KStars vs StarCalc

Struggling to choose between KStars and StarCalc? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

KStars is a Science & Education solution with tags like astronomy, stars, planets, telescope-control.

It boasts features such as Realistic 3D simulation of the night sky, Identify and locate celestial objects like stars, planets, comets, etc, Track movement of celestial objects over time, Control telescopes for observation, View constellations and deep sky objects, Find rising, transiting and setting times of celestial objects, View sky culture like mythology and folklore of different civilizations and pros including Free and open source, Available for Linux and other Unix-like systems, Accurate simulation of night sky, Lots of features for learning astronomy, Supports multiple languages.

On the other hand, StarCalc is a Office & Productivity product tagged with spreadsheet, excel-alternative, open-source.

Its standout features include Formulas, Charts, Pivot tables, Data analysis tools, Lightweight, Customizable, Available on Windows, Mac and Linux, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Similar functionality as Excel, Cross-platform compatibility.

Feature	KStars	StarCalc
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Science & Education	Office & Productivity

Product Overview

KStars

Description: KStars is a free, open source planetarium software for Linux and other UNIX-like systems. It allows users to visualize a realistic and accurate night sky, identify celestial objects like stars and planets, track their movement, and control telescopes for observation.

StarCalc

Description: StarCalc is a free, open-source spreadsheet program similar to Microsoft Excel. It has many of the core spreadsheet features like formulas, charts, pivot tables, and data analysis tools. StarCalc is lightweight, customizable, and available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Key Features Comparison

KStars Features

• Realistic 3D simulation of the night sky
• Identify and locate celestial objects like stars, planets, comets, etc
• Track movement of celestial objects over time
• Control telescopes for observation
• View constellations and deep sky objects
• Find rising, transiting and setting times of celestial objects
• View sky culture like mythology and folklore of different civilizations

StarCalc Features

• Formulas
• Charts
• Pivot tables
• Data analysis tools
• Lightweight
• Customizable
• Available on Windows, Mac and Linux

Pros & Cons Analysis

KStars

Pros

• Free and open source
• Available for Linux and other Unix-like systems
• Accurate simulation of night sky
• Lots of features for learning astronomy
• Supports multiple languages

Cons

• Limited platform support (Linux/Unix only)
• Steep learning curve for new users
• User interface could be more intuitive
• Lacks some advanced features found in commercial planetarium software

StarCalc

Pros

• Free and open source
• Similar functionality as Excel
• Cross-platform compatibility

Cons

• Lacks some advanced features of Excel
• Smaller user/support community than Excel
• Not as widely used in business settings as Excel

Pricing Comparison

KStars

• Open Source

StarCalc

• Free
• Open Source