AR VR · head to head
The Wild vs Unity AR Foundation
The short version
- Only Unity AR Foundation has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: The Wild no pricing published on website; contact sales required to obtain quotes; Unity AR Foundation requires platform-specific plugins (ARCore, ARKit) to actually implement AR features
- They diverge on capability: The Wild covers Design review, Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which The Wild and Unity AR Foundation actually diverge.
| Attribute | The Wild | Unity AR Foundation |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $50/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Vr, Ar, Pc, Quest | iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor |
| Founded | 2016 | 2004 |
Identical on both: 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 The Wild
- Design review
- BIM integration
- Real-time collaboration
- Annotations
- Revit
- SketchUp
- Rhino
- Unity
Only in Unity AR Foundation
- Plane detection
- Image tracking
- Face tracking
- Point clouds
- ARKit
- ARCore
- OpenXR
- Magic Leap
Both cover
- Ar support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
The Wild
- Professional presentation and pitch material creationnot Unity AR Foundation
- Project documentation and visual communicationnot Unity AR Foundation
- Business development support for high-value dealsnot Unity AR Foundation
Unity AR Foundation
- VR Gamingnot The Wild
- AR Marketingnot The Wild
- Virtual Trainingnot The Wild
- 3D Visualizationnot The Wild
- Immersive Experiencesnot The Wild
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
The Wild
- No pricing published on website; contact sales required to obtain quotes
- Sales contact model suggests custom pricing per project or customer
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
The Wild
$50/month- Professional$50/month
- Unlimited projects
- BIM integration
- Team 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 The Wild if
- You need design review.
- You work on Vr, Ar, Pc, Quest.
- You also want bim integration.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is The Wild or Unity AR Foundation better?
- Neither clearly leads. The Wild starts at $50/month and Unity AR Foundation at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, The Wild or Unity AR Foundation?
- Unity AR Foundation has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50/month for The Wild and Free for Unity AR Foundation.
- Does The Wild or Unity AR Foundation run on more platforms?
- The Wild runs on Vr, Ar, Pc, Quest. 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. The Wild starts at $50/month.
- What is The Wild best used for?
- The Wild is most often used for professional presentation and pitch material creation, project documentation and visual communication, business development support for high-value deals. Of those, professional presentation and pitch material creation and project documentation and visual communication are not what Unity AR Foundation is typically brought in for.
- What can The Wild do that Unity AR Foundation cannot?
- The Wild covers Design review, BIM integration, Real-time collaboration, Annotations. Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection, Image tracking, Face tracking, Point clouds. Both handle Ar support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
The Wild: How much does The Wild cost?
Pricing is not published on The Wild website. Contact sales at 877-425-6227 or use their contact form to request a quote.
SourceUnity 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).
SourceThe Wild: Does The Wild offer a free trial?
There is no mention of a free trial on The Wild website. Contact their sales team to inquire about trial options or demonstration.
SourceUnity 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.
SourceUnity 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.
SourceUnity 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.
SourceUnity 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.
SourceRelated pages
More on Unity AR Foundation
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- The Wild vs Tilt Brush
- The Wild vs Snapchat AR
- Unity AR Foundation vs ARCore
- Unity AR Foundation vs ARKit
- Unity AR Foundation vs Meta Quest
- Unity AR Foundation vs Glue
- Unity AR Foundation vs MeetinVR
- Unity AR Foundation vs ShapesXR
- Unity AR Foundation vs Frame VR
- Unity AR Foundation vs Spatial
- Unity AR Foundation vs Masterpiece VR
- Unity AR Foundation vs Microsoft HoloLens 2
- Unity AR Foundation vs PlayStation VR2
- Unity AR Foundation vs Virtual Desktop
- Unity AR Foundation vs VRChat
- Unity AR Foundation vs vSpatial
- Unity AR Foundation vs WebXR Device API
- Unity AR Foundation vs Xreal Air
- Unity AR Foundation vs Niantic Lightship
- Unity AR Foundation vs Apple Vision Pro
- Unity AR Foundation vs Spark AR Studio
- Unity AR Foundation vs Lens Studio
- Unity AR Foundation vs Vuforia
- Unity AR Foundation vs Wikitude
- Unity AR Foundation vs Unreal Engine VR
- Unity AR Foundation vs SteamVR
- Unity AR Foundation vs Varjo
- Unity AR Foundation vs 8th Wall
- Unity AR Foundation vs Tilt Brush
- Unity AR Foundation vs Snapchat AR


