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Education · head to head

Lightspeed Systems vs SkySafari

Lightspeed Systems logo

Lightspeed Systems

Education

Filtering, classroom management and student safety monitoring for K-12 device fleets

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: Lightspeed Systems no module has published pricing, so districts cannot benchmark a quote without running a formal procurement, and the eventual figure depends heavily on which co-operative contract they buy through.; 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: Lightspeed Systems covers Filter, SkySafari covers Tiered editions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lightspeed Systems and SkySafari actually diverge.

Attributes where Lightspeed Systems and SkySafari differ
AttributeLightspeed SystemsSkySafari
Pricing modelquoteOne-time purchase per tier
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows, macOSiOS, 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 Lightspeed Systems

  • Filter
  • Alert
  • Classroom
  • Insight
  • Signal
  • MDM
  • StopIt
  • Hall Monitor

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.

Lightspeed Systems

  • A district with 15,000 take-home Chromebooks that needs filtering to follow the device onto home and public networksnot SkySafari
  • A technology director being asked to justify the edtech budget, who can use app usage data to cancel licences nobody opensnot SkySafari
  • A school board that has agreed to safety monitoring but has no staff able to respond to alerts at night, and so buys the human review servicenot SkySafari
  • A one-to-one iPad rollout wanting device enrolment, filtering and teacher screen control from one vendornot SkySafari

SkySafari

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

Where each one falls short

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

Lightspeed Systems

  • No module has published pricing, so districts cannot benchmark a quote without running a formal procurement, and the eventual figure depends heavily on which co-operative contract they buy through.
  • Alert detection and the 24/7 human review that makes it actionable are priced separately, so a district that budgets for Alert alone ends up owning the overnight triage burden itself.
  • The agent model means coverage stops at the managed device, and students moving to a personal phone on mobile data are outside filtering and monitoring entirely, which undercuts the compliance claim in the exact scenario administrators worry about.
  • Teacher screen monitoring is frequently deployed without training, and lessons stall while staff learn the interface, so the first term of a Classroom rollout often produces complaints rather than the intended benefit.
  • Buying eight modules from one vendor makes renewal a single high-value negotiation with no partial leverage, and districts locked into a multi-year co-operative contract cannot easily drop a module that underperforms.

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

Lightspeed Systems

On request
  • Lightspeed Filter$undefined/year
    • Device-level content filtering on and off network
    • YouTube and social media policy controls
    • Quoted per student device per year
  • Lightspeed Alert$undefined/year
    • Safety signal detection
    • 24/7 human review sold as an additional service
    • Quoted
  • Lightspeed Classroom, Insight, Signal, MDM, StopIt and Hall Monitor$undefined/year
    • Each sold as a separate per-student module
    • Quoted, commonly bundled

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 Lightspeed Systems if

  • You need filter.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want alert.
Lightspeed Systems 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 Lightspeed Systems or SkySafari better?
Neither clearly leads. Lightspeed Systems 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, Lightspeed Systems or SkySafari?
Lightspeed Systems starts at On request and SkySafari at On request.
Does Lightspeed Systems or SkySafari run on more platforms?
Lightspeed Systems runs on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows, macOS. SkySafari runs on iOS, Android, macOS.
What is Lightspeed Systems best used for?
Lightspeed Systems is most often used for a district with 15,000 take-home chromebooks that needs filtering to follow the device onto home and public networks, a technology director being asked to justify the edtech budget, who can use app usage data to cancel licences nobody opens, a school board that has agreed to safety monitoring but has no staff able to respond to alerts at night, and so buys the human review service, a one-to-one ipad rollout wanting device enrolment, filtering and teacher screen control from one vendor. Of those, a district with 15,000 take-home chromebooks that needs filtering to follow the device onto home and public networks and a technology director being asked to justify the edtech budget, who can use app usage data to cancel licences nobody opens are not what SkySafari is typically brought in for.
What can Lightspeed Systems do that SkySafari cannot?
Lightspeed Systems covers Filter, Alert, Classroom, Insight. SkySafari covers Tiered editions, Telescope control, Large object catalogue, Event finder.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lightspeed Systems: How much does Lightspeed Filter cost per student?

Lightspeed does not publish rates. Pricing is quoted per student device per year and varies with district size, module mix and which purchasing co-operative contract you buy through.

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.

Lightspeed Systems: Is 24/7 human alert review included with Alert?

No. Alert provides the detection; the staffed round-the-clock review service is an additional purchase, and it is usually what districts actually need.

SkySafari: Can I upgrade from Basic to Plus later?

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

Lightspeed Systems: Does filtering work when students are at home?

Yes, the agent runs on the device rather than the network, so policy follows the Chromebook or laptop off site.

SkySafari: Does it work with any telescope?

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

Lightspeed Systems: What does Insight actually do for the budget?

It reports which licensed apps are opened and by whom, which districts use to cancel subscriptions with low usage. It also flags whether an app meets named privacy and accessibility standards.

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