Softwr

Education · head to head

GoGuardian vs SkySafari

GoGuardian logo

GoGuardian

Education

Web filtering, classroom screen monitoring and self-harm alerting for school-issued devices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SkySafari logo

SkySafari

Education

Astronomy app sold in three tiered editions, from a cheap star chart to telescope control

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: GoGuardian beacon generates alerts that a human must act on, often outside school hours, and districts that buy it without agreeing who responds at 11pm have created a liability rather than resolved one.; 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: GoGuardian covers Admin, SkySafari covers Tiered editions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GoGuardian and SkySafari actually diverge.

Attributes where GoGuardian and SkySafari differ
AttributeGoGuardianSkySafari
Pricing modelquoteOne-time purchase per tier
PlatformsChrome OS, Windows, macOS, iOS, WebiOS, Android, macOS

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 GoGuardian

  • Admin
  • Teacher
  • Beacon
  • Beacon 24/7
  • Scenes and sessions
  • Smart Alerts
  • Off-campus filtering
  • Reporting

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.

GoGuardian

  • A US district that must demonstrate CIPA-compliant filtering on federally subsidised broadband and wants the activity logs to survive an audit.not SkySafari
  • A one-to-one Chromebook programme where devices go home and the district needs the filtering policy to travel with the device rather than stop at the school gate.not SkySafari
  • A school with a documented safeguarding concern about self-harm that needs flagged language escalated to a named counsellor with a timestamped record.not SkySafari
  • A teacher running an online assessment who needs pupil browsers locked to a single site for the duration without provisioning a separate lockdown browser.not SkySafari

SkySafari

  • An amateur astronomer with a motorised telescope mount who needs live control from a phone or tabletnot GoGuardian
  • A serious hobbyist who wants a deep-sky catalogue far larger than a casual sky map app providesnot GoGuardian
  • Someone planning an observing session who wants an event finder for conjunctions and eclipsesnot GoGuardian
  • A buyer choosing Basic first as a cheap star chart with no intention of telescope controlnot GoGuardian

Where each one falls short

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

GoGuardian

  • Beacon generates alerts that a human must act on, often outside school hours, and districts that buy it without agreeing who responds at 11pm have created a liability rather than resolved one.
  • Detection is language-pattern based, so it produces false positives on coursework about difficult subjects and misses coded or oblique expressions, meaning it should never be presented to parents as a safety net.
  • Filtering on school-issued devices follows pupils home, which surveils domestic internet use on a household's own connection, and districts have faced public objections when this was not disclosed clearly in advance.
  • No pricing is published, and the multi-year reseller bundles make it hard to compare against a filtering-only competitor without running a full procurement.
  • Coverage is strongest on Chrome OS and thinner on Windows, macOS and iOS, so mixed-device districts get uneven enforcement and end up running a second filtering product for the non-Chromebook estate.

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

GoGuardian

On request
  • GoGuardian Suite$undefined/year
    • Priced per student or per device, quoted by district
    • Admin, Teacher and Beacon licensed individually or as a bundle
    • Sold heavily through education resellers as three, four and five year terms

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 GoGuardian if

  • You need admin.
  • You work on Chrome OS, Windows, macOS, iOS, Web.
  • You also want teacher.
GoGuardian review

Choose SkySafari if

  • You need tiered editions.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS.
  • You also want telescope control.
SkySafari review

Questions people ask

Is GoGuardian or SkySafari better?
Neither clearly leads. GoGuardian starts at On request and SkySafari at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GoGuardian or SkySafari?
GoGuardian starts at On request and SkySafari at On request.
Does GoGuardian or SkySafari run on more platforms?
GoGuardian runs on Chrome OS, Windows, macOS, iOS, Web. SkySafari runs on iOS, Android, macOS.
What is GoGuardian best used for?
GoGuardian is most often used for a us district that must demonstrate cipa-compliant filtering on federally subsidised broadband and wants the activity logs to survive an audit., a one-to-one chromebook programme where devices go home and the district needs the filtering policy to travel with the device rather than stop at the school gate., a school with a documented safeguarding concern about self-harm that needs flagged language escalated to a named counsellor with a timestamped record., a teacher running an online assessment who needs pupil browsers locked to a single site for the duration without provisioning a separate lockdown browser.. Of those, a us district that must demonstrate cipa-compliant filtering on federally subsidised broadband and wants the activity logs to survive an audit. and a one-to-one chromebook programme where devices go home and the district needs the filtering policy to travel with the device rather than stop at the school gate. are not what SkySafari is typically brought in for.
What can GoGuardian do that SkySafari cannot?
GoGuardian covers Admin, Teacher, Beacon, Beacon 24/7. SkySafari covers Tiered editions, Telescope control, Large object catalogue, Event finder.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GoGuardian: Is GoGuardian required for CIPA compliance?

No. CIPA requires a filtering policy and technology, not a specific vendor. GoGuardian is one of several products that satisfy it.

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.

GoGuardian: Does Beacon monitor pupils at home?

On a school-issued managed device, yes, including outside school hours, unless the district explicitly limits the policy. This should be disclosed to families.

SkySafari: Can I upgrade from Basic to Plus later?

Not as a discounted upgrade; each tier is sold as a separate one-time purchase.

GoGuardian: Is Beacon included with Admin?

A starter level of Beacon is included with an Admin subscription. The 24/7 human triage service is a separate paid tier.

SkySafari: Does it work with any telescope?

Only telescopes with compatible motorised mounts and a supported connection method can be controlled from the app.

GoGuardian: Is Pear Deck part of the same licence?

No. Pear Deck Learning products are sold separately from the Admin, Teacher and Beacon suite even though the same company owns both.

GoGuardian: Can teachers view screens outside lesson time?

That depends on how the district configures sessions. Leaving screen viewing available at all hours is a configuration choice, not a product limitation, and it is the setting most worth reviewing.

Share

Related pages

More on GoGuardian

More on SkySafari

Keep looking

Other head to heads