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Education · head to head

Star Walk 2 vs Stellarium

Star Walk 2 logo

Star Walk 2

Education

Freemium stargazing app with a low-cost ad-free upgrade, aimed at casual sky watchers

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: Star Walk 2 its object catalogue is far smaller than SkySafari Pro, so it has little to offer once someone wants to go beyond naked-eye stargazing.; 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: Star Walk 2 covers Augmented reality sky view, Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Star Walk 2 and Stellarium actually diverge.

Attributes where Star Walk 2 and Stellarium differ
AttributeStar Walk 2Stellarium
Pricing modelFreemium, low-cost ad-free subscription upgradeOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsiOS, Android, macOS, WindowsWindows, 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 Star Walk 2

  • Augmented reality sky view
  • Time travel mode
  • Satellite tracking
  • Night mode
  • Meteor shower and event alerts
  • Ad-free Plus tier

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.

Star Walk 2

  • A parent wanting a cheap, simple app to show a child the night skynot Stellarium
  • A traveller who wants to identify stars and planets without a big subscription commitmentnot Stellarium
  • A casual stargazer who does not need telescope control or a deep-sky cataloguenot Stellarium
  • Someone wanting satellite pass tracking including the ISS on a budgetnot Stellarium

Stellarium

  • A student or educator wanting a serious, scriptable planetarium tool without a budget line itemnot Star Walk 2
  • An amateur astronomer wanting telescope control from desktop software they can inspect and modifynot Star Walk 2
  • Someone running a planetarium display or public astronomy event on a scripted shownot Star Walk 2
  • A hobbyist who wants a large object catalogue without paying a subscription, and does not need a phone appnot Star Walk 2

Where each one falls short

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

Star Walk 2

  • Its object catalogue is far smaller than SkySafari Pro, so it has little to offer once someone wants to go beyond naked-eye stargazing.
  • It has no telescope control, unlike SkySafari Plus and Pro, so it cannot drive a motorised mount.
  • The free tier carries ads, which some users find intrusive during a stargazing session.
  • It shares a visual style with many similar AR sky map apps, so its differentiation beyond price is limited.
  • Content depth for deep-sky objects and satellite catalogues lags noticeably behind Sky Guide Pro and SkySafari Pro.

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

Star Walk 2

Free
  • Star Walk 2Free
    • Core sky map and AR view
    • Ad-supported
  • Star Walk 2 Plus$5.99/year
    • Ads removed
    • Additional sky content

Stellarium

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Star Walk 2 if

  • You need augmented reality sky view.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want time travel mode.
Star Walk 2 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 Star Walk 2 or Stellarium better?
Neither clearly leads. Star Walk 2 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, Star Walk 2 or Stellarium?
Star Walk 2 starts at Free and Stellarium at Free.
Does Star Walk 2 or Stellarium run on more platforms?
Star Walk 2 runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. Stellarium runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Star Walk 2 for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Star Walk 2 best used for?
Star Walk 2 is most often used for a parent wanting a cheap, simple app to show a child the night sky, a traveller who wants to identify stars and planets without a big subscription commitment, a casual stargazer who does not need telescope control or a deep-sky catalogue, someone wanting satellite pass tracking including the iss on a budget. Of those, a parent wanting a cheap, simple app to show a child the night sky and a traveller who wants to identify stars and planets without a big subscription commitment are not what Stellarium is typically brought in for.
What can Star Walk 2 do that Stellarium cannot?
Star Walk 2 covers Augmented reality sky view, Time travel mode, Satellite tracking, Night mode. Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, Large object catalogue, Telescope control, Scripting engine.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Star Walk 2: Is Star Walk 2 free?

A free ad-supported version exists; Star Walk 2 Plus removes ads and adds content for a low annual or monthly fee.

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.

Star Walk 2: Does it support telescope control?

No. For telescope control, SkySafari Plus or Pro is the better choice.

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.

Star Walk 2: How does it compare to SkySafari on price?

It is substantially cheaper, but with a much smaller star and deep-sky object catalogue.

Stellarium: What platforms does the free version run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux desktop.

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