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Unity AR Foundation vs Wikitude

Unity AR Foundation logo

Unity AR Foundation

AR/VR & Metaverse

Unified AR development framework for Unity

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Wikitude logo

Wikitude

AR/VR & Metaverse

Cross-platform AR SDK for mobile applications

From
€2490/year
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; Wikitude service discontinued September 21, 2024 - no longer available for purchase or use
  • They diverge on capability: Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection, Wikitude covers Instant tracking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Unity AR Foundation and Wikitude differ
AttributeUnity AR FoundationWikitude
Starting priceFree€2490/year
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity EditorAr, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses
Founded20042008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (AR/VR & Metaverse).

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
  • Face tracking
  • Point clouds
  • ARKit
  • ARCore
  • OpenXR
  • Magic Leap
  • Hololens support

Only in Wikitude

  • Instant tracking
  • Object recognition
  • Geo AR
  • Unity
  • Cordova
  • Xamarin
  • Flutter
  • Smart-glasses support

Both cover

  • Image tracking
  • Ar support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Unity AR Foundation

  • VR Gaming
  • AR Marketing
  • Virtual Training
  • 3D Visualization
  • Immersive Experiences

Wikitude

  • VR Gaming
  • AR Marketing
  • Virtual Training
  • 3D Visualization
  • Immersive Experiences

Both are used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization, immersive experiences, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

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

Wikitude

  • Service discontinued September 21, 2024 - no longer available for purchase or use
  • All developer and cloud services shut down permanently
  • Apps built with Wikitude lost backend functionality after shutdown
  • No migration path provided to successor platform

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

Wikitude

€2490/year
  • Pro$2490/year
    • All tracking features
    • Cloud recognition
    • Support

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 face tracking.
Unity AR Foundation review

Choose Wikitude if

  • You need instant tracking.
  • You work on Ar, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses.
  • You also want object recognition.
Wikitude review

Questions people ask

Is Unity AR Foundation or Wikitude better?
Neither clearly leads. Unity AR Foundation starts at Free and Wikitude at €2490/year, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Unity AR Foundation or Wikitude?
Unity AR Foundation has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Unity AR Foundation and €2490/year for Wikitude.
Does Unity AR Foundation or Wikitude run on more platforms?
Unity AR Foundation runs on iOS, Android, visionOS, HoloLens 2, Meta Quest, Unity Editor. Wikitude runs on Ar, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses.
Can I use Unity AR Foundation for free?
Yes. Unity AR Foundation has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Wikitude starts at €2490/year.
What is Unity AR Foundation best used for?
Unity AR Foundation is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization.
What can Unity AR Foundation do that Wikitude cannot?
Unity AR Foundation covers Plane detection, Face tracking, Point clouds, ARKit. Wikitude covers Instant tracking, Object recognition, Geo AR, Unity. Both handle Image tracking, Ar support, Ios support, Android support.

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
Wikitude: Is Wikitude AR SDK still available?

No. Wikitude services were permanently shut down on September 21, 2024. All Wikitude mobile SDK, Studio, Cloud, and API services are no longer available, and stored data became inaccessible.

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
Wikitude: Why did Wikitude shut down?

Qualcomm, which acquired Wikitude in 2021, decided to retire the Wikitude brand and consolidate AR development into Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform, focusing exclusively on headworn AR experiences.

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
Wikitude: What happened to apps built with Wikitude?

More than 40,000 mobile apps were created using Wikitude SDK and delivered to millions of users. After the September 2024 shutdown, these apps no longer have access to Wikitude backend services, though the apps themselves may continue functioning with local features.

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
Wikitude: When was Wikitude acquired by Qualcomm?

Qualcomm acquired Wikitude in 2021. The acquisition consolidated Qualcomm's AR strategy, leading to the 2024 decision to discontinue mobile AR services.

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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