Celestia is described as 'Application for real-time 3D visualization of space, with a detailed model of the solar system, over 100,000 stars, more than 10,000 galaxies, and an extension mechanism for adding more objects' and is a very popular Star Map in the education & reference category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Celestia for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and Web-based apps. The best Celestia alternative is Stellarium, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Celestia are Space Engine, Universe Sandbox, Solar System Scope and Noctua Stellarium.
Celestia alternatives are mainly Star Maps, but if you're looking for
Exploration Games or Simulation Gamess you can filter on that. Other popular filters include
Open Source. You can also filter by region, for example
EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Celestia.
Elite is a full fledged game (there is significant travel time, currency, ship purchases and missions, etc). Some real stellar bodies are modeled, but most of them are procedurally generated. The feeling of exploring space in person is significantly more immersive, but it's value as a stellarium is minimal.