spatial at Free.
Does Niantic Lightship or Spatial run on more platforms?
Niantic Lightship runs on iOS, Android, Unity. Spatial runs on Web, Mobile, Vr.
Can I use Niantic Lightship for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Niantic Lightship best used for?
Niantic Lightship is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization. Of those, vr gaming and ar marketing are not what Spatial is typically brought in for.
What can Niantic Lightship do that Spatial cannot?
Niantic Lightship covers Visual Positioning System, Semantic segmentation, Meshing, Multiplayer. Spatial covers 3D space creation, NFT display, Events, Commerce.

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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