Software · head to head
Spatial vs ARKit
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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; ARKit iOS-only platform, not available for Android or other operating systems
- They diverge on capability: Spatial covers 3D space creation, ARKit covers World tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Spatial and ARKit actually diverge.
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 Spatial
- 3D space creation
- NFT display
- Events
- Commerce
- Web3 wallets
- NFT marketplaces
- Streaming
- Web support
Only in ARKit
- World tracking
- Face tracking
- Body tracking
- LiDAR support
- RealityKit
- Reality Composer
- SceneKit
- Ar support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Spatial
- Teams wanting virtual/AR meeting spaces who are prepared to contact sales for pricingnot ARKit
ARKit
- VR Gamingnot Spatial
- AR Marketingnot Spatial
- Virtual Trainingnot Spatial
- 3D Visualizationnot Spatial
- Immersive Experiencesnot Spatial
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
ARKit
- iOS-only platform, not available for Android or other operating systems
- Location-based AR accuracy limited to 3-5 meters, insufficient for precise applications
- Cannot handle very fast motion capture
- Accuracy varies with lighting conditions and surface characteristics
- Requires iOS 11 or later and specific device hardware
Pricing, plan by plan
Spatial
Free- FreeFree
- Space creation
- NFT galleries
- Social features
ARKit
Free- FreeFree
- Full SDK
- Documentation
- Sample code
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose ARKit if
- You need world tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.
- You also want face tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Spatial or ARKit better?
- Neither clearly leads. Spatial starts at Free and ARKit at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Spatial or ARKit?
- Spatial starts at Free and ARKit at Free.
- Does Spatial or ARKit run on more platforms?
- Spatial runs on Web, Mobile, Vr. ARKit runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.
- Can I use Spatial for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Spatial best used for?
- Spatial is most often used for teams wanting virtual/ar meeting spaces who are prepared to contact sales for pricing. Of those, teams wanting virtual/ar meeting spaces who are prepared to contact sales for pricing is not what ARKit is typically brought in for.
- What can Spatial do that ARKit cannot?
- Spatial covers 3D space creation, NFT display, Events, Commerce. ARKit covers World tracking, Face tracking, Body tracking, LiDAR support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
ARKit: Is ARKit free to use?
Yes, ARKit is free to use. It is included in Apple's iOS SDK and requires only Xcode and a Mac to start building AR apps. There are no licensing fees or subscription costs.
SourceARKit: What iOS devices support ARKit?
ARKit is supported on iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro models, and the latest iPad models. It requires iOS 11 or later. Apple Vision Pro also supports ARKit with enhanced capabilities through visionOS.
SourceARKit: Can ARKit work offline?
ARKit can function offline for tracking and scene understanding since these operations run locally on the device. However, multiplayer AR features and cloud-based object detection require internet connectivity.
SourceARKit: Does ARKit integrate with game engines?
Yes, ARKit integrates with Unity through the Unity ARKit Plugin and with Unreal Engine. Developers can also use it with Metal, SceneKit, and Apple's RealityKit framework.
SourceARKit: What are ARKit's limitations with location-based AR?
ARKit's location-based positioning has accuracy limitations. Image-based positioning is primarily useful in urban areas, and beacon-based navigation provides accuracy of 3-5 meters, which is insufficient for precise AR applications requiring 1-meter accuracy or better.
Source