Smart Telescopes Comparison Guide: Find the right Scope for Your Stargazing Needs

Comparing the Best Smart Telescopes - from Unistellar, Vaonis, Dwarb Lab & more!

The world of amateur astronomy has been transformed by Smart Telescopes, which combine advanced optics with user-friendly technology to make stargazing accessible to everyone.

With new Smart Telescopes being introduced to the market every year, we've put together this guide to help cut through the noise - and provide a high-level breakdown & comparison of the most popular Smart Telescopes on the market - from brands such as Unistellar, Vaonis, Dwarf Lab, & ZWO.

Each product breakdown below is meant to clearly illustrate the main features of each Telescope, the primary differences between them, and ultimately help determine which Scope might be more suitable to different users - based on technical requirements, skill level, viewing and/or imaging goals, and budget.

Dwarf II

• Price Range: $400 - $600 USD
• Image Resolution: 8 Mpx
• Aperture: 24mm
• Focal Length: 100mm
• Field of View: 192 x 108 arcmin (3.2° x 1.8°)
• Storage: 64 GB
• Battery Life: 4h
• Weight: 2.6 lbs
• App: Dwarf Lab App
• Type: Telephoto Lens
• Best For: Capturing images of the moon, planets, and bright deep-sky objects. Also great for nature photography. Ideal for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and automated features.

Dwarf 3

• Price: $400 - $600 USD
• Image Resolution: 8 Mpx
• Aperture: 35mm
• Focal Length: 150mm
• Field of View: 192 x 108 arcmin (3.2° x 1.8°)
• Storage: 128 GB
• Battery Life: 8h
• Weight: 2.8 lbs
• App: Dwarf Lab App
• Type: Telephoto Lens
• Recommended For: Detailed imaging of the moon and planets, bright deep-sky objects, and terrestrial (nature) objects. Offers improved resolution and more advanced features compared to it's predecessor - Dwarf II.

Seestar S50

• Price Range: $400 - $600 USD
• Image Resolution: 2 Mpx
• Aperture: 50mm
• Focal Length: 250mm
• Field of View: 42 x 78 arcmin (0.7° x 1.3°)
• Storage: 64 GB
• Battery Life: 6h
• Weight: 5.5 lbs
• App: Seestar App
• Type: Refractor
• Best For: Capturing wide-field views of the night sky, including star clusters and large nebulae. Its wide field of view makes it suitable for expansive celestial objects.

Unistellar eQuinox

• Price Range: $1500 - $2000 USD
• Image Resolution: 4.9 Mpx
• Aperture: 114mm
• Focal Length: 450mm
• Field of View: 27 x 37 arcmin (0.45° x 0.6167°)
• Storage: 64 GB
• Battery Life: 11h
• Weight: 15.5 lbs
• App: Unistellar App
• Type: Reflector
• Best For: Detailed views of deep-sky objects such as galaxies and nebulae. It features a larger aperture and advanced image processing capabilities, which are ideal for capturing detailed images of faint objects.

Unistellar eQuinox 2

• Price Range: $2000 - $2500 USD
• Image Resolution: 6.2 Mpx
• Aperture: 114mm
• Focal Length: 450mm
• Field of View: 34 x 47 arcmin (0.5667° x 0.7833°)
• Storage: 64 GB
• Battery Life: 11 hours
• Weight: 7 kg
• App: Unistellar App
• Type: Reflector 
• Best For: High-resolution images of distant celestial objects. Improved resolution and advanced processing make it suitable for capturing detailed astrophotos of distant galaxies and nebulae.

Unistellar eVscope 2

• Price Range: $4500 - $5000
• Image Resolution: 7.7 Mpx
• Aperture: 114mm
• Focal Length: 450mm
• Field of View: 34 x 47 arcmin (0.5667° x 0.7833°)
• Storage: 64 GB
• Battery Life: 11h
• Weight: 8.8 lbs
• App: Unistellar App
• Type: Reflector
• Best For: Detailed astrophotography of deep-sky objects with improved user interface and processing capabilities compared to previous models. Suitable for capturing high-quality images of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters.

Unistellar Odyssey

• Price Range: $2000 - $2400
• Image Resolution: 3.4 Mpx
• Aperture: 85mm
• Focal Length: 320mm
• Field of View: 34 x 45 arcmin (0.5667° x 0.75°)
• Storage: 64 GB
• Battery Life: 5h
• Weight: 8.8 lbs
• App: Unistellar App
• Type: Reflector
• Best For: High-resolution astrophotography of faint and distant celestial objects. Its advanced technology and large aperture make it suitable for detailed imaging of complex deep-sky targets.

Unistellar Odyssey PRO

• Price Range: $3500 - $4000
• Image Resolution: 4.1 Mpx
• Aperture: 85mm
• Focal Length: 320mm
• Field of View: 34 x 45 arcmin (0.5667° x 0.75°)
• Storage: 64 GB
• Battery Life: 5h
• Weight: 8.8 lbs
• App: Unistellar App
• Type: Reflector
• Best For: High-resolution and wide-field imaging with advanced features and superior image quality. Ideal for professional astrophotographers and researchers looking for detailed and accurate images.

Vaonis Stellina

• Price Range: $3500 - $4000
• Image Resolution: 6.4 Mpx
• Aperture: 80mm
• Focal Length: 400mm
• Field of View: 60 x 42 arcmin (1° x 0.7°)
• Storage: 10 GB
• Battery Life: 5h
• Weight: 24.7 lbs
• App: Singularity App
• Type: Refractor
• Best For: Capturing high-quality images of deep-sky objects and wide-field views. Its user-friendly interface and automated features make it suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

Vaonis Vespera

• Price Range: $2400 - $2600
• Image Resolution: 2 Mpx
• Aperture: 50mm
• Focal Length: 200mm
• Field of View: 96 x 54 arcmin (1.6° x 0.9°)
• Storage: 10 GB
• Battery Life: 8h
• Weight: 11 lbs
• App:  Singularity App
• Type: Refractor
• Best For: Capturing detailed images of deep-sky objects with a more portable and affordable option compared to Stellina. Good for beginners and enthusiasts.

Vaonis Vespera II

• Price Range: $1600 - $1900 USD
• Image Resolution: 8.3 Mpx
• Aperture: 50mm
• Focal Length: 250mm
• Field of View: 150 x 84 arcmin (2.5° x 1.4°)
• Storage: 25 GB
• Battery Life: 4h
• Weight: 11 lbs
• App:  Singularity App
• Type: Refractor
• Best For: Improved resolution and processing capabilities make it suitable for capturing more detailed images of deep-sky objects, including galaxies and nebulae.

Vaonis Vespera PRO

• Price Range: $2500 - $3000
• Image Resolution: 12.5 Mpx
• Aperture: 50mm
• Focal Length: 250mm
• Field of View: 96 x 96 arcmin (1.6° x 1.6°)
• Storage: 225 GB
• Battery Life: 11 hours
• Weight: 4 kg
• App: Singularity App
• Type: Refractor
• Best For: High-resolution astrophotography of faint celestial objects with enhanced storage and processing features. Ideal for serious astrophotographers.

Vaonis Hestia

• Price Range: $300 - $500 USD
• Image Resolution: N/A (Smartphone Enabled)
• Aperture: 30mm
• Focal Length: N/A (Smartphone Enabled)
• Field of View: 108 arcmin (1.8°)
• Storage: N/A (Smartphone Enabled)
• Battery Life: N/A (Smartphone Enabled)
• Weight: 1.87 lbs
• App: Gravity App
• Type: N/A (Smartphone Enabled)
• Best For: Wide-field views and general astrophotography. Suitable for beginners and enthusiasts who want a balance of portability and imaging capability.

Smart Telescope Comparison Results: Top Performers in Image Resolution, Aperture, Focal Length & more!

Image Resolution

• Highest Resolution: Vaonis Vespera PRO with 12.5 Mpx.
• Moderate Resolution: Unistellar eVscope 2 with 7.7 Mpx, Dwarf II and Dwarf 3 with 8 Mpx, and Vaonis Vespera II with 8.3 Mpx.

Aperture

• Largest Aperture: Unistellar eQuinox, eQuinox 2, and eVscope 2, each with an Aperture/Objective Lens of 114mm - for better light gathering.

Focal Length

• Longest Focal Length: Unistellar eQuinox, eQuinox 2, and eVscope 2, each with a Focal Length of 450mm, ideal for capturing distant objects.

Field of View

• Widest Field of View (FOV): Vaonis Vespera II with 150 x 84 arcmin (2.5° x 1.4°) for capturing large celestial objects.
• Narrower, Detailed Field of View (FOV): Unistellar eQuinox with 27 x 37 arcmin (0.45° x 0.6167°) for distant targets.

Storage

• More Storage: Vaonis Vespera PRO with 225 GB, and Dwarf 3 with 128 GB.
• Standard Storage: All Unistellar models with 64 GB.

Portability

• More Portable: Vaonis Hestia weighing 1.87 lbs, Dwarf 2 weighing 2.6 lbs, and Dwarf 3 weighing 2.8 lbs. 

Battery Life

• Longest Battery Life: Unistellar eQuinox, eQuinox 2, and Vaonis Vespera PRO, all with 11 hours of battery life.
• Moderate Battery Life: Dwarf 3 and Vaonis Vespera with 8 hours, and Unistellar eVscope 2 with 9 hours.

Price

• Lowest Price: Vaonis Hestia at $300 - $500 USD.
• Highest Price: Unistellar eVscope 2 at $4500 - $5000 USD.

Lastly, we have compiled all of the key features and specifications of each Smart Telescope in the following comparison table - for quick & easy reference. See below. 

Smart Telescope Breakdown - Comparison Table: