Vuforia is one of the longest-running AR toolkits. Developers use its engine to make an app recognize a printed image, a 3D object, or a physical space, and then anchor digital content to it. A technician could point a tablet at a machine and see step-by-step instructions overlaid on the right parts.
PTC has focused it on industry. Vuforia products include tools for creating work instructions, remote expert assistance with live video and annotations, and authoring tools that turn CAD models into AR experiences without much coding. It supports phones, tablets, and headsets, and connects to PTC’s engineering software.
Vuforia is sold by license and subscription, with a developer program for building apps. It targets manufacturers and service organizations more than consumer app makers. Alternatives include Unity’s AR Foundation, Apple’s ARKit, Google’s ARCore, 8th Wall (now shut down), Microsoft Dynamics 365 Guides, and Scope AR. Vuforia suits industrial teams building AR for training and maintenance.