Software Alternatives & Startups

Google ARCore VS Parse

Compare Google ARCore VS Parse and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Google ARCore logo Google ARCore

Google Augmented Reality SDK

Parse logo Parse

Build applications faster with object and file storage, user authentication, push notifications, dashboard and more out of the box.
  • Google ARCore Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-07
  • Parse Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17

Google ARCore features and specs

  • Wide Device Compatibility
    ARCore supports a wide range of Android devices, making it accessible to a large user base.
  • High-Quality Tracking
    ARCore provides high-precision tracking and environmental understanding, enhancing the user experience in AR applications.
  • Cross-Platform
    ARCore supports not only Android but also iOS through the ARCore SDK for iOS, allowing developers to reach users on both platforms.
  • Integration with Google Services
    ARCore can be easily integrated with other Google services like Maps, enabling developers to create location-based AR experiences.
  • User-Friendly SDK
    Offers a comprehensive SDK with extensive documentation, tutorials, and community support, which eases the development process for beginners and experts alike.

Possible disadvantages of Google ARCore

  • Performance Variability
    Performance and capabilities can vary significantly across different Android devices, potentially leading to inconsistent user experiences.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    While ARCore provides the basic functionalities required for AR, it may lack some of the advanced features available in more specialized AR platforms.
  • Battery Consumption
    ARCore applications can be resource-intensive, leading to higher battery consumption on mobile devices.
  • iOS Limitations
    Although ARCore supports iOS, it may not be as deeply integrated or optimized as native ARKit applications, potentially limiting performance.
  • Dependency on Google Play Services
    ARCore relies on Google Play Services for AR, which may not be available in certain regions or on devices without Google Play support.

Parse features and specs

  • Open Source
    Parse Platform is open-source, which means it is free to use and can be customized to fit the needs of your application without any licensing fees.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Parse provides a wide range of built-in features such as a robust database system, real-time notifications, user authentication, cloud functions, and file storage, reducing the amount of development work needed.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Parse supports multiple platforms including iOS, Android, JavaScript, .NET, and more, enabling easier development across different types of applications.
  • Community and Documentation
    There is a strong community around Parse with extensive documentation and numerous tutorials, which can help developers quickly resolve issues and learn best practices.
  • Unified Backend
    Parse allows developers to manage database, server code, and user authentication in one unified platform, simplifying backend management.

Possible disadvantages of Parse

  • Self-Hosting Complexity
    While Parse is open-source, it requires self-hosting, which involves managing and maintaining your own server infrastructure, adding operational complexity.
  • Performance
    Depending on your server setup and scaling needs, you might encounter performance issues, especially for high-traffic applications, requiring constant monitoring and fine-tuning.
  • Limited Scalability
    Parse might not be as scalable as other backend solutions like Firebase, particularly for apps that need to handle massive amounts of data and users.
  • Initial Setup Time
    The initial setup of a Parse server and its environment can be time-consuming and challenging, particularly for those without DevOps experience.
  • Feature Limitations
    While Parse offers a rich feature set, some advanced features available in other modern backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platforms may lack, necessitating custom development.

Analysis of Google ARCore

Overall verdict

  • Google ARCore is a solid choice for developers looking to create high-quality AR experiences on Android devices. It continuously receives updates and support from Google, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices and keeping up with technological advancements in augmented reality.

Why this product is good

  • Google ARCore is considered good due to its robust set of features that enable developers to create immersive augmented reality experiences. It provides accurate motion tracking, environmental understanding, and light estimation, making it a powerful tool for AR applications on Android devices. Its integration with standard development environments like Unity and Unreal Engine also allows for seamless cross-platform development.

Recommended for

    Developers who are interested in creating interactive AR applications and experiences specifically for Android platforms will find ARCore particularly useful. It's also recommended for those who want to leverage existing mobile devices' capabilities without needing specialized hardware.

Analysis of Parse

Overall verdict

  • Parse is a good choice for developers looking for a flexible and scalable backend solution that can be deployed on their own servers or using cloud services. It is particularly beneficial due to its active community and extensive documentation.

Why this product is good

  • Parse is a popular open-source backend-as-a-service framework that simplifies app development by handling server-side components, freeing developers to focus on front-end development. It offers features like push notifications, cloud functions, social media integration, and a real-time database.

Recommended for

  • Developers who want an open-source solution with the freedom to self-host.
  • Teams building mobile or web applications that require a robust backend service.
  • Projects that need strong support for relational data and real-time functionalities.
  • Developers looking to avoid the overhead of writing custom backend code.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Google ARCore and Parse)
Augmented Reality
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Development
100 100%
0% 0
Realtime Backend / API
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Google ARCore and Parse

Google ARCore Reviews

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Parse Reviews

10 Top Firebase Alternatives to Ignite Your Development in 2024
If you’re looking for a Firebase alternative that gives you full control and the freedom to tinker, Parse Platform is your jam. Again, it’s a popular open-source framework loved by developers who want to build custom backends without being tied to a specific provider.
Source: genezio.com
Top 7 Firebase Alternatives for App Development in 2024
Back4App is a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform that uses Parse Server, the open-source version of the Parse backend. It simplifies backend development and management, providing developers with a robust platform for building modern applications.
Source: signoz.io
What is AWS Amplify? - AWS Amplify Alternatives
It is well-known for making the development process quick, easy, and simple. Using Parse, you may complete a day's worth of work in a few hours.
Source: mindmajix.com
2023 Firebase Alternatives: Top 10 Open-Source & Free
Community Support – If Firebase comes with the backing of Google, then Parse is also tested and trusted by Facebook. Yes, Facebook is the parent company of Parse. Therefore, it has a big community. You can find resources and solutions regarding Parse on GitHub, Stack Overflow and several other programming forums.
12 Best Open-source Database Backend Server and Google Firebase Alternatives
Parse server is an open-source database backend solution which speed up application building. It features database, user management, authentication, file upload and push notification.I used Parse for a few times, and I was satisfied with the speed and productivity it offers, especially in terms of developer tools as it comes with dozens of SDKs, libraries and sample code to...
Source: medevel.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Parse should be more popular than Google ARCore. It has been mentiond 21 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Google ARCore mentions (10)

  • The Metaverse is Here: Building for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
    ARCore Developer Guide: Learn how to create AR apps with Google’s ARCore. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • We're accelerating the Android XR platform with a new agreement with HTC
    - There was the AR (https://developers.google.com/ar). - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • App to get height of object.
    I don't know houw you would do it on ios but you should be able to do it on android if the phone supports it with.this library from google: https://developers.google.com/ar. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Tracking of an exact point of an object
    If you have any control on the choice of the source/webcam, I'd recommend using a camera that can sense depth from the start (lidar cameras, like Intel RealSense if you are building something like a commercial robot; or a consumer device with lidar capabilities like iPad Pros since 2020, because they come with SDKs to do what you want from the start. E.g. https://developer.apple.com/augmented-reality/arkit/ or... Source: over 4 years ago
  • Is it possible to run an AR application on a raspberry pi 4 Model B
    You guys are right that Unity doesn't support building for arm64 Linux. It looks like the op could potentially install Android on the Raspberry Pi, which may allow them to run Android APKs built with Unity. However, AR Core is needed in order for Unity's AR functionality to work, and I suspect it would take additional work to get AR Core working on the Pi with an external camera and gyroscope. Source: over 4 years ago
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Parse mentions (21)

  • Supabase Alternatives 🔄 in 2025 😼
    Parse deserves mention primarily for its historical significance as the precursor that inspired the entire backend-as-a-service space. Founded in 2011, Parse pioneered many concepts that we now take for granted in modern BaaS platforms. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • The 2024 Web Hosting Report
    Backend as a Service (BaaS) goes back to early 2010’s with companies like Parse and Firebase. These products integrated everything a backend provides to a webapp in a single, integrated package that makes it easier to get started and enables you to offload some of the devops maintenance work to someone else. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • How to set up a Parse Server backend with Typescript
    Parse Server is a great way to quickly spin up a backend for your project. Parse is a Node based utility that sits on top of ExpressJS. - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago
  • Free online DB for production app
    You can try https://parseplatform.org/, it is self-hosted if you need. And also there are a number of cloud services with compatible API, like https://www.back4app.com/ It has dart-friendly generated API client, much simpler than firebase and is built on top of postgresql and mongodb. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Supabase Series B
    Not to crash the party or anything. Supabase is great and all but in terms of feature completeness and getting actual products built, it doesn't come close to Parse[0]. Same with Appwrite. Both of these are very popular but they either lack essential features or have them behind a subscription wall. For example, the OSS version of Supabase (last I checked) doesn't include the edge functions which are really... - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Google ARCore and Parse, you can also consider the following products

Apple ARKit - A framework to create Augmented Reality experiences for iOS

Firebase - Firebase is a cloud service designed to power real-time, collaborative applications for mobile and web.

Vuforia SDK - Vuforia is a vision-based augmented reality software platform.

AWS Amplify - JavaScript library for app development using cloud services

ARToolKit - The world's most widely used tracking library for augmented reality.

Back4App - Low code backend to build apps faster and scale easily.