7 Augmented Reality SDKs for App Developers

Games, sports, eCommerce, social media, retail, healthcare! There is hardly an industry that has not experienced the magic of Augmented Reality (AR). And today, this technology is upgrading our real world by overlaying pieces of virtuality on it. For enabling  developers to make the most of AR and integrate it into web and mobile apps, there are some amazing SDKs available. Here, we share a few of them (Free and Paid).

1. ARToolKit

ARKit is an open-source, object recognition and tracking SDK for developing augmented reality apps. For building AR integrated apps, this toolkit uses video tracking capabilities that accounts for the camera positioning and orientation in real time. For the mobile app development, it has got OpenGL ES2.x support, camera calibration capabilities, integration with GPS and compass etc.

Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Smart glasses

2. Vuforia

Vuforia empower developers to build mobile applications with AR. This SDK works on the computer vision technology that hell the apps to recognize and track planet images and 3D objects. Also, with its image registration capability, developers can position and orient the virtual 3D objects to real time images.  

Supported Platforms: Android, iOS

3. Wikitude

With Wikitude, functionalities like image recognition and tracking, video overlay, SLAM technology, 3D model rendering etc. can be integrated with mobile apps. This framework for building location-based, marker or markerless AR experiences can be downloaded free for trial, wherein the resultant will be watermarked.  

Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Smart glasses

4. ARKit

ARKit by Apple is a framework that enable developers to create Augmented Reality experience for iPhone and iPad. Taking advantage of device’s camera, GPU, CPU, and motion sensors, mobile apps can detect topology, position, and facial expressions to create interesting AR experiences for the users. The ARKit functionality is available only for Apple devices that runs Apple A9, A10, A11 and later processors.   

Supported Platforms: iOS11 and above

ALSO READ: ARCore vs ARKit: How Do These AR SDKs Compare?

5. ARCore

ARCore by Google will enable developers to build augmented reality apps on Android. With motion tracking, environmental understanding, and light estimation being its forte, ARCore promises to render simplify AR integrated app building for developers. Currently, an early preview of Arcore is out for developers to experiment and stable version of this AR SDK is expected to be out by the end of this year.

Supported Platforms: Android N and above

6. DroidAR

DroidAR is an AR framework for Android. It helps to integrate location based AR and marker based AR to the mobile apps. DroidAR can be downloaded free of cost for non-commercial use, under the GNU GPL v3 license. You can get its license for commercial use from Bitstars.

Supported Platforms: Android

7. Xzimg

Xzimg is a face tracking and recognition SDK that’s best suited for apps with virtual try-ons, 3D overlays, face morphing, make-up applications etc. This smart and simple SDK is available with free trial edition and there is option to upgrade on satisfaction in its potential.

Supported Platforms: Android, iOS

AR Enabled App on Mind? We can Help!

Through mobile apps like Pokemon Go, Across Air, Google Sky Map etc., augmented reality has exhibited its caliber and acceptance amongst the masses. If you too have an idea that can turn out to be a successful AR app example in future, then take a look at our mobile app development services for its execution.