Stellarium vs SkySafari vs Sky Guide vs Star Walk 2
All four identify what you point your phone at. Stellarium is the deep one on a budget: free to start, Stellarium Plus adds the Gaia star catalog (over 1.6 billion stars) and telescope control, and its desktop version is free. SkySafari is built around observing with a telescope: plans, logs and device control. Sky Guide is the Apple-only one, on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, and it works fully offline, but it isn't on Android. Star Walk 2 is the gentlest start, with 3D constellations, quizzes and stories, and ads in its free version.
- Pick Stellarium for a deep catalog for little money (Stellarium Plus from $1.99) and a free desktop planetarium.
- Pick SkySafari if you observe with a telescope and want observing plans, logs and device control (ASCOM Alpaca and INDI).
- Pick Sky Guide if you're on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Vision Pro and want it to work with no signal.
- Pick Star Walk 2 for a gentle start, 3D constellation models and stories.
Side by side
| Feature | Stellarium | SkySafari | Sky Guide | Star Walk 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Mobile: iPhone, iPad, Android (runs on Vision Pro as an iPad app). Desktop: Windows, macOS, Linux; also Stellarium Web[1][2][3] | iPhone, iPad, Android; 8 Pro also on Mac. Runs on Vision Pro as an iPad app[4][5][6] | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro, plus Apple silicon Macs. No Android[7][8] | iPhone, iPad, Android (runs on Apple silicon Macs and Vision Pro as an iPad app)[9][10] |
| Price | Free; Stellarium Plus in-app ($1.99 or $18.99 on the App Store), also a separate $19.99 Stellarium Plus app on Google Play. Desktop free and open source[1][11][3] | SkySafari $4.99, 8 Plus $19.99, 8 Pro $34.99; optional Premium subscription[12][4][5] | Free; Plus ($4.99 or $39.99) and Pro ($8.99 or $59.99) in-app purchases, Pro Lifetime $249.99[7] | Free with ads (Star Walk 2 Plus) or $2.99 (Star Walk 2 Pro); optional subscription[9][13][10] |
| Catalog | Free: stars to magnitude 8 on iPhone, 10 on Android. Plus: to magnitude 22, the Gaia catalog (over 1.69 billion stars on iPhone, 1.81 billion on Android) and over 2 million nebulae and galaxies[1][2] | 8 Plus and 8 Pro add bigger databases; 8 Pro's listing calls its database the most complete ever put on a phone[4][5] | Stars, constellations, planets and satellites; more with Plus and Pro[7] | Stars, planets, constellations, deep-sky objects, comets and satellites[9][10] |
| Telescope control | Yes with Plus: GoTo telescopes (NexStar, SynScan, LX200) over Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth on Android[1][2] | Yes, in 8 Plus and 8 Pro (not the $4.99 app): ASCOM Alpaca and INDI, observing plans and logs, plate solving[12][4] | Not on its listing (it outlines smart telescopes' fields of view)[7] | Not on its listing[9] |
| Stand-out feature | Sky cultures: constellations as many peoples drew them[1] | 8 Plus: simulate the sky 10,000 years either way, and guide a friend around the sky with a shared link[4] | Works with no Wi-Fi, cell signal or GPS; Space Station alerts[7] | 3D constellation models, quizzes and stories[9][10] |
Each app as its own store listing or website describes it, checked November 7, 2026; US prices. Numbers in brackets are the sources below.
Where Stellarium is the better pick
- A deep catalog for the price.
- A free, open-source desktop version for Windows, macOS and Linux, and Stellarium Web.
Where SkySafari is the better pick
- Telescope control and observing tools for serious observers.
Where Sky Guide is the better pick
- iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Vision Pro from one maker, and fully offline.
Where Star Walk 2 is the better pick
- A gentle start for beginners and children.
Where Everdust fits
I make Everdust, and it isn't a star map in the sense these four are; if you want to find and log objects, use one of them. Where it fits is after you've found something: Everdust turns the wonders into live simulations you can step into.
On iPhone, iPad and Android, Everdust's Night Sky shows the real sky behind your phone; tap a nebula, a galaxy or a star cluster and you fly inside it. Tonight's Sky lists the Moon, the planets, Space Station passes and meteor showers, and on Android, Point at the sky shows the constellation figures behind your phone.
Everdust's Night Sky on Apple Vision Pro puts the real sky for your place and time around you: look at a planet and pinch to fly there, or at one of its 29 wonders, a nebula, a galaxy or a star cluster, and fly inside it. The Everdust Atlas has a page for each.
Everdust is free on Apple Vision Pro, Apple TV, Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad and Meta Quest. On Mac, it’s a free download; the Mac App Store version is in review.
Everdust on the App Store for Apple Vision ProGet it on Google PlayEverdust on the App Store for iPhoneEverdust on the App Store for iPadEverdust on the App Store for Meta Quest
Questions people ask
What is the best stargazing app? It depends on what you want: Stellarium for depth on a budget, SkySafari for telescopes, Sky Guide for Apple devices and offline use, Star Walk 2 for beginners. All four identify the sky when you point your phone at it.
Is Stellarium better than SkySafari? Stellarium costs less: a free app, an upgrade from $1.99 and a free desktop version. SkySafari is the better pick if observing plans, logs and telescope control matter most; both control GoTo telescopes.
Is Sky Guide on Android? No. Sky Guide is on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro and Apple silicon Macs. See Sky Guide for Android: the alternatives.
Which stargazing app is free? Stellarium Mobile, Sky Guide and Star Walk 2 Plus are free to download with paid upgrades (Star Walk 2's free version shows ads). Stellarium's desktop version is free and open source. Sky Map on Android is free with no ads.
Do any of these work on Apple Vision Pro? Sky Guide has a Vision Pro app; Stellarium Mobile, SkySafari and Star Walk 2 run there as iPad apps in a window. See astronomy apps for Vision Pro.
Sources
- Stellarium Mobile on the App Store
- Stellarium Mobile on Google Play
- Stellarium (stellarium.org)
- SkySafari 8 Plus on the App Store
- SkySafari 8 Pro on the App Store
- SkySafari 8 Plus on Google Play
- Sky Guide on the App Store
- Fifth Star Labs (Sky Guide's site)
- Star Walk 2 Plus on the App Store
- Star Walk 2 Plus on Google Play
- Stellarium Plus on Google Play
- SkySafari on the App Store
- Star Walk 2 Pro on the App Store
Checked November 7, 2026. Prices and features change; the store listing is always the final word. I make Everdust, and I’ve tried to describe the other apps as fairly as their makers do. Everdust is also listed on AlternativeTo as an alternative to Stellarium, SkySafari, Sky Guide and Star Walk.