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Education · head to head

ClassLink vs Stellarium

ClassLink logo

ClassLink

Education

Single sign-on, rostering and usage analytics for school districts

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stellarium logo

Stellarium

Education

Free open source desktop planetarium software, distinct from the paid Stellarium Mobile Plus app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stellarium has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ClassLink it is a single point of failure by design; a ClassLink outage locks pupils out of every application at once, which is a worse day than any individual product failing.; Stellarium it is desktop-only software, so it has no native touch-optimised phone interface; the similarly named mobile app is a different paid product from a different company.
  • They diverge on capability: ClassLink covers LaunchPad, Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ClassLink and Stellarium actually diverge.

Attributes where ClassLink and Stellarium differ
AttributeClassLinkStellarium
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, WindowsWindows, macOS, Linux

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Education).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ClassLink

  • LaunchPad
  • Roster Server
  • Analytics
  • MyFiles
  • QuickCards and badge sign-in
  • ClassLink Extension
  • Multi-factor and conditional access
  • OneSync

Only in Stellarium

  • Photorealistic sky rendering
  • Large object catalogue
  • Telescope control
  • Scripting engine
  • Free and open source
  • Plugin ecosystem

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ClassLink

  • A district that has bought dozens of edtech products and cannot answer the board question of which ones are actually being used before renewal season.not Stellarium
  • A primary school where five and six year olds cannot type passwords, needing badge or QR sign-in that still resolves to a real identity behind the scenes.not Stellarium
  • A technology team spending each August rekeying class lists into a dozen vendor portals, wanting OneRoster provisioning to do it from the SIS instead.not Stellarium
  • A district running a mix of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 that needs one portal over both rather than telling pupils which login to use for which tool.not Stellarium

Stellarium

  • A student or educator wanting a serious, scriptable planetarium tool without a budget line itemnot ClassLink
  • An amateur astronomer wanting telescope control from desktop software they can inspect and modifynot ClassLink
  • Someone running a planetarium display or public astronomy event on a scripted shownot ClassLink
  • A hobbyist who wants a large object catalogue without paying a subscription, and does not need a phone appnot ClassLink

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ClassLink

  • It is a single point of failure by design; a ClassLink outage locks pupils out of every application at once, which is a worse day than any individual product failing.
  • Pricing is entirely quote-based and per student, so a district cannot budget for it without a sales cycle, and comparisons against Clever come down to negotiated rates rather than list prices.
  • Rostering accuracy is only as good as the SIS data behind it, and districts with messy enrolment or course records find ClassLink faithfully propagates that mess to every downstream vendor.
  • Applications that do not support SAML or OIDC are handled by a browser extension that replays stored credentials, which works but breaks whenever the vendor changes its login page and is a weaker security posture than real federation.
  • Analytics measures logins and session activity, not learning or engagement, so a product that pupils open and abandon still looks used; districts that treat the numbers as proof of value draw the wrong conclusion.

Stellarium

  • It is desktop-only software, so it has no native touch-optimised phone interface; the similarly named mobile app is a different paid product from a different company.
  • As a volunteer-maintained open source project, support is community-based rather than a guaranteed commercial help desk.
  • The interface, while capable, is less immediately intuitive for a first-time user than a polished commercial phone app.
  • Telescope control and some advanced plugins require additional setup that a non-technical user may find fiddly.
  • Because it shares a name with the unrelated paid Stellarium Mobile Plus app, buyers researching pricing online can easily conflate the two products.

Pricing, plan by plan

ClassLink

On request
  • ClassLink$undefined/year
    • Priced per student, with rates varying by district size and module mix
    • LaunchPad, Roster Server and Analytics are licensed separately or bundled
    • Annual district agreements, multi-year discounts negotiated

Stellarium

Free
  • Stellarium DesktopFree
    • Full software, GPL licensed
    • No account, ads or subscription
    • Community-developed plugins

Which should you pick?

Choose ClassLink if

  • You need launchpad.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows.
  • You also want roster server.
ClassLink review

Choose Stellarium if

  • You need photorealistic sky rendering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want large object catalogue.
Stellarium review

Questions people ask

Is ClassLink or Stellarium better?
Neither clearly leads. ClassLink starts at On request and Stellarium at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ClassLink or Stellarium?
Stellarium has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ClassLink and Free for Stellarium.
Does ClassLink or Stellarium run on more platforms?
ClassLink runs on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows. Stellarium runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Stellarium for free?
Yes. Stellarium has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ClassLink starts at On request.
What is ClassLink best used for?
ClassLink is most often used for a district that has bought dozens of edtech products and cannot answer the board question of which ones are actually being used before renewal season., a primary school where five and six year olds cannot type passwords, needing badge or qr sign-in that still resolves to a real identity behind the scenes., a technology team spending each august rekeying class lists into a dozen vendor portals, wanting oneroster provisioning to do it from the sis instead., a district running a mix of google workspace and microsoft 365 that needs one portal over both rather than telling pupils which login to use for which tool.. Of those, a district that has bought dozens of edtech products and cannot answer the board question of which ones are actually being used before renewal season. and a primary school where five and six year olds cannot type passwords, needing badge or qr sign-in that still resolves to a real identity behind the scenes. are not what Stellarium is typically brought in for.
What can ClassLink do that Stellarium cannot?
ClassLink covers LaunchPad, Roster Server, Analytics, MyFiles. Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, Large object catalogue, Telescope control, Scripting engine.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ClassLink: How is ClassLink different from Clever?

Both do SSO and OneRoster provisioning to schools. ClassLink leans harder on usage analytics and on access to on-premise network file shares; Clever leans on its application marketplace. Vendor support is broadly comparable.

Stellarium: Is Stellarium really free?

The desktop software is free and open source under the GPL licence. The separate mobile app, Stellarium Mobile Plus, is a different paid product.

ClassLink: Does it replace Google or Microsoft accounts?

No. It sits over them. Pupils still have an underlying Google Workspace or Entra ID identity and ClassLink federates to it.

Stellarium: Is the mobile app made by the same team?

No. Stellarium Mobile Plus is built by Noctua Software, a different company, and is sold on subscription.

ClassLink: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted per student and varies with district size and which of LaunchPad, Roster Server and Analytics you licence.

Stellarium: What platforms does the free version run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux desktop.

ClassLink: Does it work outside the United States?

Yes, but the OneRoster ecosystem and the SIS integrations are strongest for US K-12; international deployments get less of the prebuilt vendor coverage.

ClassLink: Can Analytics prove a product is worth renewing?

It proves whether people log in. It cannot tell you whether the time spent was useful, so treat low usage as a firm signal and high usage as a weak one.

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