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Unity AR Foundation vs Varjo

Unity AR Foundation logo

Unity AR Foundation

Software

Unified AR development framework for Unity

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Varjo logo

Varjo

Software

Human-eye resolution VR/XR headsets

From
$2495/one-time
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: Unity AR Foundation requires platform-specific plugins (ARCore, ARKit) to actually implement AR features; Varjo high cost enterprise XR solutions
  • They diverge on capability: Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection, Varjo covers Human-eye resolution.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Unity AR Foundation and Varjo differ
AttributeUnity AR FoundationVarjo
Starting priceFree$2495/one-time
Pricing modelUnknownone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity EditorXR headsets, Windows
Founded20042016

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 Unity AR Foundation

  • Plane detection
  • Image tracking
  • Face tracking
  • Point clouds
  • ARKit
  • ARCore
  • Magic Leap
  • Ar support

Only in Varjo

  • Human-eye resolution
  • Mixed reality
  • Eye tracking
  • Hand tracking
  • Unity
  • Unreal
  • SteamVR
  • Vr support

Both cover

  • OpenXR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Unity AR Foundation

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

Varjo

  • Military flight simulation and pilot trainingnot Unity AR Foundation
  • Vehicle operation and weapons trainingnot Unity AR Foundation
  • Maritime navigation trainingnot Unity AR Foundation
  • High-fidelity professional VR simulationnot Unity AR Foundation

Where each one falls short

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

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

Varjo

  • High cost enterprise XR solutions
  • Specialized for military and simulation training use cases only

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Varjo

$2495/one-time
  • Varjo XR-4$3990/one-time
    • Human-eye resolution
    • Mixed reality
    • Eye tracking

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Varjo if

  • You need human-eye resolution.
  • You work on XR headsets, Windows.
  • You also want mixed reality.
Varjo review

Questions people ask

Is Unity AR Foundation or Varjo better?
Neither clearly leads. Unity AR Foundation starts at Free and Varjo at $2495/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Unity AR Foundation or Varjo?
Unity AR Foundation has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Unity AR Foundation and $2495/one-time for Varjo.
Does Unity AR Foundation or Varjo run on more platforms?
Unity AR Foundation runs on iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor. Varjo runs on XR headsets, Windows.
Can I use Unity AR Foundation for free?
Yes. Unity AR Foundation has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Varjo starts at $2495/one-time.
What is Unity AR Foundation best used for?
Unity AR Foundation is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization. Of those, vr gaming and ar marketing are not what Varjo is typically brought in for.
What can Unity AR Foundation do that Varjo cannot?
Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection, Image tracking, Face tracking, Point clouds. Varjo covers Human-eye resolution, Mixed reality, Eye tracking, Hand tracking. Both handle OpenXR.

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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