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Education · head to head

SkySafari vs UltraCamp

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
UltraCamp logo

UltraCamp

Education

Camp registration priced per reservation, with the fee schedule published in full

From
$4/reservation
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; UltraCamp per-reservation pricing scales linearly with growth, so a large camp pays substantially more than it would under a flat licence and has little leverage until it passes 2,000 reservations and enters quoted territory.
  • They diverge on capability: SkySafari covers Tiered editions, UltraCamp covers Per-reservation registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SkySafari and UltraCamp actually diverge.

Attributes where SkySafari and UltraCamp differ
AttributeSkySafariUltraCamp
Starting priceOn request$4/reservation
Pricing modelOne-time purchase per tierPer reservation
PlatformsiOS, Android, macOSWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: 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 SkySafari

  • Tiered editions
  • Telescope control
  • Large object catalogue
  • Event finder
  • Observing log
  • Time control

Only in UltraCamp

  • Per-reservation registration
  • Billing and payment plans
  • Facility and retreat rentals
  • Point of sale
  • Photo gallery
  • Custom reporting
  • Unlimited staff users
  • Online store

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

SkySafari

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

UltraCamp

  • A camp that wants to know its software cost per registration before the season rather than negotiate an annual licencenot SkySafari
  • A conference or retreat centre that rents facilities off-season and needs booking as well as camper registrationnot SkySafari
  • A small camp whose volume would make a flat enterprise licence poor valuenot SkySafari
  • A camp switching vendors that wants a named price for data migration rather than an open-ended services quotenot SkySafari

Where each one falls short

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

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.

UltraCamp

  • Per-reservation pricing scales linearly with growth, so a large camp pays substantially more than it would under a flat licence and has little leverage until it passes 2,000 reservations and enters quoted territory.
  • UltraCamp retains 30% of photo gallery sales, a revenue share far above the 3% it takes on merchandise, which turns a parent-facing nicety into a meaningful cost of doing business.
  • Health and medical record handling is thinner than CampMinder's, so camps with a staffed health centre and daily medication rounds often find it insufficient.
  • The interface and reporting are functional rather than modern, and building the unlimited custom reports on offer takes administrator time the camp has to fund itself.
  • The $1,200 annual minimum means very small camps pay for reservations they never make, so the effective per-reservation cost for a camp of two hundred is closer to $6.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

UltraCamp

$4/reservation
  • Reservations 0 to 999$4/reservation
    • $4.00 per reservation
    • $1,200 annual minimum in reservation fees
    • Unlimited staff users and custom reports
  • Reservations 1,000 to 1,999$3.75/reservation
    • $3.75 per reservation
    • Above 2,000 reservations priced by quote
    • Card processing about 2.5% plus $0.35 and roughly $20 a month in gateway fees
  • Optional modules$600/year
    • Point of sale $600 a year
    • Facility rental and retreat management $700 a year
    • Photo gallery with 30% of sales retained by UltraCamp

Which should you pick?

Choose SkySafari if

  • You need tiered editions.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS.
  • You also want telescope control.
SkySafari review

Choose UltraCamp if

  • You need per-reservation registration.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want billing and payment plans.
UltraCamp review

Questions people ask

Is SkySafari or UltraCamp better?
Neither clearly leads. SkySafari starts at On request and UltraCamp at $4/reservation, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SkySafari or UltraCamp?
SkySafari starts at On request and UltraCamp at $4/reservation.
Does SkySafari or UltraCamp run on more platforms?
SkySafari runs on iOS, Android, macOS. UltraCamp runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is SkySafari best used for?
SkySafari is most often used for an amateur astronomer with a motorised telescope mount who needs live control from a phone or tablet, a serious hobbyist who wants a deep-sky catalogue far larger than a casual sky map app provides, someone planning an observing session who wants an event finder for conjunctions and eclipses, a buyer choosing basic first as a cheap star chart with no intention of telescope control. Of those, an amateur astronomer with a motorised telescope mount who needs live control from a phone or tablet and a serious hobbyist who wants a deep-sky catalogue far larger than a casual sky map app provides are not what UltraCamp is typically brought in for.
What can SkySafari do that UltraCamp cannot?
SkySafari covers Tiered editions, Telescope control, Large object catalogue, Event finder. UltraCamp covers Per-reservation registration, Billing and payment plans, Facility and retreat rentals, Point of sale.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

UltraCamp: What will it actually cost us?

Take your reservation count times $4.00, or $3.75 above a thousand, subject to a $1,200 annual minimum, plus $299 setup and any data import. Then add card processing at roughly 2.5% plus $0.35 on tuition.

SkySafari: Can I upgrade from Basic to Plus later?

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

UltraCamp: Is there a contract?

No. UltraCamp sells without a term contract, which is unusual in this market and materially reduces switching risk.

SkySafari: Does it work with any telescope?

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

UltraCamp: What does the photo gallery cost?

UltraCamp keeps 30% of photo sales. If parents spend heavily on photos, price that before enabling the module.

UltraCamp: How does it compare to CampMinder on health records?

CampMinder is stronger. If you run a health centre with a nurse and medication logs, test that area carefully before choosing UltraCamp.

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