AR VR · head to head
Glue vs Unity AR Foundation
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Glue glue has been acquired, and the pricing page carries a Glue Has Been Acquired notice; Unity AR Foundation requires platform-specific plugins (ARCore, ARKit) to actually implement AR features
- They diverge on capability: Glue covers VR meetings, 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 Glue and Unity AR Foundation actually diverge.
| Attribute | Glue | Unity AR Foundation |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Platforms | Vr, Pc, Quest | iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor |
| Founded | 2017 | 2004 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Glue
- VR meetings
- Realistic avatars
- Spatial tools
- 3D visualization
- Microsoft 365
- Slack
- Enterprise SSO
- Vr 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.
Glue
- Virtual reality team collaboration spaces for distributed teamsnot Unity AR Foundation
- Immersive training and workshops in shared 3D environmentsnot Unity AR Foundation
- Reviewing 3D content together in VRnot Unity AR Foundation
Unity AR Foundation
- VR Gamingnot Glue
- AR Marketingnot Glue
- Virtual Trainingnot Glue
- 3D Visualizationnot Glue
- Immersive Experiencesnot Glue
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Glue
- Glue has been acquired, and the pricing page carries a Glue Has Been Acquired notice
- The free tier is limited to 10 team members, 10 team spaces, 30 minutes of session time per session and 2GB of team file storage
- Professional is EUR 50 per user per month billed yearly and EUR 60 per user per month billed monthly
- Single sign on, service level agreement, priority support and premium onboarding are Enterprise only
- Branded and custom team spaces and custom hosting options are Enterprise only
- Browser only sessions are an Enterprise feature
- Enterprise pricing is not published and requires contacting sales
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
Glue
Free- FreeFree
- 10 team members
- 10 team spaces
- 30-minute session limit per session
- Professional$50/month
- All free tier features
- Unlimited team spaces
- Unlimited session time
- Enterprise$null/custom
- All Professional features
- Branded and custom spaces
- Customized hosting
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 Glue if
- You need vr meetings.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Vr, Pc, Quest.
- You also want realistic avatars.
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 Glue or Unity AR Foundation better?
- Neither clearly leads. Glue 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, Glue or Unity AR Foundation?
- Glue starts at Free and Unity AR Foundation at Free.
- Does Glue or Unity AR Foundation run on more platforms?
- Glue runs on Vr, Pc, Quest. Unity AR Foundation runs on iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor.
- Can I use Glue for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Glue best used for?
- Glue is most often used for virtual reality team collaboration spaces for distributed teams, immersive training and workshops in shared 3d environments, reviewing 3d content together in vr. Of those, virtual reality team collaboration spaces for distributed teams and immersive training and workshops in shared 3d environments are not what Unity AR Foundation is typically brought in for.
- What can Glue do that Unity AR Foundation cannot?
- Glue covers VR meetings, Realistic avatars, Spatial tools, 3D visualization. Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection, Image tracking, Face tracking, Point clouds.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Glue: How much does Glue cost?
Glue Free plan is €0 per month. Professional plan is €50 per user per month when billed annually or €60 per user per month for monthly billing. Enterprise plan requires custom pricing.
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).
SourceGlue: Is Glue free for team collaboration?
Glue offers a free tier supporting 10 team members, 10 team spaces, and 2 GB storage with 30-minute session limits.
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.
SourceGlue: What does the Professional plan include?
Professional plan at €50 per user per month (annual billing) includes unlimited team spaces, unlimited session time, and unlimited file storage.
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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- Glue vs 8th Wall
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- Glue vs Snapchat AR
- Unity AR Foundation vs Meta Quest
- Unity AR Foundation vs ARCore
- Unity AR Foundation vs ARKit
- Unity AR Foundation vs MeetinVR
- Unity AR Foundation vs Frame VR
- Unity AR Foundation vs Spatial
- Unity AR Foundation vs The Wild
- Unity AR Foundation vs Virbela
- Unity AR Foundation vs Immersed
- Unity AR Foundation vs vSpatial
- Unity AR Foundation vs Masterpiece VR
- Unity AR Foundation vs Gravity Sketch
- Unity AR Foundation vs Magic Leap 2
- Unity AR Foundation vs Medium by Adobe
- Unity AR Foundation vs Quill
- Unity AR Foundation vs Instagram AR Effects
- Unity AR Foundation vs Apple Vision Pro
- Unity AR Foundation vs Niantic Lightship
- 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 Virtual Desktop
- Unity AR Foundation vs VRChat
- Unity AR Foundation vs 8th Wall
- Unity AR Foundation vs Tilt Brush
- Unity AR Foundation vs Snapchat AR


