Education · head to head
Securly vs SkySafari
Securly
Education
Web filtering, student safety monitoring and device management for K-12 schools
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
SkySafari
Education
Astronomy app sold in three tiered editions, from a cheap star chart to telescope control
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Securly pricing stacks by module and only Filter has rates that surface publicly, so the quoted total for Filter plus Aware plus On-Call is routinely several times the number a district budgeted from the filtering line alone.; 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: Securly 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 Securly and SkySafari actually diverge.
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 Securly
- Filter
- Aware
- On-Call
- Classroom
- MDM
- Pass
- Home
- Delegated admin
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.
Securly
- A district that must show CIPA compliance for take-home Chromebooks used on home broadband, where network-level filtering does nothingnot SkySafari
- A district whose safeguarding policy requires that a human being reads a self-harm alert within minutes at any hour, including school holidaysnot SkySafari
- A one-to-one iPad programme needing Apple device enrolment, filtering and classroom control from a single agent rather than threenot SkySafari
- A district under pressure from parents who want visibility of what their child does on the school device at home, without the school having to field each request by handnot SkySafari
SkySafari
- An amateur astronomer with a motorised telescope mount who needs live control from a phone or tabletnot Securly
- A serious hobbyist who wants a deep-sky catalogue far larger than a casual sky map app providesnot Securly
- Someone planning an observing session who wants an event finder for conjunctions and eclipsesnot Securly
- A buyer choosing Basic first as a cheap star chart with no intention of telescope controlnot Securly
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Securly
- Pricing stacks by module and only Filter has rates that surface publicly, so the quoted total for Filter plus Aware plus On-Call is routinely several times the number a district budgeted from the filtering line alone.
- The safety scanning generates false positives at volume, including song lyrics, creative writing and health-class assignments, and each one consumes counsellor or administrator time that the vendor does not pay for.
- Alerting on student writing is a surveillance decision with real community consequences, and districts that deploy it without an explicit board policy and parent notification have faced local objections after the fact.
- Coverage is strongest on managed Chromebooks; personal devices, non-Chrome browsers and encrypted apps outside the agent leave gaps that the compliance story quietly depends on nobody testing.
- Per-student pricing is charged on enrolment rather than on devices, so a district that issues devices to only some year groups still pays for every student on the roll.
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
Securly
On request- Filter$undefined/year
- Web filtering on and off network
- Tiered per-student rates that fall as enrolment rises
- Published in some purchasing co-operative catalogues, not on the vendor site
- Aware$undefined/year
- Automated scanning of email, documents and search for safety risk
- Quoted per student, no public rate
- On-Call$undefined/year
- 24/7 human review and escalation of serious alerts
- Quoted per student, priced on top of Aware
- Classroom, MDM and Pass$undefined/year
- Sold as separate per-student modules
- Quoted
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 Securly if
- You need filter.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows.
- You also want aware.
Choose SkySafari if
- You need tiered editions.
- You work on iOS, Android, macOS.
- You also want telescope control.
Questions people ask
- Is Securly or SkySafari better?
- Neither clearly leads. Securly 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, Securly or SkySafari?
- Securly starts at On request and SkySafari at On request.
- Does Securly or SkySafari run on more platforms?
- Securly runs on Web, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Windows. SkySafari runs on iOS, Android, macOS.
- What is Securly best used for?
- Securly is most often used for a district that must show cipa compliance for take-home chromebooks used on home broadband, where network-level filtering does nothing, a district whose safeguarding policy requires that a human being reads a self-harm alert within minutes at any hour, including school holidays, a one-to-one ipad programme needing apple device enrolment, filtering and classroom control from a single agent rather than three, a district under pressure from parents who want visibility of what their child does on the school device at home, without the school having to field each request by hand. Of those, a district that must show cipa compliance for take-home chromebooks used on home broadband, where network-level filtering does nothing and a district whose safeguarding policy requires that a human being reads a self-harm alert within minutes at any hour, including school holidays are not what SkySafari is typically brought in for.
- What can Securly do that SkySafari cannot?
- Securly covers Filter, Aware, On-Call, Classroom. SkySafari covers Tiered editions, Telescope control, Large object catalogue, Event finder.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Securly: Does Securly publish pricing?
Not on its own site. Tiered per-student rates for Filter appear in some US purchasing co-operative catalogues, falling as enrolment rises, but Aware, On-Call, Classroom, MDM and Pass are quoted.
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.
Securly: What is the difference between Aware and On-Call?
Aware is the automated detection that produces alerts. On-Call is the staffed service that reads the serious ones out of hours and phones your escalation contacts. Buying Aware alone leaves the triage with your own staff.
SkySafari: Can I upgrade from Basic to Plus later?
Not as a discounted upgrade; each tier is sold as a separate one-time purchase.
Securly: Does it filter on home internet?
Yes, filtering follows the managed device rather than the network, which is the point for take-home Chromebook programmes.
SkySafari: Does it work with any telescope?
Only telescopes with compatible motorised mounts and a supported connection method can be controlled from the app.
Securly: Is student data used for anything else?
Securly signs the US Student Privacy Pledge and district data processing agreements; check the specific DPA rather than the marketing page, since scanning scope and retention are negotiated terms.
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