The Best Smart Telescopes in 2025
Smart telescopes are revolutionizing amateur astronomy by allowing ordinary people to capture incredible images of space without any prior experience in astrophotography.
These systems combine modern camera sensor technology with computerized tracking platforms to deliver impressive images of deep-sky objects, including galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters.
While many beginners start their astrophotography journey using a smartphone, a smart telescope takes the experience one step further by allowing you to find and track objects in the night sky.
The primary method of delivering impressive images for you to enjoy is through live-stacking, where the smart telescope continuously takes images and ‘stacks’ them to improve the quality over time.
As an experienced astrophotographer, I have been using smart telescopes for several years now. In this article, I’ll cover the best smart telescopes on the market today to help you decide which best suits your needs.
A size comparison between 3 of the most popular smart telescopes for astronomy in 2025.
What Is a Smart Telescope?
A smart telescope is an all-in-one, app-controlled telescope that aligns itself (via plate solving), automatically finds targets, and displays a steadily improving image of faint deep-sky objects on your phone or tablet.
Instead of looking through an eyepiece, you watch the view build in real time as the system captures and processes short exposures. This approach is part of electronically assisted astronomy (EAA), which makes galaxies and nebulae visible even under light-polluted skies.
How It Works: EAA & Live Stacking
- Short exposures: The camera takes rapid, low-noise frames (e.g., 5–20 seconds each) to minimize star trailing and sky glow.
- Registration & stacking: The software precisely aligns stars from each frame and stacks them, boosting the signal while averaging out noise.
- Auto processing: On the fly, it applies calibration (dark subtraction), denoising, and a gentle stretch so faint structure pops into view.
- Real-time results: The image improves minute by minute; you can pause, save, or continue integrating for more detail. (Some models also offer higher-quality exports.)
What to Expect
Smart telescopes excel at wide-field deep-sky targets (nebulae, galaxies, clusters) and quick, reliable results with minimal setup.
For close-up planetary views, a traditional long-focal-length scope remains the better tool, but for casual observing and easy astrophotography, smart telescopes offer a remarkably fast path to satisfying images.
The Swan Nebula captured using the Seestar S30 from my backyard (Bortle 6).
Latest Smart Telescope Updates (November 2025)
- Celestron Origin Mark II: The upgraded version uses the Origin 678C Camera featuring Sony’s latest Starvis 2 CMOS technology.
- ZWO Seestar S50 & S30: Seestar Supports ASCOM Alpaca Natively (October 2, 2025)
- DwarfLabs DWARF 3: App v3.2.0 introduces Mega Stack and Pano Weave for advanced wide-field and deep-sky imaging.
- Seestar Accessories: New TH10 Fluid Tripod Head improves EQ mode stability and polar alignment.
- Celestron Origin: Celestron Origin EQ mode + StarSense autoguider (Firmware 1.2.5094)
- Vespera X-Edition: A Limited Edition version of the Vespera 2 with a transparent shell.
- Rumored ZWO Seestar S70: A Seestar S70 is rumored to be in development, promising a larger aperture, upgraded sensor, and equatorial tracking. (Unconfirmed)
Smart Telescope Comparison Table
The following comparison table allows you to view the most important aspects of each telescope at a glance, helping you make an informed buying decision. I have organized each model starting from the lowest price to the most expensive.
| Model | Aperture | Focal Length | Sensor / MP | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZWO Seestar S30 | 30 mm | 150 mm | Sony IMX662 / 2 MP | $399 |
| ZWO Seestar S50 | 50 mm | 250 mm | Sony IMX462 / 2 MP | $549 |
| DWARFLAB DWARF 3 | 35 mm | 150 mm | Sony IMX678 / 8 MP | $549 |
| Vaonis Vespera 2 | 50 mm | 250 mm | Sony IMX585 / 8.3 MP | $1,690 |
| Celestron Origin | 152 mm | 335 mm | Sony IMX178 / 6.4 MP | $3,999 |
| Unistellar eVscope 2 | 114 mm | 450 mm | Sony IMX347 / 7.7 MP | $4,999 |
1. ZWO Seestar S30
The Seestar S30 offers several advantages over the Seestar S50, particularly in terms of portability, affordability, and field of view. Weighing just 1.65 kg compared to the S50’s 2.5 kg, the S30 is more compact and travel-friendly.
As its name suggests, the Seestar S30 features a 30mm aperture with a 150mm focal length, providing a wider field of view than the S50’s 50mm aperture and 250mm focal length.
This wider perspective allows the S30 to capture expansive celestial objects more effectively, making it well-suited for wide-field imaging and mosaic photography.
The newly announced EQ mode feature is exciting news for those who want to take even longer exposure images using the Seestar S30.
The Seestar S30 is smaller and more affordable than the larger S50 model.
Priced at approximately $399 USD, it is also more budget-friendly than the S50. If your interest lies in capturing large nebulae in the night sky, the S30 might be a better fit than the S50 due to its wider field of view.
If you are more interested in capturing detailed photos of the Sun and Moon, the S50’s increased focal length is a better fit.
My Seestar S30 Review Video.
2. ZWO Seestar S50
The Seestar S50 is a smart, all-in-one telescope designed to simplify astrophotography by automating complex processes.
It allows users to capture stunning space images of the moon, sun, and deep-sky objects with no prior experience.
This compact telescope handles polar alignment, object location, and camera focus, so all you have to do is choose your desired object.
While it isn’t a high-end telescope, the S50 delivers impressive results, particularly for its price range, making it accessible to both beginners and hobbyists.
The Seestar S50 is available at Agena Astro for $549 USD.
Priced at $549 (USD), the Seestar S50 offers one of the most affordable options for capturing deep-sky objects like galaxies, nebulae, and celestial bodies such as the Sun and Moon.
It internally calibrates and stacks images, creating detailed, ready-to-share photos within minutes. The Seestar dedicated mobile app is well-designed and easy to use.
Though smart telescopes may often be dismissed as mere “expensive toys,” the S50’s performance showcases its capabilities.
It proves to be an excellent entry point into astrophotography, especially for those seeking high-quality results with minimal effort.
Key Features:
- Quality Optics: The ZWO Seestar S50 features professional-grade triplet apochromatic optics with high-quality lens coatings, delivering crisp images while minimizing chromatic aberration.
- Image Sensor: The Sony IMX462 sensor, equipped with STARVIS technology, captures clear, sharp 1920×1080 images even in low light and near IR range, making it ideal for astrophotography.
- Live Stacking: The Seestar S50’s live stacking mode enhances image detail and color with each shot, gradually revealing features invisible to the naked eye.
- WiFi Connectivity: The Seestar S50’s built-in Wi-Fi allows for on-the-go use without cell service; simply connect through the generated Wi-Fi via the app after setup to capture stunning space images from any location.
- GoTo and Tracking: With GPS-enabled self-calibration, autofocus, and Auto GoTo tracking, the Seestar S50 automatically aligns, tracks, and maintains a sharp focus on celestial targets.
I took detailed pictures of the sun and moon using the Seestar S50 smart telescope.
Final Verdict:
The Seestar S50 features advanced technology in a compact, user-friendly design. The dedicated smartphone app is a pleasure to use, making astrophotography more approachable for the average user.
The drawbacks of the Seestar are its narrow field of view, field rotation (due to its alt-az mount design), and inability to capture planets up close.
However, if you focus on what it does best (live stacking, capturing bright nebulae), you will thoroughly enjoy this smart telescope.
At its current price point, the Seestar S50 is an exceptional value. If you are looking for your first smart telescope, it’s hard to go wrong with this one.
My capture of the Orion Nebula using the Seestar S50 in the backyard. (30 minutes of total exposure.)
3. DWARFLAB DWARF 3
The DWARF 3 from DWARFLABS builds on its predecessor (DWARF 2) with enhancements across optics, sensor capability, battery life, storage, and processing power, creating a more versatile smart telescope for observing objects near and far.
This model offers dual perspectives: a 737mm telescopic view and a 45mm wide-angle view, providing a broader field of vision alongside increased reach.
Paired with an improved sensor and Neural Processing Unit, the DWARF 3 supports efficient image capture for a wide range of applications, from bird tracking to deep-space imaging.
With a 10,000 mAh battery and 128GB of onboard storage, it’s equipped for extended imaging sessions, whether at home or outdoors.
Key Features:
- Dual Camera System: The DWARF 3 includes two lenses: a 150mm telephoto offering a 737mm equivalent view at 3840 x 2160 resolution and a 6.7mm wide-angle lens with a 45mm equivalent view at 1920 x 1080 resolution.
- WiFi Connectivity: The DWARF 3 telescope offers an intuitive experience by allowing easy connection to smartphones via WiFi or NFC, enabling wireless control through the DWARFLAB App.
- Image Sensor: The DWARF 3 includes a Sony IMX678 camera sensor and built-in astrophotography filters.
- Built-In Filters: The ‘Astro Filter’ is perfect for broadband targets such as galaxies, and the ‘Dual-Band Filter’ isolates key wavelengths for better imaging of emission nebulae.
- GoTo and Tracking: The DWARF 3 tracks stars and uses a field-rotation-correction algorithm, with the option for EQ mode on a user-supplied tripod for longer exposures.
- Internal Processing: It simplifies image stacking and processing with AI-powered noise reduction and supports various export formats, including FITS, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF, for more hands-on post-processing.
I thoroughly enjoyed using the DWARF 3 smart telescope to capture several deep-sky objects in my backyard.
Final Verdict:
With a dual-camera system and filters to enhance infrared and emission nebulae, the DWARF 3 has a lot to offer. The DWARFLAB app is straightforward and allows you to fully explore the device’s features.
I also appreciate the handy EQ mode that allows you to take longer exposures than you would expect on an Alt-Az tracking mount. At $549 USD, it is a fierce competitor to the popular ZWO Seestar S50.
I was impressed with the image quality in my capture of the Andromeda Galaxy with the DWARF 3.
The DWARF 3 is available at Agena Astro for $549 USD.
DWARF mini (Coming Soon)
New DWARF mini
DWARFLAB has introduced the DWARF mini, an ultra-portable smart telescope weighing just 840 grams — their smallest and lightest model yet. It features a compact all-in-one design with an integrated astro camera, auto-tracking mount, and intelligent control system for true point-and-shoot astrophotography.
It supports up to 90-second exposures in EQ mode, offering surprising deep-sky potential for its size. It includes a 360° rotating base and 225° tilting lens arm for broad sky coverage, plus built-in triple filters (including a dual narrowband H-alpha and O III option) to improve nebula contrast under light-polluted skies. Stay tuned for more!
4. Vaonis Vespera 2
The Vaonis Vespera 2 is another premium smart telescope that combines a sleek design with powerful technology. It was designed for users who want a compact, user-friendly experience.
Like the other smart telescopes mentioned in this article, the Vespera offers automated tracking and image stacking to produce clear and detailed images of celestial objects.
Key Features:
- Aperture: The Vespera has a 50mm aperture designed to capture a broad range of celestial objects, from the moon to distant nebulae and star clusters.
- Focal Length and Ratio: Its 250mm focal length and f/5 focal ratio make it adept at capturing wide-angle shots with excellent depth and contrast.
- Sensor: Compared to the original Vespera’s Sony IMX462 back-illuminated CMOS sensor, this sensor has an increased resolution of 8.3MP from 2MP. This is increased to 24MP when used with ‘CovalENS’.
- Battery Life: With up to 4 hours of battery life, the Vespera supports longer observation sessions with a straightforward charging process.
- Automated Tracking and Stacking: The Vespera’s app-controlled automation provides an easy-to-use interface that allows for auto-tracking and stacking, which helps bring out detail in deep-sky objects even in light-polluted areas.
The Vaonis is beautifully designed and packed with handy features, such as automated observation plans and mosaic mode.
Final Verdict
Priced around $1,700, the Vaonis Vespera 2 is a solid choice for users who want a blend of style, ease, and quality in their astrophotography experience, providing excellent results without needing complex setup or adjustments.
The Vaonis Vespera 2 offers premium build quality, excellent optics, and advanced features like automated observation plans and mosaic mode, designed for a seamless astrophotography experience.
While it justifies its high price with superior performance, drawbacks include limited internal memory and shorter battery life compared to the more affordable Seestar S50.
The choice between them depends on whether users prioritize top-tier capabilities or budget-friendly functionality.
Comparing the size differences between 4 of the most popular smart telescopes (DWARF 3, SeeStar S50, Vespera Pro, and the SeeStar S30).
5. Celestron Origin
The Celestron Origin Smart Telescope is an all-in-one home observatory designed to simplify stargazing and astrophotography for users of all experience levels.
It combines advanced optical technology with user-friendly features to deliver stunning images of celestial objects directly to your smartphone or tablet. Cody (AstroBlender) shared the following Celestron Origin review video.
Key Features:
Revolutionary RASA Optical Technology: At the heart of the Origin is a 6-inch Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph (RASA) optical system.
This design offers a fast f/2.2 focal ratio, providing unparalleled image brightness and clarity with shorter exposure times.
- High-Quality Imaging Sensor: Equipped with a Sony IMX178 color CMOS sensor featuring STARVIS back-illuminated technology, the telescope captures high-resolution images with low noise, enhancing the clarity of celestial observations.
- Automated Setup with StarSense Technology: The Origin utilizes Celestron’s StarSense technology to automatically align itself by scanning the night sky and matching star patterns, allowing users to begin observing in less than two minutes.
- AI-Powered Real-Time Image Processing: Built-in AI algorithms autonomously stack and process images in real time, delivering detailed and colorful views of galaxies, nebulae, and other deep-sky objects without user intervention.
- User-Friendly Mobile App: The companion app, developed in partnership with Simulation Curriculum, offers an intuitive planetarium interface for easy navigation and control. It also provides educational audio presentations on selected celestial objects.
- Shared Viewing Experience: Multiple users can connect to the telescope simultaneously, and the live feed can be cast to a smart TV or projector, making it ideal for group observations.
The Celestron Origin Smart Telescope is available at High Point Scientific.
Final Verdict
The Celestron Origin Smart Telescope represents a significant advancement in making astronomy accessible and enjoyable, combining sophisticated technology with simplicity to provide a rich observational experience.
While the price tag seems pretty steep compared to the fantastic DWARF 3 and Seestar S50 models, it makes up for it with some of the best images and internal image processing of the mix.
James Neely captured the following images using the Celestron Origin in just 30 minutes.
6. Unistellar eVscope 2
The Unistellar eVscope 2 is a smart telescope designed to make stargazing more accessible and fun than a traditional visual telescope. This telescope combines advanced technology with a sleek design, allowing for effortless control from your smartphone.
It features an updatable onboard computer, a Nikon micro-OLED eyepiece, and autonomous sky alignment. It has a built-in 5,500 celestial object database, so you’ll never run out of things to look at with it.
While the eVscope 2 can do some incredible things, its price is higher than that of the other smart telescopes mentioned on this list. As you’ll see in the video review below, the cost is just too high to justify this model over its competitors.
Key Features:
- Aperture: The eVscope 2’s 114 mm aperture is considerably larger than that of most other smart telescopes (other than the Celestron Origin), enabling it to capture faint and distant objects with better detail.
- Focal Length and F-Ratio: With a 450mm focal length and an f/4 focal ratio, this telescope strikes an excellent balance between magnification and brightness, making it suitable for deep-sky observation.
- Enhanced Vision Technology: Unistellar’s Enhanced Vision technology amplifies the brightness of observed objects, allowing users to view galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters in vivid detail.
- Image Sensor: The eVscope 2 features a Sony IMX347 7.7 MP sensor, which provides high-resolution images with minimal noise and enhances the overall viewing experience.
- Long Battery Life: The eVscope 2 offers up to 10 hours of continuous observation on a single charge, allowing users to enjoy uninterrupted stargazing sessions.
- Real-Time Observation: This telescope includes a feature for live viewing, allowing users to share their observations in real-time with others and participate in citizen science initiatives.
The Unistellar evScope 2 offers a slick user experience, but the price is too high compared to what the other (more affordable) smart telescopes can produce.
Final Verdict:
At a price point of $4,999 USD, the eVscope 2 is much more expensive than some of the other very capable smart telescopes available in 2025.
Unless you have your heart set on the Unistellar user experience, I think your money is better spent on the DWARF 3 or Seestar S50.
Hendrik Vandenbruaene took the following images using the Unistellar evScope 2. See the full-size version on Flickr.
Also Consider
The number of smart telescopes available to amateur astronomers and astrophotographers continues to grow each year. Unistellar offers some less expensive models than the eVscope 2 mentioned on this list.
- Unistellar Odyssey — Compact 85 mm, f/3.9 (320 mm) smart reflector built for grab-and-go simplicity; autofocus and sealed alignment mean no user collimation or focusing.
Who it’s for: Travelers and casual observers who want the quickest path from setup to sharp, shareable views.
- Unistellar Odyssey Pro — Same optics as Odyssey with a Nikon electronic eyepiece for immersive “look-through” observing alongside the app.
Who it’s for: Families or outreach users who value a real eyepiece experience plus app control.
- Unistellar eQuinox 2 — 114 mm f/4 (450 mm) model without an eyepiece; 6.2 MP sensor, 34.2′×45.6′ FOV, long battery life, and manual focus/collimation for fine control.
Who it’s for: Budget-minded users who want a larger aperture and are comfortable with simple manual adjustments.
Choosing the Best Smart Telescope for You
Choosing the best smart telescope depends on your level of experience, interest, and budget. For beginners or casual observers, the Seestar S50 provides an affordable and easy-to-use option for both daytime and nighttime viewing.
The DWARF 3 is an excellent choice for those who value portability and versatility, allowing users to experiment with time-lapse and day/night observation on a budget.
The Celestron Origin is the clear winner in terms of optics, featuring a 6-inch RASA telescope with an impressive focal ratio of F/2.2.
This can produce sensational images of distant galaxies and nebulae through long-exposure imaging and live stacking.
Each of these smart telescopes offers unique capabilities, making stargazing and astrophotography more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
My final image of the Horsehead Nebula captured on the DWARF 3. (Straight out of the DWARF 3 vs. processed by me).
A Smart Telescope for Viewing Planets?
All of the smart telescopes in this review have one thing in common: they take images at a short focal length, resulting in a relatively wide field of view. While this is advantageous for viewing and photographing nebulae and galaxies, the solar system planets appear quite small.
If you have your heart set on viewing planets up close (and taking pictures of them), consider a more traditional telescope like the Celestron NexStar 8SE. While this is not a smart telescope, it does have a computerized ‘GoTo’ mount that can help you find and track planets in the night sky.
This model features a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT) with a long focal length (2000mm), better suited to view planets like Saturn and Jupiter up close. Perhaps a larger version of one of the smart telescopes mentioned will come along in 2025, better suited for planetary imaging.
Trevor Jones is an astrophotographer and a valued member of the RASC. His passion is inspiring others to start their astrophotography journey on YouTube so they can appreciate the night sky as much as he does. His images have been featured in astronomy books & online publications, including the NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).