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Education · head to head

Stellarium vs YuJa

Stellarium logo

Stellarium

Education

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
YuJa logo

YuJa

Education

Video platform, lecture capture, accessibility remediation and proctoring bundled for institutions

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.; YuJa nothing is published, and because the pricing is a bundle against enrolment, comparing YuJa with a video-only competitor requires unpicking which modules you would actually deploy rather than reading two price lists.
  • They diverge on capability: Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, YuJa covers Lumina Video Platform.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Stellarium and YuJa actually diverge.

Attributes where Stellarium and YuJa differ
AttributeStellariumYuJa
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWeb, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS

Identical on both: 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 Stellarium

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

Only in YuJa

  • Lumina Video Platform
  • Lecture capture
  • Panorama
  • Verity
  • EqualGround
  • Auto-captioning
  • Engage
  • Institution-wide licensing

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

YuJa

  • A public university facing an enforceable web and document accessibility deadline that needs LMS content remediated and a dashboard it can show an auditor.not Stellarium
  • An institution replacing a per-user lecture capture licence where casual recorders push the seat count past what the budget supports.not Stellarium
  • A university that wants captioning, audio description and accessible alternative formats produced natively rather than routed to a third-party captioning vendor per hour.not Stellarium
  • A disability services office and IT department jointly procuring one supplier for accessibility remediation, website scanning and media captioning instead of three contracts.not 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.

YuJa

  • Nothing is published, and because the pricing is a bundle against enrolment, comparing YuJa with a video-only competitor requires unpicking which modules you would actually deploy rather than reading two price lists.
  • The suite is broad and the modules are not equally mature; buyers who choose it for the accessibility line should evaluate the video and proctoring products separately rather than assuming equivalent quality.
  • Storage and streaming are presented as unlimited, but unlimited in a quoted institutional contract is a negotiated position rather than a technical guarantee, and heavy adopters should get the fair use threshold in writing.
  • Proctoring is contested; student unions and academic staff at many institutions object to automated invigilation, so buying Verity as part of a bundle can trigger a governance argument the video purchase did not anticipate.
  • Bundling concentrates supplier risk: lecture capture, exam integrity and accessibility compliance in one contract means a single renewal negotiation where the institution has very little leverage.

Pricing, plan by plan

Stellarium

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

YuJa

On request
  • YuJa Suite$undefined/year
    • Priced per institution, usually against full-time equivalent enrolment
    • Video Platform, Panorama, Verity, EqualGround and Engage licensed individually or bundled
    • Multi-year institutional agreements are the norm

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 YuJa if

  • You need lumina video platform.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want lecture capture.
YuJa review

Questions people ask

Is Stellarium or YuJa better?
Neither clearly leads. Stellarium starts at Free and YuJa at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Stellarium or YuJa?
Stellarium has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Stellarium and On request for YuJa.
Does Stellarium or YuJa run on more platforms?
Stellarium runs on Windows, macOS, Linux. YuJa runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Stellarium for free?
Yes. Stellarium has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. YuJa 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 YuJa is typically brought in for.
What can Stellarium do that YuJa cannot?
Stellarium covers Photorealistic sky rendering, Large object catalogue, Telescope control, Scripting engine. YuJa covers Lumina Video Platform, Lecture capture, Panorama, Verity.

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.

YuJa: Is YuJa priced per user?

No. It is licensed per institution, typically against full-time equivalent enrolment, which is the main structural difference from per-seat lecture capture rivals.

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.

YuJa: Is storage really unlimited?

It is marketed that way. In a quoted institutional contract, get the fair use position and any streaming threshold written into the agreement.

Stellarium: What platforms does the free version run on?

Windows, macOS and Linux desktop.

YuJa: What is Panorama?

An accessibility product that scans documents in your LMS, remediates them, generates alternative formats and reports compliance status.

YuJa: Does it integrate with our LMS?

Yes, with Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, D2L Brightspace and Sakai through LTI, with in-course playback and rostering.

YuJa: How does it compare with Panopto?

Panopto is more focused on video and lecture capture. YuJa bundles accessibility remediation and proctoring around the video, which is why it wins tenders that weight accessibility heavily.

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