Software Alternatives & Reviews

KStars VS Universe Sandbox

Compare KStars VS Universe Sandbox and see what are their differences

KStars logo KStars

KStars is a Desktop Planetarium for KDE.

Universe Sandbox logo Universe Sandbox

Universe Sandbox ² is a physics-based space simulator where you can simulate Events and even break physics and friction with certain features.
  • KStars Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-11-23
  • Universe Sandbox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-26

KStars videos

Astrophotography: stellarmate kstars and Ekos review

More videos:

  • Review - Part 1: Introduction to KStars

Universe Sandbox videos

Universe Sandbox 2 Gameplay Overview

More videos:

  • Review - Universe Sandbox - review - GAMES IN EDUCATION (Physics and Earth Sciences)
  • Review - THIS GAME IS MINDBLOWING!!! // Universe Sandbox ^2

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to KStars and Universe Sandbox)
Space Simulator
42 42%
58% 58
Virtual Universe
49 49%
51% 51
Universe Simulator
23 23%
77% 77
Education & Reference
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using KStars and Universe Sandbox. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Universe Sandbox seems to be a lot more popular than KStars. While we know about 41 links to Universe Sandbox, we've tracked only 3 mentions of KStars. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

KStars mentions (3)

  • Is there a utility that will read my FITS files and map the image size and locations on a sky map?
    KStars can do this. It can either use the World Coordinate System data from the FITS file or plate-solve to derive the location from the image data. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Best FOSS Astronomy Software
    Kstars is a powerful, flexible astronomy application that you will find useful. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Maps of the stars
    Printed sky atlases are pretty obsolete, now that we have technology. https://edu.kde.org/kstars/. Source: over 1 year ago

Universe Sandbox mentions (41)

  • A rudimentary simulation of the three-body problem
    This isn't planet level, but shows surface: https://universesandbox.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 21 days ago
  • What sounds like complete bullshit but is actually true?
    Someone's been having fun playing with Universe Sandbox. Source: 10 months ago
  • Scientists Develop Dynamic Model of Earth's Surface Over the Past 100 Million Years
    I wonder if it can be run on a gaming GPU? One of my wish list games is ‘universe sandbox’ https://universesandbox.com/. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Is there a planet/settlement builder?
    Planets and solar systems are buildable with Universe Sandbox (steam), I used it for my main setting. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Successful indie developers, how much did your life change?
    I created Universe Sandbox, a realistic physics-based space simulator. I started working on the idea as a side project just for fun back in 2007 and released it on my website for free in 2008. I later transitioned that to a name-your-own-price model and then to a fixed price. When it (now known as Universe Sandbox Legacy) was first released on Steam in 2011, it sold more in the first hour than I'd sold on my... Source: over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing KStars and Universe Sandbox, you can also consider the following products

Stellarium - Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer.

Celestia - Real-time 3D visualization of space

Sky Map - Sky Map (formerly the Google Sky Map) turns your Android-powered mobile phone into a window on the...

Space Engine - Space Engine is a realistic virtual Universe you can explore on your computer.

Sky Guide - A window to the stars has never been more beautiful and easy to use.

EVE Online - Player-created empires, player-driven markets, and endless ways to embark on your personal sci-fi adventure.