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Procreate Dreams vs Unity AR Foundation

Procreate Dreams logo

Procreate Dreams

Software

Edit. Animate. Create.

From
On request
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

  • Only Unity AR Foundation has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Procreate Dreams requires iPadOS 16.3 and is exclusive to iPad; track capacity varies by device, with the base iPad (A16) limited to 1 track at up to 4K; Unity AR Foundation requires platform-specific plugins (ARCore, ARKit) to actually implement AR features

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Procreate Dreams and Unity AR Foundation differ
AttributeProcreate DreamsUnity AR Foundation
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor
FoundedUnknown2004

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 Procreate Dreams

Nothing recorded that Unity AR Foundation does not also cover.

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.

Procreate Dreams

No use cases recorded yet. See the Procreate Dreams review.

Unity AR Foundation

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

Where each one falls short

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

Procreate Dreams

  • Requires iPadOS 16.3 and is exclusive to iPad; track capacity varies by device, with the base iPad (A16) limited to 1 track at up to 4K
  • 8K video support is not yet available and is listed as coming in a future release

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

Procreate Dreams

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Procreate Dreams 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 Procreate Dreams if

Nothing in the data separates Procreate Dreams from Unity AR Foundation on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Procreate Dreams 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 Procreate Dreams or Unity AR Foundation better?
Neither clearly leads. Procreate Dreams starts at On request and Unity AR Foundation at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Procreate Dreams or Unity AR Foundation?
Unity AR Foundation has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Procreate Dreams and Free for Unity AR Foundation.
Does Procreate Dreams or Unity AR Foundation run on more platforms?
Procreate Dreams runs on Web. Unity AR Foundation runs on iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor.
Can I use Unity AR Foundation for free?
Yes. Unity AR Foundation has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Procreate Dreams starts at On request.
What can Procreate Dreams do that Unity AR Foundation cannot?
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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