SpaceEngine vs Gaia Sky: catalog facts
SpaceEngine | Gaia Sky |
|
Paid A paid purchase, sold through Steam. |
Free Free and open source under the MPL-2.0. |
|
Windows |
Windows, macOS, Linux |
- Seamless travel from galactic scale to planetary surfaces
- Real catalogued objects mixed with scientifically based procedural systems
|
- Uses real scientific catalogs including Gaia star data
- Handles around a billion objects in real time
|
- Paid software
- Procedurally generated regions are plausible models, not observed data
|
- Large datasets need significant download space and capable hardware
- Aimed at scientific exploration rather than a guided planetarium experience
|
|
Downloadable app |
Downloadable app |
|
Closed source |
Open source |
|
License not stated |
License: MPL-2.0 |
|
Not stated if an account is needed |
No account needed |
|
Not stated if it works offline |
Not stated if it works offline |
Checked September 24, 2026 | Checked October 1, 2026 |
Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.
Copy comparison link