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Machine Learning · head to head

LlamaIndex vs Stellarium

LlamaIndex logo

LlamaIndex

Machine Learning

Data framework for LLM applications

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: LlamaIndex the free LlamaCloud plan includes 10K credits and has no pay as you go option, so work stops when credits run out; 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: LlamaIndex covers Data connectors, Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LlamaIndex and Stellarium actually diverge.

Attributes where LlamaIndex and Stellarium differ
AttributeLlamaIndexStellarium
Pricing modelusage-basedOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsLinux, Mac, WindowsWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryMachine LearningEducation
Founded2022Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 LlamaIndex

  • Data connectors
  • Indexing
  • Query engine
  • RAG pipelines
  • Agents
  • OpenAI
  • Anthropic
  • Pinecone

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.

LlamaIndex

  • Parsing PDFs and complex documents into structured text for RAGnot Stellarium
  • Building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private datanot Stellarium
  • Indexing and querying enterprise documents from an LLM applicationnot Stellarium

Stellarium

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

Where each one falls short

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

LlamaIndex

  • The free LlamaCloud plan includes 10K credits and has no pay as you go option, so work stops when credits run out
  • Concurrent parse jobs are capped at 5 on Free and Starter, 20 on Pro and 100 on Enterprise
  • Pay as you go spend is capped at $500 per month on Starter and $5,000 per month on Pro
  • Enterprise SSO is Enterprise plan only
  • Volume discounts on credits and 5x higher rate limits are Enterprise only
  • SaaS or hybrid cloud deployment choice and a dedicated account manager are Enterprise only
  • Enterprise pricing is by quote with no published rate

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

LlamaIndex

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 10K monthly credits
    • Basic parsing
    • 5 concurrent jobs
  • Starter$50/month
    • 40K credits + pay-as-you-go
    • Up to 400K credits
    • 5 concurrent jobs
  • Pro$500/month
    • 400K credits + limited-time bonus
    • 20 concurrent jobs
    • Priority Slack support
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom volume discounts
    • 5x higher rate limits
    • SSO

Stellarium

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

Which should you pick?

Choose LlamaIndex if

  • You need data connectors.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want indexing.
LlamaIndex 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 LlamaIndex or Stellarium better?
Neither clearly leads. LlamaIndex starts at Free and Stellarium at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LlamaIndex or Stellarium?
LlamaIndex starts at Free and Stellarium at Free.
Does LlamaIndex or Stellarium run on more platforms?
LlamaIndex runs on Linux, Mac, Windows. Stellarium runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use LlamaIndex for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is LlamaIndex best used for?
LlamaIndex is most often used for parsing pdfs and complex documents into structured text for rag, building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private data, indexing and querying enterprise documents from an llm application. Of those, parsing pdfs and complex documents into structured text for rag and building retrieval augmented generation pipelines over private data are not what Stellarium is typically brought in for.
What can LlamaIndex do that Stellarium cannot?
LlamaIndex covers Data connectors, Indexing, Query engine, RAG pipelines. Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, Large object catalogue, Telescope control, Scripting engine.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LlamaIndex: How much does LlamaIndex (LlamaParse) cost?

LlamaIndex offers a Free plan with 10K monthly credits at $0/month. The Starter plan is $50/month for 40K credits plus pay-as-you-go overage up to 400K total. The Pro plan is $500/month for 400K credits. Credits are priced at 1,000 credits for $1.25.

Source
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.

LlamaIndex: Is LlamaIndex free?

Yes, LlamaIndex offers a free plan with 10K monthly credits, basic parsing, 5 concurrent jobs, and support for up to 100 users with no upfront payment required.

Source
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.

LlamaIndex: What are LlamaIndex's concurrent job limits?

The Free and Starter plans allow 5 concurrent jobs. The Pro plan increases this to 20 concurrent jobs. Enterprise plans offer custom configurations with 5x higher rate limits.

Source
Stellarium: What platforms does the free version run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux desktop.

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