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Hapara vs Star Walk 2

Hapara logo

Hapara

Education

Classroom visibility and workflow layer over Google Workspace for Education

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Star Walk 2 logo

Star Walk 2

Education

Freemium stargazing app with a low-cost ad-free upgrade, aimed at casual sky watchers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Star Walk 2 has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Hapara the product is a Google Workspace companion, so a district that moves to Microsoft 365 or runs mixed platforms loses most of the value it paid for.; Star Walk 2 its object catalogue is far smaller than SkySafari Pro, so it has little to offer once someone wants to go beyond naked-eye stargazing.
  • They diverge on capability: Hapara covers Highlights, Star Walk 2 covers Augmented reality sky view.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hapara and Star Walk 2 actually diverge.

Attributes where Hapara and Star Walk 2 differ
AttributeHaparaStar Walk 2
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteFreemium, low-cost ad-free subscription upgrade
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ChromeOS, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, macOS, Windows

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 Hapara

  • Highlights
  • Teacher Dashboard
  • Workspace
  • Filter
  • Guided browsing sessions
  • Activity snapshots

Only in Star Walk 2

  • Augmented reality sky view
  • Time travel mode
  • Satellite tracking
  • Night mode
  • Meteor shower and event alerts
  • Ad-free Plus tier

What people use each for

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

Hapara

  • A Chromebook district where teachers cannot see what pupils are doing during independent worknot Star Walk 2
  • Schools running differentiated instruction that need different groups to receive different resources without three separate assignmentsnot Star Walk 2
  • Departments that want lesson scoped site restrictions rather than a district wide filter changenot Star Walk 2
  • Giving teachers access to pupil Drive work without asking every pupil to share every document manuallynot Star Walk 2

Star Walk 2

  • A parent wanting a cheap, simple app to show a child the night skynot Hapara
  • A traveller who wants to identify stars and planets without a big subscription commitmentnot Hapara
  • A casual stargazer who does not need telescope control or a deep-sky cataloguenot Hapara
  • Someone wanting satellite pass tracking including the ISS on a budgetnot Hapara

Where each one falls short

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

Hapara

  • The product is a Google Workspace companion, so a district that moves to Microsoft 365 or runs mixed platforms loses most of the value it paid for.
  • Live tab monitoring is a surveillance capability with no technical boundary at the school gate, and unless the district configures and publishes a monitoring window, take home devices are watched at home by default expectations rather than by explicit policy.
  • It layers on top of district filtering rather than replacing it, so schools still pay for a separate filtering and safeguarding product and manage two sets of rules.
  • Value depends entirely on teachers using it in the moment. Schools that buy it without sustained classroom coaching see licences renewed on the basis of installed count rather than actual use.
  • Pupil awareness of monitoring changes behaviour in ways the analytics do not show, and older pupils move activity to personal phones, which produces a dashboard that looks compliant and is not.

Star Walk 2

  • Its object catalogue is far smaller than SkySafari Pro, so it has little to offer once someone wants to go beyond naked-eye stargazing.
  • It has no telescope control, unlike SkySafari Plus and Pro, so it cannot drive a motorised mount.
  • The free tier carries ads, which some users find intrusive during a stargazing session.
  • It shares a visual style with many similar AR sky map apps, so its differentiation beyond price is limited.
  • Content depth for deep-sky objects and satellite catalogues lags noticeably behind Sky Guide Pro and SkySafari Pro.

Pricing, plan by plan

Hapara

On request
  • Hapara Instructional Suite$undefined/year
    • Quoted per pupil per year
    • Modules bundled or taken separately
    • Multi-year district agreements typical

Star Walk 2

Free
  • Star Walk 2Free
    • Core sky map and AR view
    • Ad-supported
  • Star Walk 2 Plus$5.99/year
    • Ads removed
    • Additional sky content

Which should you pick?

Choose Hapara if

  • You need highlights.
  • You work on Web, ChromeOS, iOS, Android.
  • You also want teacher dashboard.
Hapara review

Choose Star Walk 2 if

  • You need augmented reality sky view.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want time travel mode.
Star Walk 2 review

Questions people ask

Is Hapara or Star Walk 2 better?
Neither clearly leads. Hapara starts at On request and Star Walk 2 at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hapara or Star Walk 2?
Star Walk 2 has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Hapara and Free for Star Walk 2.
Does Hapara or Star Walk 2 run on more platforms?
Hapara runs on Web, ChromeOS, iOS, Android. Star Walk 2 runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Star Walk 2 for free?
Yes. Star Walk 2 has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hapara starts at On request.
What is Hapara best used for?
Hapara is most often used for a chromebook district where teachers cannot see what pupils are doing during independent work, schools running differentiated instruction that need different groups to receive different resources without three separate assignments, departments that want lesson scoped site restrictions rather than a district wide filter change, giving teachers access to pupil drive work without asking every pupil to share every document manually. Of those, a chromebook district where teachers cannot see what pupils are doing during independent work and schools running differentiated instruction that need different groups to receive different resources without three separate assignments are not what Star Walk 2 is typically brought in for.
What can Hapara do that Star Walk 2 cannot?
Hapara covers Highlights, Teacher Dashboard, Workspace, Filter. Star Walk 2 covers Augmented reality sky view, Time travel mode, Satellite tracking, Night mode.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hapara: Does Hapara monitor pupils at home?

It can, on school managed devices, if the district configures it that way. Districts should define and publish a monitoring window, because the product does not impose one.

Star Walk 2: Is Star Walk 2 free?

A free ad-supported version exists; Star Walk 2 Plus removes ads and adds content for a low annual or monthly fee.

Hapara: Is it FERPA and COPPA aligned?

Yes. Hapara contracts as a school official under FERPA, relies on district consent for COPPA, and is a Student Privacy Pledge signatory. That does not decide how widely a district should configure monitoring.

Star Walk 2: Does it support telescope control?

No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.

Hapara: Do we still need a web filter?

Yes. Hapara adds class and lesson level control on top of district filtering. It is not a replacement for a filtering and safeguarding platform.

Star Walk 2: How does it compare to SkySafari on price?

It is substantially cheaper, but with a much smaller star and deep-sky object catalogue.

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