Top 9 Augmented Reality Tools to Consider in 2024

Augmented Reality tools have emerged as a groundbreaking technology that seamlessly blends the virtual and physical worlds, offering an enriched and interactive experience. By overlaying digital information onto the real environment through devices like smartphones or AR glasses, these tools are used across various domains, from entertainment and gaming to education, healthcare, and beyond.

In this article, you will learn about the top AR development tools that you can use to enhance your AR experience.

What Are Augmented Reality Tools?

Augmented Reality tools help in the creation, development, and deployment of augmented reality experiences. These tools allow users to overlay digital content, such as images, videos, or 3D models, onto the real-world environment via devices like smartphones, tablets, and AR glasses.

Examples of AR tools include AR development kits, frameworks, and software platforms that facilitate design and deployment of augmented reality applications.

How AR is different from VR?

Augmented Reality utilizes a real-world setting whereas Virtual Reality is entirely virtual. AR users can completely manage their presence in the real world, whereas virtual reality users are controlled via any system.

Moreover, VR needs a headset device, but AR is accessed via a smartphone. AR improves both virtual and real-world experience whereas VR only focuses on enhancing fictional reality.

Types of Augmented Reality Applications

There are different types of augmented reality applications available based on the way they create augmented reality experiences.

These apps can be categorized into four types such as marker based, GPS-based, gyroscope-based, and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) applications. Let’s learn about each of them in detail:

• Marker-Based Apps: These apps use physical markers such as images or QR codes as triggers to activate augmented reality experiences. These markers are a kind of doorway that links the physical world to the digital content available within the app.
• GPS-Based Apps: These apps use the device’s GPS location data to trigger AR experiences in the real world around people. Rather than relying on markers, these apps use geographic location to activate relevant digital content.
• Gyroscope-Based Apps: A gyroscope-based app leverages the gyroscope sensor in smartphones to precisely track and interpret the device’s movements. This enables more accurate and immersive AR experiences by aligning virtual objects with the real-world environment as users move their devices.
• SLAM apps: These apps use the concept of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, i.e., collecting data from multiple sensors simultaneously like GPS and gyroscope. By using this data, they show up 3D objects against the background of real objects.

Top Augmented Reality Tools (AR Tools) for 2024

• ARKit
• ARCore
• Spark AR Studio
• Vuforia
• Wikitude
• ARmedia
• DeepAR.ai
• MAXST AR SDK
• Kudan

Here is the detailed information about the AR development software for building an augmented reality app easily. The products are mentioned along with their features, supported platform, and pricing.

• ARKit

ARKit is Apple’s AR app development software to create apps and experiences for iPhones and iPads. With it, you can blend digital elements with the physical world that users can see via their device’s cameras.

It supports plenty of features that you can add in the Apple app like device motion tracking, advanced scene processing, camera scene capturing, etc. Developers can leverage ARKit to build immersive and interactive AR apps that respond to the user’s environment in real-time.

Features of ARKit

• Supports detection of horizontal planes
• Offers lightning estimation to make virtual objects realistic
• Enables users to share VR experiences with other users
• Recognizes space and 3D objects in images
• Supports 2D image detecting and tracking

Compatible Platform: iOS 11 or latest

ARKit Pricing: It is free to develop augmented reality apps.

• ARCore

ARCore is Google’s augmented reality SDK software that provides cross-platform APIs to create immersive and augmented experiences for Android, iOS, Unity, and Web-based devices.

It tracks device motion in real-time to enable digital objects to move realistically according to the device’s location. Moreover, this AR app development tool identifies features like surfaces and planes, enabling digital objects to be placed and interact with the physical environment realistically.

ARCore Features

• Tracks objects position over time with anchors
• Records an AR session which can be replayed later
• Adjusts lightning according to the objects position
• Places virtual objects in a specific spot

Compatible Platforms: Android 7.0+, iOS 11+, Android NDK, Unity для Android, Unity для iOS, and Unreal Engine.

ARCore Pricing: This AR development software is free to use.

• Spark AR Studio

Spark AR Studio is a platform developed by Facebook for creating augmented reality (AR) experiences. It helps to design and build AR effects for Facebook and Instagram.

This AR app development tool provides a range of tools and capabilities for developing interactive and immersive AR filters, effects, and experiences. This platform is used to enhance the visual and interactive elements of content shared on the Facebook and Instagram platforms.

Features of Spark AR Studio

• Creates AR effects with or without coding
• Manages the performance of AR experiences over various Meta apps and devices
• Supports depth object mapping
• Offers multiple APIs to create AR effects

Compatible Platform: Windows and Mac.

Spark AR Studio Pricing: It is a free augmented reality software.

• Vuforia

Vuforia SDK is a software development kit used for creating augmented reality (AR) applications. It provides tools for developers to add AR features into mobile apps, enabling them to recognize and track images, objects, and scenes in the real world.

Vuforia supports various platforms, including Android and iOS, making it easier for developers to build AR experiences for a wide range of devices.

Vuforia SDK Features

Identifies and tracks planar images and 3D objects in real-time

• Supports multiple targets tracking
• Generates 3D object mesh environments
• Provides virtual buttons that converts any surface into a touchscreen
• Offers text recognition with in-built 100,000-word English vocabulary

Compatible Platforms: Android, iOS, Universal Windows Platform and Unity Editor.

Vuforia Pricing: Pricing details are available on its official website.

• Wikitude

Wikitude is an AR development software that enables developers to create AR applications for smartphones and other devices.

It provides tools for location-based AR, image recognition, and tracking, allowing developers to overlay digital information on the real world through a device’s camera. Moreover, it can also create markers for displaying digital content in the physical environment.

Wikitude Features

• Detects, tracks, and augment 2D images
• Offers objects tracking to get 360 degrees object augmented view
• Tracks and augments multiple images together
• Overlays digital elements onto entire scenes
• Merges image, object, positional tracking, etc., in a single experience for enhanced AR interactions

Compatible Platforms: Android, iOS and Windows for tablets.

Wikitude Pricing: No free plan available | Paid plan starts from INR 45,065.05/year/app.

• ARmedia

ARmedia AR development software is used to create AR content. It provides tools for creating AR scenes, tracking images, and integrating virtual elements into the real world via devices like smartphones and tablets.

ARmedia is used in various industries, including education, marketing, and entertainment, to enhance user experiences by combining digital content with the physical environment.

Features of ARmedia

• Manages the creation and publishing of interactive experiences
• Creates AR projects with 500 MB file size
• Exports 3D models from third party tools via AR-media Plugin
• Enables you to create complex interactions
• Supports multilevel data processing via GPS, gyroscope, magnetometer, accelerometer, etc.

Compatible Platform: iOS, Android, Windows и and Flash.

ARmedia Pricing: Free plan available | Paid plan starts from INR 735.16/month

• DeepAR.ai

DeepAR.ai is a platform that allows developers to integrate advanced AR capabilities into their applications and develop augmented reality apps.

DeepAR.ai’s technology is designed to enable the creation of realistic and interactive AR effects, like face filters and 3D animations. Thereby, helping developers build engaging AR experiences for various platforms and devices.

Features of DeepAR.ai

• Inserts virtual try on for shoes, makeup, etc., within your app
• Adds 3D face filters and effects in the app
• Supports ultra precise wrist mapping for wrist jewelry
• Replaces or blurs background to improve AR experience
• Adds on realistic try on makeup filters in the application

Compatible Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows and WebGL

DeepAR.ai Pricing: Free for 10 active users | Paid for 1000 users available for INR 2,082.59/month.

• MAXST AR SDK

MAXST AR SDK provides tools and resources for developers to integrate AR features into their applications, allowing for the creation of interactive and immersive experiences by overlaying digital content on the real world through devices like smartphones or AR glasses.

The apps for augmented reality created with this AR tool can help in recognizing and tracking images, adjusting the light of digital objects, and tracking and interacting with multiple AR objects simultaneously.

Features of MAXST AR SDK

• Identifies the 3D spaces, trained via spatial map creation
• Detects planar surface and augments AR contents
• Extracts feature points from 3D objects and generates 3D map files.
• Augments AR content over 3D objects
• Recognizes and tracks QR codes to augment content

Compatible Platform: It lets you create apps that are compatible with Android, iOS, Windows and Mac OS.

MAXST AR SDK Pricing: Free plan available | Paid plan starts from INR 4,915.63/month.

• Kudan

Kudan provides software development kits (SDKs) that enable developers to create AR-based applications. With it, you can develop immersive and interactive AR experiences across several platforms and devices.

It allows you to track and plan AR circuits of the image, generate and save 3D maps, recognize pre-configured QR-codes, and so on in the apps.

Features of Kudan

• Offers tools to create HD 3D graphics
• Supports marker-based tracking
• Supports multiple smartphone camera sensors
• Offers map scaling and camera re-localization

Compatible Platform: Kudan created apps work on iOS and Android.

Kudan Pricing: It offers a free version for testing apps | License is available at INR 1,02,485.08

Conclusion: Which is the Best Augmented Reality Software?

AR development tools have evolved into a transformative force, reshaping our interactions with the digital and physical realms. From immersive gaming to education, healthcare, and commerce, AR tools continue to demonstrate their versatility across industries.

AR tools listed in this Article are the top choices that you can use based on your use case. However, consider your requirements before selecting any of them.

FAQ Related to Augmented Reality Software and Tools