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Top 16 AR and VR SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store
Last update: 24 Sep 2023 CET
App Store

Top 16 AR and VR SDKs Used in iOS Apps on the Apple App Store

We at 42matters have identified the 16 most popular AR and VR SDKs leveraged by iOS apps available on the iOS app market.

AR and VR SDKs enable app deverlopers to integrate augmented and virtual reality elements into their mobile apps, without having to build them from scratch. These SDKs offer features like 3D object rendering, spatial mapping, motion tracking, gesture recognition, and more.

This list is based on our analysis of the millions of mobile applications – and the 2,300+ SDKs they use – that constitute the vast inventory of the Apple App Store. The accompanying data provides readers with a glimpse into the rich mobile application insights generated by the 42matters technology. This data is also available via our APIs, file dumps, Explorer, and SDK Explorer.

The intended purpose of this article is to assist app builders in their search for the perfect AR and VR SDK to leverage in their app, as well as to give SDK developers insight into their biggest competitors and potential customers. This data collected by our technology may also serve as a useful tool for folks researching the wider mobile app market.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, 58.50% have integrated Apple ARKit. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Total Apps
19.96k
App Store
App Share
58.50%
App Store
Apps
18.39k
Games
1.58k
Total Downloads
36.05b
App Store
Download Share
80.27%
App Store
App Downloads
33.33b
Game Downloads
2.72b

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Apple ARKit.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, 22.40% have integrated Vuforia. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Vuforia is a comprehensive, scalable enterprise AR platform. Our wide-ranging SDK suite ensures that we can provide the right AR technology to every customer based on their business needs.

Total Apps
4.05k
App Store
App Share
22.40%
App Store
Apps
3.72k
Games
331
Total Downloads
44.46m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
40.39m
Game Downloads
4.06m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Vuforia.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, 5.28% have integrated Snapchat Snap Kit. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

The Snapchat SDK that lets you easily talk with friends, view Live Stories from around the world, and explore news in Discover.

Total Apps
1.76k
App Store
App Share
5.28%
App Store
Apps
1.23k
Games
533
Total Downloads
8.82b
App Store
Download Share
19.64%
App Store
App Downloads
8.05b
Game Downloads
767.17m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Snapchat Snap Kit.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, 6.52% have integrated Google VR Cardboard. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

The open-source Cardboard SDK allows you to build immersive cross-platform VR experiences for Android and iOS. With essential VR features such as motion tracking, stereoscopic rendering, and user interaction, you can build entirely new VR experiences or enhance existing apps that support VR.

Total Apps
1.10k
App Store
App Share
6.52%
App Store
Apps
909
Games
191
Total Downloads
294.90m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
288.84m
Game Downloads
6.06m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Google VR Cardboard.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, 3.89% have integrated EasyAR. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

EasyAR Sense is a standalone SDK. It provides a flexible, dataflow-oriented, component-based API that does not depend on any non-system libraries.

Total Apps
1.02k
App Store
App Share
3.89%
App Store
Apps
970
Games
53
Total Downloads
164.35m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
160.80m
Game Downloads
3.55m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use EasyAR.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, 3.28% have integrated Faceunity. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Total Apps
591
App Store
App Share
3.28%
App Store
Apps
588
Games
3
Total Downloads
951.51m
App Store
Download Share
2.12%
App Store
App Downloads
857.15m
Game Downloads
94.36m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Faceunity.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, 1.44% have integrated Wikitude. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Wikitude is the leading cross-platform augmented reality SDK for phones, tablets, and smart glasses.

Total Apps
379
App Store
App Share
1.44%
App Store
Apps
378
Games
1
Total Downloads
653.63k
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
653.63k
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Wikitude.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, <1% have integrated Google AR Core. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Total Apps
200
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
182
Games
18
Total Downloads
542.06m
App Store
Download Share
1.21%
App Store
App Downloads
541.76m
Game Downloads
297.81k

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Google AR Core.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, 1.06% have integrated ARToolKit. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

ARToolKit+ is an open source augmented reality SDK based on ARToolkit. It is a collection of software tools to help solve some of the fundamental problems in augmented reality, including geometric and photometric registration.

Total Apps
195
App Store
App Share
1.06%
App Store
Apps
194
Games
1
Total Downloads
9.16m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
9.13m
Game Downloads
22.06k

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use ARToolKit.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, <1% have integrated DeepAR. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Total Apps
111
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
107
Games
4
Total Downloads
4.40m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
4.40m
Game Downloads
2.65k

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use DeepAR.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, <1% have integrated Banuba AR. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Total Apps
99
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
97
Games
2
Total Downloads
117.87m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
77.14m
Game Downloads
40.73m

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Banuba AR.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, <1% have integrated Catchoom CraftAR. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

The Catchoom CraftAR SDK offers image recognition and augmented reality tools.

Total Apps
57
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
57
Games
0
Total Downloads
1.08m
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
1.08m
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Catchoom CraftAR.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, <1% have integrated Kudan. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Kudan's Artificial Perception SDK fills a critical gap to harness the power of Artificial Intelligence. Kudan provides sensory functions to the brains of machines.

Total Apps
23
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
23
Games
0
Total Downloads
195.55k
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
195.55k
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Kudan.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, <1% have integrated Aurasma. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Aurasma is an augmented reality SDK. It is available as a software development kit or as a free app for iOS and Android-based mobile devices. Aurasma's image recognition technology uses a smartphone's or tablet's camera to recognize real world images and then overlay media on top of them in the form of animations, videos, 3D models and web pages.

Total Apps
4
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
4
Games
0
Total Downloads
24.16k
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
24.16k
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Aurasma.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, <1% have integrated Blippar. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Total Apps
4
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
4
Games
0
Total Downloads
303.28k
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
303.28k
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Blippar.

Among all apps utilizing ar and vr SDKs, <1% have integrated Layar. This accounts for 88% of app downloads within the ar and vr SDK category.

Layar is an SDK that allows you to turn flat two-dimensional images into augmented reality.

Total Apps
3
App Store
App Share
<1%
App Store
Apps
3
Games
0
Total Downloads
9.02k
App Store
Download Share
<1%
App Store
App Downloads
9.02k
Game Downloads
0

Use the 42matters SDK Explorer to find all apps that use Layar.

Browse iOS and Android SDKs With the SDK Explorer

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  • SDK IntelligenceSDK Intelligence

    See how many apps integrate specific SDKs, how many times these SDKs have been downloaded, developer details, similar SDKs, and more.

  • New Installations and Removals HistoryNew Installations and Removals History

    Analyze installation and removal trends for SDKs. Discover which apps have removed or integrated specific SDKs in a given timeframe.

  • Market Share per Google Play and Apple App Store CategoryMarket Share per Google Play and Apple App Store Category

    See which app categories or genres are most likely to use specific SDKs. Detect SDK market share per category.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does 42matters collect this data?'

We’ve developed a number of machine learning algorithms that scan millions of mobile and connected TV (CTV) applications on a regular basis. In addition, we collect ground truth app performance intelligence and use this data to build statistical models that estimate the performance of apps for which we do not have ground truth data.

What SDK data does 42matters collect?'

We track over 2,300 of the most popular SDKs integrated in iOS and Android apps. We collect a variety of SDK insights (title, platform, ID, category, and developer website); performance metrics (the number of apps that have installed each SDK, installation and removal trends, and app downloads); market share statistics (including market share per app category); and more!

How can I access 42matters’ SDK data?'

The most direct way is to use our SDK Explorer, which is a visual, web-based research platform that enables you to peruse all 2,300+ SDKs that we track. It’s great for market research, lead generation, competitor analysis, etc. However, more technically-inclined folks might prefer our APIs and File Dumps, which enable you to query info for specific apps or SDKs. You can also use our other research platforms (the Explorer and App Watchlist) to view integrated SDKs by app.

Can I use 42matters’ solutions to generate app publisher leads?'

Absolutely! We actually wrote about this on our blog. We focused on ad network SDKs, but the examples are applicable to most SDK types. To summarize, you can use the Explorer’s advanced filtering capabilities to home in on best-fit app publishers, leverage the SDK Explorer to see which apps use your competitors’ SDKs, and use our APIs and file dumps to build custom lead generation processes.

What data does 42matters provide on mobile apps?'

A ton! We track 17+ million apps across Google Play, the Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore, Tencent MyApp, and Huawei AppGallery. Our solutions provide access to app details (developer insights, metadata, ASO keywords, contact information, etc.); performance metrics (downloads, MAUs, ratings, reviews, top chart rankings, etc.); technical insights (integrated SDKs, permissions, required capabilities, etc.); content details (categories, genres, IAB categories, content ratings, etc.); compliance information (app-ads.txt, privacy policies, store status, etc.) and much, much more!

Can I use 42matters’ solutions to find SDKs for my app?'

Definitely. The SDK Explorer enables you to sort SDKs by category, identify similar SDKs, analyze SDK reliability, and more. In addition, you can use the App Watchlist and Explorer to monitor your competitors, including which SDKs they add and remove, their current tech stacks, and SDK changelogs. This means you use our solutions not only to find the right SDK for a particular purpose, but also which SDKs you might need to keep up with your rivals.