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Education · head to head

Hapara vs Stellarium

Hapara logo

Hapara

Education

Classroom visibility and workflow layer over Google Workspace for Education

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: 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.; 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: Hapara covers Highlights, Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hapara and Stellarium actually diverge.

Attributes where Hapara and Stellarium differ
AttributeHaparaStellarium
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ChromeOS, iOS, AndroidWindows, 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 Hapara

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

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.

Hapara

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

Stellarium

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

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

Hapara

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

Stellarium

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

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 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 Hapara or Stellarium better?
Neither clearly leads. Hapara 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, Hapara or Stellarium?
Stellarium has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Hapara and Free for Stellarium.
Does Hapara or Stellarium run on more platforms?
Hapara runs on Web, ChromeOS, iOS, Android. 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. 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 Stellarium is typically brought in for.
What can Hapara do that Stellarium cannot?
Hapara covers Highlights, Teacher Dashboard, Workspace, Filter. Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, Large object catalogue, Telescope control, Scripting engine.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Stellarium: What platforms does the free version run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux desktop.

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