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AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head

Varjo vs ARKit

Varjo logo

Varjo

AR/VR & Metaverse

Human-eye resolution VR/XR headsets

From
$2495/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ARKit logo

ARKit

AR/VR & Metaverse

Apple's framework for iOS AR development

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ARKit has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Varjo high cost enterprise XR solutions; ARKit iOS-only platform, not available for Android or other operating systems
  • They diverge on capability: Varjo covers Human-eye resolution, ARKit covers World tracking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Varjo and ARKit actually diverge.

Attributes where Varjo and ARKit differ
AttributeVarjoARKit
Starting price$2495/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsXR headsets, WindowsiOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS
Founded20161976

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 Varjo

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

Only in ARKit

  • World tracking
  • Face tracking
  • Body tracking
  • LiDAR support
  • RealityKit
  • Reality Composer
  • SceneKit
  • Ar support

What people use each for

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

Varjo

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

ARKit

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

Where each one falls short

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

Varjo

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

ARKit

  • iOS-only platform, not available for Android or other operating systems
  • Location-based AR accuracy limited to 3-5 meters, insufficient for precise applications
  • Cannot handle very fast motion capture
  • Accuracy varies with lighting conditions and surface characteristics
  • Requires iOS 11 or later and specific device hardware

Pricing, plan by plan

Varjo

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

ARKit

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full SDK
    • Documentation
    • Sample code

Which should you pick?

Choose Varjo if

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

Choose ARKit if

  • You need world tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.
  • You also want face tracking.
ARKit review

Questions people ask

Is Varjo or ARKit better?
Neither clearly leads. Varjo starts at $2495/one-time and ARKit at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Varjo or ARKit?
ARKit has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2495/one-time for Varjo and Free for ARKit.
Does Varjo or ARKit run on more platforms?
Varjo runs on XR headsets, Windows. ARKit runs on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS.
Can I use ARKit for free?
Yes. ARKit has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Varjo starts at $2495/one-time.
What is Varjo best used for?
Varjo is most often used for military flight simulation and pilot training, vehicle operation and weapons training, maritime navigation training, high-fidelity professional vr simulation. Of those, military flight simulation and pilot training and vehicle operation and weapons training are not what ARKit is typically brought in for.
What can Varjo do that ARKit cannot?
Varjo covers Human-eye resolution, Mixed reality, Eye tracking, Hand tracking. ARKit covers World tracking, Face tracking, Body tracking, LiDAR support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ARKit: Is ARKit free to use?

Yes, ARKit is free to use. It is included in Apple's iOS SDK and requires only Xcode and a Mac to start building AR apps. There are no licensing fees or subscription costs.

Source
ARKit: What iOS devices support ARKit?

ARKit is supported on iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro models, and the latest iPad models. It requires iOS 11 or later. Apple Vision Pro also supports ARKit with enhanced capabilities through visionOS.

Source
ARKit: Can ARKit work offline?

ARKit can function offline for tracking and scene understanding since these operations run locally on the device. However, multiplayer AR features and cloud-based object detection require internet connectivity.

Source
ARKit: Does ARKit integrate with game engines?

Yes, ARKit integrates with Unity through the Unity ARKit Plugin and with Unreal Engine. Developers can also use it with Metal, SceneKit, and Apple's RealityKit framework.

Source
ARKit: What are ARKit's limitations with location-based AR?

ARKit's location-based positioning has accuracy limitations. Image-based positioning is primarily useful in urban areas, and beacon-based navigation provides accuracy of 3-5 meters, which is insufficient for precise AR applications requiring 1-meter accuracy or better.

Source
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