Education · head to head
Elevate vs SkySafari
Elevate
Education
Cognitive skills training app from Elevate Labs covering reading, writing, maths and speaking games
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
SkySafari
Education
Astronomy app sold in three tiered editions, from a cheap star chart to telescope control
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Elevate has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Elevate the free tier limits daily games enough that the personalised programme the app is designed around is effectively a paid-only feature.; SkySafari the three tiers are separate purchases, so upgrading from Basic to Plus or Pro later means buying again rather than paying the price difference.
- They diverge on capability: Elevate covers Daily game sets, SkySafari covers Tiered editions.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Elevate and SkySafari actually diverge.
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 Elevate
- Daily game sets
- Personalised training plan
- Progress tracking
- Reading and comprehension drills
- Maths and estimation games
- Writing and proofreading games
Only in SkySafari
- Tiered editions
- Telescope control
- Large object catalogue
- Event finder
- Observing log
- Time control
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Elevate
- An adult wanting short daily practice on workplace writing and proofreading skillsnot SkySafari
- Someone preparing for a maths or verbal reasoning assessment who wants low-stakes daily drillsnot SkySafari
- A user comparing Elevate against Lumosity on whether they want practical skills or abstract cognitive gamesnot SkySafari
- A buyer wanting to sample the format on the limited free tier before committing to a subscriptionnot SkySafari
SkySafari
- An amateur astronomer with a motorised telescope mount who needs live control from a phone or tabletnot Elevate
- A serious hobbyist who wants a deep-sky catalogue far larger than a casual sky map app providesnot Elevate
- Someone planning an observing session who wants an event finder for conjunctions and eclipsesnot Elevate
- A buyer choosing Basic first as a cheap star chart with no intention of telescope controlnot Elevate
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Elevate
- The free tier limits daily games enough that the personalised programme the app is designed around is effectively a paid-only feature.
- As with the brain training category generally, evidence that improved performance on Elevate specific games transfers to broader real-world cognitive or task performance is weaker than marketing framing implies.
- The annual subscription auto-renews and, as with most mobile subscriptions, must be cancelled through app store settings rather than inside the app itself.
- Game variety within each skill category is finite, and long-term daily users report the exercises becoming repetitive after extended use.
- It does not replace structured instruction for skills like reading comprehension or maths where a genuine foundational gap exists; it is practice and drilling rather than teaching from first principles.
SkySafari
- The three tiers are separate purchases, so upgrading from Basic to Plus or Pro later means buying again rather than paying the price difference.
- Even the Basic tier costs more than a comparable free or freemium app like Star Walk 2 for a casual user.
- Telescope control only works with compatible motorised mounts, so it is useless to someone with a manual telescope or no telescope at all.
- Pricing fluctuates with frequent promotional sales, so the list price is not a reliable guide to what most buyers actually pay.
- The interface, particularly on the Pro tier, has a steeper learning curve than a simple AR sky map app aimed at casual users.
Pricing, plan by plan
Elevate
Free- Elevate Pro$9.99/month
- Free tier gives a limited number of games per day
- Pro unlocks the full game library and personalised training plan
- Annual Pro plans typically run $44.99 to $59.99, cheaper per month than monthly billing
SkySafari
On request- SkySafari Basic$4.99/one-time
- Core star chart
- Modest object catalogue
- No telescope control
- SkySafari Plus$14.99/one-time
- About 2.5 million stars and 32,000 deep-sky objects
- Telescope control
- Event finder and observing log
- SkySafari Pro$29.99/one-time
- Largest catalogue tier
- Telescope control
- Advanced observation planning tools
Which should you pick?
Choose Elevate if
- You need daily game sets.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android.
- You also want personalised training plan.
Choose SkySafari if
- You need tiered editions.
- You work on iOS, Android, macOS.
- You also want telescope control.
Questions people ask
- Is Elevate or SkySafari better?
- Neither clearly leads. Elevate starts at Free and SkySafari at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Elevate or SkySafari?
- Elevate has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Elevate and On request for SkySafari.
- Does Elevate or SkySafari run on more platforms?
- Elevate runs on iOS, Android. SkySafari runs on iOS, Android, macOS.
- Can I use Elevate for free?
- Yes. Elevate has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SkySafari starts at On request.
- What is Elevate best used for?
- Elevate is most often used for an adult wanting short daily practice on workplace writing and proofreading skills, someone preparing for a maths or verbal reasoning assessment who wants low-stakes daily drills, a user comparing elevate against lumosity on whether they want practical skills or abstract cognitive games, a buyer wanting to sample the format on the limited free tier before committing to a subscription. Of those, an adult wanting short daily practice on workplace writing and proofreading skills and someone preparing for a maths or verbal reasoning assessment who wants low-stakes daily drills are not what SkySafari is typically brought in for.
- What can Elevate do that SkySafari cannot?
- Elevate covers Daily game sets, Personalised training plan, Progress tracking, Reading and comprehension drills. SkySafari covers Tiered editions, Telescope control, Large object catalogue, Event finder.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Elevate: Is Elevate free?
A limited number of games per day are free. The full library, personalised training plan and progress tracking require Elevate Pro.
SkySafari: What is the difference between Basic, Plus and Pro?
Basic is a simple star chart, Plus adds a much larger catalogue and telescope control, and Pro adds an even larger catalogue and advanced planning tools.
Elevate: Does Elevate improve real-world cognitive ability?
It reliably improves performance on the specific games practised. Evidence that this transfers broadly to real-world cognitive or task performance is limited, consistent with the brain training category generally.
SkySafari: Can I upgrade from Basic to Plus later?
Not as a discounted upgrade; each tier is sold as a separate one-time purchase.
Elevate: How is Elevate different from Lumosity?
Elevate focuses on practical skills such as reading, writing and workplace maths, while Lumosity is built around broader abstract memory, attention and reasoning games.
SkySafari: Does it work with any telescope?
Only telescopes with compatible motorised mounts and a supported connection method can be controlled from the app.
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