Softwr

AR/VR & Metaverse · head to head

Wikitude vs Bigscreen

Wikitude logo

Wikitude

AR/VR & Metaverse

Cross-platform AR SDK for mobile applications

From
€2490/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Bigscreen logo

Bigscreen

AR/VR & Metaverse

Watch movies and hang out in VR

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bigscreen has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: Wikitude covers Image tracking, Bigscreen covers Virtual theaters.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Wikitude and Bigscreen actually diverge.

Attributes where Wikitude and Bigscreen differ
AttributeWikitudeBigscreen
Starting price€2490/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAr, Ios, Android, Smart-glassesVr, Pc, Quest, Psvr
Founded20082014

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 Wikitude

  • Image tracking
  • Instant tracking
  • Object recognition
  • Geo AR
  • Unity
  • Cordova
  • Xamarin
  • Flutter

Only in Bigscreen

  • Virtual theaters
  • Social viewing
  • Desktop streaming
  • 3D movies
  • Pluto TV
  • Paramount+
  • Desktop apps
  • Vr support

What people use each for

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

Wikitude

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

Bigscreen

  • 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.

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

Bigscreen

Nothing recorded yet. See the Bigscreen review.

Pricing, plan by plan

Wikitude

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

Bigscreen

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Social viewing
    • Private rooms
    • Desktop streaming

Which should you pick?

Choose Wikitude if

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

Choose Bigscreen if

  • You need virtual theaters.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Vr, Pc, Quest, Psvr.
  • You also want social viewing.
Bigscreen review

Questions people ask

Is Wikitude or Bigscreen better?
Neither clearly leads. Wikitude starts at €2490/year and Bigscreen at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Wikitude or Bigscreen?
Bigscreen has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at €2490/year for Wikitude and Free for Bigscreen.
Does Wikitude or Bigscreen run on more platforms?
Wikitude runs on Ar, Ios, Android, Smart-glasses. Bigscreen runs on Vr, Pc, Quest, Psvr.
Can I use Bigscreen for free?
Yes. Bigscreen has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Wikitude starts at €2490/year.
What is Wikitude best used for?
Wikitude is most often used for vr gaming, ar marketing, virtual training, 3d visualization.
What can Wikitude do that Bigscreen cannot?
Wikitude covers Image tracking, Instant tracking, Object recognition, Geo AR. Bigscreen covers Virtual theaters, Social viewing, Desktop streaming, 3D movies.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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
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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Wikitude

More on Bigscreen

Keep looking

Other head to heads