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Education · head to head

Stellarium vs Totara

Stellarium logo

Stellarium

Education

Free open source desktop planetarium software, distinct from the paid Stellarium Mobile Plus app

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Totara logo

Totara

LMS

Open source learning, performance and collaboration platform derived from Moodle and sold through partners

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stellarium has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Totara you cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • They diverge on capability: Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Stellarium and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where Stellarium and Totara differ
AttributeStellariumTotara
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
CategoryEducationLMS

Identical on both: 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 Stellarium

  • Photorealistic sky rendering
  • Large object catalogue
  • Telescope control
  • Scripting engine
  • Free and open source
  • Plugin ecosystem

Only in Totara

  • Organisational hierarchies
  • Compliance and certification
  • Totara Perform
  • Totara Engage
  • Self-hosting
  • Programs and learning plans

What people use each for

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

Stellarium

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

Totara

  • Health services and government bodies that must evidence mandatory training by job role across a large hierarchynot Stellarium
  • Organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructurenot Stellarium
  • Moodle users who need appraisal, competency and compliance features the academic product does not carrynot Stellarium
  • Buyers who want exit rights over the platform code rather than dependence on a single hosted vendornot Stellarium

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Totara

  • You cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • Open source does not mean cheap. Subscription plus partner hosting plus implementation and version upgrade services commonly lands near commercial system cost, and the saving is in control and exit rights rather than in the invoice.
  • The administrative interface carries its Moodle lineage and is dense, so administrator training is a real project cost rather than an afterthought.
  • Major version upgrades are projects, especially where a partner has customised the deployment, and organisations that customise heavily find upgrades slower and dearer over time.
  • The learner facing experience is functional rather than engaging, and organisations wanting a consumer grade learning experience usually front it with something else.

Pricing, plan by plan

Stellarium

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

Totara

On request
  • Totara subscription via partner$undefined/year
    • Sold only through distribution partners
    • Partner sets hosting, implementation and support pricing
    • Source available under the GPL, but subscription required for supported releases

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Totara if

  • You need organisational hierarchies.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want compliance and certification.
Totara review

Questions people ask

Is Stellarium or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. Stellarium starts at Free and Totara at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Stellarium or Totara?
Stellarium has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Stellarium and On request for Totara.
Does Stellarium or Totara run on more platforms?
Stellarium runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use Stellarium for free?
Yes. Stellarium has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Totara starts at On request.
What is Stellarium best used for?
Stellarium is most often used for a student or educator wanting a serious, scriptable planetarium tool without a budget line item, an amateur astronomer wanting telescope control from desktop software they can inspect and modify, someone running a planetarium display or public astronomy event on a scripted show, a hobbyist who wants a large object catalogue without paying a subscription, and does not need a phone app. Of those, a student or educator wanting a serious, scriptable planetarium tool without a budget line item and an amateur astronomer wanting telescope control from desktop software they can inspect and modify are not what Totara is typically brought in for.
What can Stellarium do that Totara cannot?
Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, Large object catalogue, Telescope control, Scripting engine. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Totara: Is Totara free because it is open source?

No. The source is available under the GPL, but supported releases require a subscription, and it is sold through partners who add hosting, implementation and support costs.

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.

Totara: How is it different from Moodle?

Moodle is built around courses and academic delivery. Totara adds organisational hierarchies, role based automatic assignment, recurring certification and appraisal, which is what workplace compliance reporting needs.

Stellarium: What platforms does the free version run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux desktop.

Totara: Can we host it ourselves?

Yes. Self hosting is a genuine option and is one of the main reasons regulated and public sector buyers choose it over a hosted only competitor.

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