Education · head to head
Sky Guide vs Stellarium
Sky Guide
Education
iOS astronomy app that moved from a one-time purchase to a free-to-download, subscription-tiered model
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Stellarium
Education
Free open source desktop planetarium software, distinct from the paid Stellarium Mobile Plus app
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Sky Guide it is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.; 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: Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting, Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Sky Guide and Stellarium actually diverge.
| Attribute | Sky Guide | Stellarium |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free download with Plus and Pro subscription upgrades | Open source, no licence fee |
| Platforms | iOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Sky Guide
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Camera and gyroscope sky view
- Deep-sky object catalogue
- Extreme zoom
- Satellite tracking
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.
Sky Guide
- An iOS stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing tripnot Stellarium
- Someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditionsnot Stellarium
- A user who wants extreme zoom into deep-sky objects without owning a telescopenot Stellarium
- A buyer comparing subscription astronomy apps on iOS specifically, rather than cross-platform toolsnot Stellarium
Stellarium
- A student or educator wanting a serious, scriptable planetarium tool without a budget line itemnot Sky Guide
- An amateur astronomer wanting telescope control from desktop software they can inspect and modifynot Sky Guide
- Someone running a planetarium display or public astronomy event on a scripted shownot Sky Guide
- A hobbyist who wants a large object catalogue without paying a subscription, and does not need a phone appnot Sky Guide
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Sky Guide
- It is iOS-only, unlike SkySafari which also covers Android and desktop.
- It has moved from one-time purchase to a subscription model, and long-time users who paid once for earlier versions have criticised the change publicly.
- Pro tier pricing is high relative to Star Walk 2 for broadly similar core stargazing functionality.
- It has no telescope control, unlike SkySafari Plus and Pro, which limits it to naked-eye and camera-based observing.
- Its relationship to other apps under the same distribution platform is not clearly documented, which makes long-term support commitments harder to assess.
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
Sky Guide
Free- Sky GuideFree
- Base sky map and object labelling
- Sky Guide Plus$19.99/year
- Larger star and satellite catalogue
- Light pollution forecasting
- Meteor shower prediction
- Sky Guide Pro$39.99/year
- Very large deep-sky object catalogue
- Exoplanet data
- Extreme zoom
Stellarium
Free- Stellarium DesktopFree
- Full software, GPL licensed
- No account, ads or subscription
- Community-developed plugins
Which should you pick?
Choose Sky Guide if
- You need light pollution forecasting.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS.
- You also want meteor shower prediction.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Sky Guide or Stellarium better?
- Neither clearly leads. Sky Guide 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, Sky Guide or Stellarium?
- Sky Guide starts at Free and Stellarium at Free.
- Does Sky Guide or Stellarium run on more platforms?
- Sky Guide runs on iOS. Stellarium runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
- Can I use Sky Guide for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Sky Guide best used for?
- Sky Guide is most often used for an ios stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing trip, someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditions, a user who wants extreme zoom into deep-sky objects without owning a telescope, a buyer comparing subscription astronomy apps on ios specifically, rather than cross-platform tools. Of those, an ios stargazer who wants light pollution forecasting to plan a dark-sky observing trip and someone tracking meteor showers and wanting a forecast of viewing conditions are not what Stellarium is typically brought in for.
- What can Sky Guide do that Stellarium cannot?
- Sky Guide covers Light pollution forecasting, Meteor shower prediction, Camera and gyroscope sky view, Deep-sky object catalogue. Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, Large object catalogue, Telescope control, Scripting engine.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Sky Guide: Is Sky Guide free?
The base app is free to download; Plus and Pro are subscription upgrades for a larger catalogue and forecasting features.
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.
Sky Guide: Did Sky Guide used to be a one-time purchase?
Yes, earlier versions were sold as a one-time purchase before it moved to the current free-plus-subscription model.
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.
Sky Guide: Does Sky Guide support telescope control?
No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.
Stellarium: What platforms does the free version run on?
Windows, macOS and Linux desktop.
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