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Spatial vs Unity AR Foundation

Spatial logo

Spatial

Software

3D spaces for collaboration and commerce

From
Free
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

  • 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; Unity AR Foundation requires platform-specific plugins (ARCore, ARKit) to actually implement AR features
  • They diverge on capability: Spatial covers 3D space creation, Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Spatial and Unity AR Foundation differ
AttributeSpatialUnity AR Foundation
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, VriOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor
Founded20162004

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 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.

Spatial

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

Unity AR Foundation

  • 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

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

Spatial

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

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 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

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 Spatial or Unity AR Foundation better?
Neither clearly leads. Spatial starts at Free and Unity AR Foundation at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Spatial or Unity AR Foundation?
Spatial starts at Free and Unity AR Foundation at Free.
Does Spatial or Unity AR Foundation run on more platforms?
Spatial runs on Web, Mobile, Vr. Unity AR Foundation runs on iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor.
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 Unity AR Foundation is typically brought in for.
What can Spatial do that Unity AR Foundation cannot?
Spatial covers 3D space creation, NFT display, Events, Commerce. 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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