Softwr

Business Intelligence · head to head

ProfitWell vs Stellarium

ProfitWell logo

ProfitWell

Business Intelligence

Revenue analytics by Paddle

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: ProfitWell profitWell is now part of Paddle and its pricing page redirects to paddle.com, so it is no longer sold or priced independently; 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: ProfitWell covers Free Metrics, Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ProfitWell and Stellarium actually diverge.

Attributes where ProfitWell and Stellarium differ
AttributeProfitWellStellarium
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, ApiWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceEducation
Founded2012Unknown

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 ProfitWell

  • Free Metrics
  • Churn Reduction
  • Price Optimization
  • Revenue Recognition
  • Benchmarking
  • Stripe
  • Chargebee
  • Recurly

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.

ProfitWell

  • Subscription revenue metrics and churn reportingnot Stellarium
  • Recovering failed payments and reducing involuntary churnnot Stellarium

Stellarium

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

Where each one falls short

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

ProfitWell

  • ProfitWell is now part of Paddle and its pricing page redirects to paddle.com, so it is no longer sold or priced independently
  • Reaching any figure requires going through Paddle's own pricing rather than a ProfitWell rate card

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

ProfitWell

Free
  • Free MetricsFree
    • Revenue Metrics
    • Dashboards
    • Basic Reports
  • RetainFree
    • Churn Reduction
    • Payment Recovery
    • Custom Pricing

Stellarium

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

Which should you pick?

Choose ProfitWell if

  • You need free metrics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want churn reduction.
ProfitWell 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 ProfitWell or Stellarium better?
Neither clearly leads. ProfitWell 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, ProfitWell or Stellarium?
ProfitWell starts at Free and Stellarium at Free.
Does ProfitWell or Stellarium run on more platforms?
ProfitWell runs on Web, Api. Stellarium runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use ProfitWell for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ProfitWell best used for?
ProfitWell is most often used for subscription revenue metrics and churn reporting, recovering failed payments and reducing involuntary churn. Of those, subscription revenue metrics and churn reporting and recovering failed payments and reducing involuntary churn are not what Stellarium is typically brought in for.
What can ProfitWell do that Stellarium cannot?
ProfitWell covers Free Metrics, Churn Reduction, Price Optimization, Revenue Recognition. Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, Large object catalogue, Telescope control, Scripting engine.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ProfitWell: Is ProfitWell still available as a standalone product?

ProfitWell has been integrated into Paddle. The ProfitWell Metrics analytics tool is now part of Paddle's suite and is available at no cost.

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.

ProfitWell: What is Paddle's standard pricing model?

Paddle charges 5% plus 50 cents per checkout transaction on its standard pay-as-you-go plan. Custom pricing is available for products under $10 or for customers requiring invoicing.

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.

ProfitWell: What is included in Paddle's all-inclusive pricing?

Paddle's standard plan includes tax and compliance, unified billing, churn prevention tools, fraud protection, and 24/7 customer support. No separate monthly or hidden fees apply.

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

Windows, macOS and Linux desktop.

ProfitWell: What is the minimum spend required for Paddle's enterprise plan?

Paddle offers custom enterprise pricing with negotiated rates for scaling and established businesses. Customers receive tailored pricing aligned with their business model and access to premium support and advisory services.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on ProfitWell

More on Stellarium

Keep looking

Other head to heads