1. The list in brief ↴
2. Best overall
3. Best for larger budgets
4. Best for resolution
5. Best for versatility
6. Best budget
7. Best for light pollution
8. Reviews coming soon
9. Smart telescope FAQs
10. How we test
The best smart telescopes have revolutionized the way we explore the night sky by effortlessly merging imaging technology with astronomy. Smart telescopes come equipped with integrated electronics, connectivity features and are largely controlled via smartphone apps that enhance your stargazing experience. Designed for both novice astronomers and seasoned stargazers, smart telescopes cater to a wide range of users with different experience levels.
While smart telescopes can be pricey, they offer user-friendly features, a straightforward setup and a modern, attractive design. Their simple interfaces, automation, and extensive databases make them accessible even for beginners. Additionally, their powerful capabilities ensure they remain relevant for years, eliminating the need to upgrade as your skills develop. With a smart telescope, you won't find yourself needing to replace it with a more advanced model after just a year or so.
Smart telescopes are undoubtedly impressive, but if you prefer the more traditional approach to stargazing then you'll want to check out our best telescopes guide, along with the best telescopes for seeing planets and best telescopes for deep space. For more budget-friendly options, we have a guide to the best beginner telescopes and the best telescopes for kids for budding young astronomers.
The quick list
Here's a quick overview of all the products in this guide — if there's a particular smart scope you like the look of, click the picture or the 'read more below' and it'll take you straight to a more in-depth look.
Best overall
For stunning views of the cosmos and a stylish grab-and-go smart telescope, this one is hard to beat. We had a few minor niggles with it, but overall we think it's a fantastic smart telescope.
Best for larger budgets
For astrophotography, it's pretty much as close to perfect as you can currently get, but it's the most expensive option on this list so it's mainly designed for seasoned astronomers with a big budget.
Best for resolution
An incredible smart telescope that is inexpensive, beginner-friendly and produces amazing images of nebulas with its 8.3MP sensor.
Best for versatility
A smart telescope that gives stunning views of planets and deep space, plus is lightweight enough to take with you to remove dark sky sites.
Best budget
It's the lightest and cheapest option on this list, making it perfect to take with you to dark sky sites, although the image resolution and price cater more to beginners with a lower budget.
Best for light pollution
With impressive CLS (City Light Suppression), the Stellina produces beautiful images that are accurate and true to color with no trace of light pollution, which is handy as it could be too heavy to take outside of your backyard.
The best smart telescopes we recommend in 2024
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Best overall
✅ You want a telescope you can grow with: This scope is good for users of all experience levels, so you won't need to upgrade.
✅ You live in a town or city: It has a Smart Light Pollution Reduction feature which is ideal for users who don't live near a dark sky site and want to use it in their backyard.
✅ You want to do long nights of stargazing: It has the longest battery life on this list at 11 hours, making it a dream for long dark nights of stargazing.
❌ You want excellent moon views: Although we were impressed by the views of galaxies and deep space, we thought the lunar views were lacking.
❌ You're on a budget: You're unlikely to find a budget-friendly smart telescope and this one definitely isn't the cheapest.
🔎 Unistellar eQuinox 2: An easy-to-use motorized smart telescope that can locate night sky objects with the press of a button, the eQuinox 2 can have you exploring the stars in minutes with no prior knowledge. ★★★★½
Design-wise, the Unistellar Equinox 2 is incredibly sleek and stylish (although that can also be said about most smart telescopes), and it's almost identical to its predecessor, the Equinox. The simple design makes this scope incredibly easy to use, and having just one button on the telescope itself makes it a dream for beginners who might not have any experience with telescopes. We also noted in our full Unistellar eQuinox 2 review that the app is well laid out into three distinct sections — you can switch between telescope operation, engage with the astronomy community and monitor/change settings.
We thought the app was super fast and simple to use, and once you're all set, the views just keep coming. You can easily move around and search for different things in the night sky, and overall, the telescope works really well. One great feature is the Smart Light Pollution Reduction, which is perfect for people in cities and urban areas. We were blown away by the images it produced — we saw breathtaking galaxies like M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy), M82 (the Cigar Galaxy), and several star clusters. However, we weren't too impressed with the lunar views; they seemed a bit lackluster.
We'd definitely recommend buying the backpack if you plan to take it on trips with you, as we would've struggled without it. We were also a bit let down by the fact that it doesn't orientate until well after it's already dark — it would be useful to have it set up ready to go once darkness hits, but we had to navigate without the use of the finderscope to begin with, which wasn't ideal. That said, in the winter months and in areas with a very dark sky, you'll be able to use the GoTo function effortlessly without encountering any issues at all.
- Read our full Unistellar eQuinox 2 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Slim, sleek, neat package. |
| Performance | Impressive view of galaxies and nebulas. |
| Functionality | Doesn't orientate until well after twilight, easy once oriented. |
Best for larger budgets
✅ You focus on astrophotography: For users who want to capture stunning images of the night sky, this is the scope to go for.
✅ You favor ease of use: This scope is incredibly minimalistic and simple to use, making it perfect for those who don't want to spend ages finding celestial objects yourself.
❌ You don't have a large budget: Feels like an obvious point to make, but this scope is on the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to cost, so users who don't have a big budget to spend may want to consider other options.
❌ You're not fussed about astrophotography: If you aren't bothered about capturing detailed astrophotos, then there are likely more suitable options out there that cost a lot less.
🔎 Unistellar eVscope 2: A fantastically designed telescope, brilliant for photographers who want to get into astronomy and have the budget or astronomers who want an all-in-one system that’s simple to use and set up. ★★★★½
The Unistellar eVscope 2 is a fantastically designed telescope with a minimalist feel and solid quality all around. As we mentioned in our Unistellar eVscope 2 telescope review, we could tell that every aspect of the telescope has been carefully designed. The eyepiece gives it more of a traditional feel, and we found it comfortable to use, although the soft rubber surrounding it does tend to trap dust and fibers.
Even if you have little to no astronomy experience or knowledge of the night sky, the Unistellar eVscope 2 is ridiculously easy to use and set up and it'll guide you to certain celestial objects with just the tap of your phone screen. It's beginner-friendly in every single way except the huge $5000 price tag. The telescope is operated solely through an app, so you'll need to make sure all your devices are fully charged before you head out or bring one of the best power banks out with you.
We noticed that the image can sometimes lag, but the Explore mode is super helpful for astronomers at any skill level. It accurately shows you all the objects visible in the night sky based on the date and time you're using it, which makes the whole user experience much less guesswork.
For astrophotographers, the 7.7MP camera might not be as good as a regular telescope with an eyepiece, but it's definitely on par with or even better than many specialized astrocams available. We think it's pretty much as close to perfect as you can get right now for beginner astrophotographers.
Overall, there's no denying the $5000 price tag will render it inaccessible to many users, but when you think about the technology it possesses, not only for observing but also for capturing images (including a Nikon eyepiece), it's akin to one of the best mirrorless cameras on the market, so we think that although it's undoubtedly very expensive, it's worth the money if you can afford it.
- Read our full Unistellar eVscope 2 telescope review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Incredibly stunning looks and solid telescope construction. |
| Performance | Object go-to is intuitive and fast. |
| Functionality | App allows you to easily go-to celestial objects. |
Best for resolution
✅ You want detailed images: The 8.3MP sensor produces amazing images, with the ability to boost it to 24MP with Vaonis' Live Mosaic Capture.
✅ You want to travel with it: While only slightly heavier than the original Vespera, the Vespera II is still incredibly portable.
❌ You want to see planets: The Vespera II is best suited for nebulas and deep space viewing.
❌ You want to do long sessions: The battery life has decreased to 4 hours, so it wouldn't be good for long stargazing sessions unless you have a power bank.
Vaonis Vespera II: An incredible smart telescope that is inexpensive, beginner-friendly and produces amazing images of nebulas. We were very impressed, although the short battery life is disappointing. ★★★★★
One of our complaints about the original Vespera was the underwhelming 2MP images. It was fine for beginners, but we definitely felt it could be improved, so we were thrilled to see the resolution in the Vespera II has been boosted more than four times to 8.3MP, which is currently the highest on this list. With Vaonis' patented Live mosaic capture, users can capture up to four times the field of view of the scope and boost the resolution to a massive 24MP.
One drawback is its short battery life. It's super portable and easy to carry around, but it's a shame that the battery only lasts for 4 hours. Especially when you compare it to the original Vespera, which had an 8-hour battery life. So, technically, you can take it out to remote dark sky spots thanks to its portability, but you'll only have 4 hours of use (without a power bank) once you're there. Plus, it doesn't include a tripod, so you'll have to spend extra money on top of the $1590 price tag, which is kind of disappointing. Other than that, it's a great all-in-one kit that's good to go right out of the box.
The Vespera II features live autofocus and live image enhancement which automatically gets rid of bad images and uses image-stacking to enhance clarity in real-time. Extra-low dispersion glass is used to ensure fantastic image quality across the field of view, and it saves the images as RAW files which you can edit in one of the best photo editing apps. It produces fantastic images of nebulas with incredible detail and clarity, although it isn't any good for planetary viewing, similar to its predecessor.
We are currently reviewing the Vaonis Vespera II and will update this list once our full review is published. So far though, we are mightily impressed, especially for the price and are rating it highly. However, there are a few quirks and limitations that prevent us from placing it higher in this guide.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Portable and fairly lightweight, although it doesn't come with a tripod. |
| Performance | Produces amazing images of nebulas, but isn't good for viewing planets. |
| Functionality | Battery life has decreased to 4 hours. |
Best for versatility
✅ You're heavy into astrophotography: This scope can view the moon, planets and deep space, making it a great all-rounder for astrophotography.
✅ You want to travel with it: It's substantially lighter than the other models in the Unistellar range, so it's great for taking to remote dark sky sites.
❌ You're on a budget: Although it's not a scope you'd need to replace any time soon, not everyone has the budget for a $3999 smart scope.
❌ You want super detailed images: If resolution is what you're going for, the Equinox 2 or eVscope 2 would be better suited.
🔎 Unistellar Odyssey Pro: An ideal blend of portability with stunning optical views, the Odyssey Pro is great for viewing all types of celestial objects and is light enough to take on stargazing trips with you. ★★★★
If you've been reading this guide and wishing there was a telescope with the optical prowess of Unistellar with the portability of the Vespera Vaonis, then you're in luck. The Odyssey Pro is the newest offering from Unistellar, and it seems to hit that sweet spot perfectly.
While it doesn't match the resolution of the Equinox 2 or the eVscope 2 (actually, the only one with lower resolution in this list compared to the Odyssey Pro is the Vespera), the Odyssey Pro stands out for its portability. Weighing just 14.3 lbs (6.5kg) for the complete kit, it's noticeably lighter and easier to handle than both the Equinox 2 and the eVscope 2, which weigh 19.8 lbs (9kg) each. This makes it a better choice if you want to take it along with you to remote dark sky locations.
While it does have a shorter battery life compared to other Unistellar scopes, we still consider 5 hours to be quite reasonable for most situations. And if you plan on stargazing for longer periods, you can just bring a power bank.
We're currently conducting a review of the Unistellar Odyssey Pro so we will update this guide once the review is published, but Unistellar claims on their website that it's 'excellent' for deep-sky and 'very good' for planets. In contrast, the eQuinox 2 and the eVscope 2 were only rated as 'good' for planetary viewing. One of the things we were disappointed about with the Equinox 2 was the underwhelming lunar views, so we are very interested to see whether the Odyssey Pro is any better for that.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Sleek black finish, more lightweight than the other Unistellar models. |
| Performance | Very good for viewing planets and excellent for deep space. |
| Functionality | 5 hours battery life is decent, but not as long as the other Unistellar models. |
Best budget
✅ You're on a budget: ...relatively speaking. Compared to traditional scopes it seems expensive, but it's the cheapest smart telescope on this list, so as far as smart scopes specifically go, this is the one to get if you can't stretch your budget very far.
✅ You want something lightweight to travel with: It's also the lightest option on this list at just 11 lbs / 5kg, making it a great option to take with you to dark sky sites without breaking your back.
❌ You want to view the moon and planets: It's more suited to deep-sky viewing, so it's best to avoid it if you want lunar or planetary views.
❌ You want good quality images: While the images it can capture are acceptable, they lack sharpness and resolution.
🔎 Vaonis Vespera Observation Station An easy-to-use and futuristic-looking solution for beginners in light-polluted cities, the Vaonis Vespera Observation Station features impressive live image-stacking for galaxies and nebulas but it lacks resolution and can't image planets. ★★★★½
In terms of design, it's the smallest smart telescope listed here, weighing just 11 lbs (5kg) and standing at a mere 15 inches (40cm) tall. It sports a sleek, futuristic curved design with not much to it physically – just a button and a motorized arm. However, simplicity is a key feature among smart telescopes.
We noted in our full Vaonis Vespera review that the images were fairly low resolution at just 1920x1080 pixels, which is only 2MP — quite underwhelming if you're a photographer. The images would be fine if all you want to do is show your mates who don't have any photography knowledge and say 'Hey look isn't this cool', but for anyone wanting more sharpness and detail, we'd opt for one of the better options on this list if you can afford to do so.
We thought it coped really well with light pollution, making it a great contender if you live in an urban area, although it's not the best choice for viewing planets or the moon.
Setting up and calibrating the Vaonis Vespera was incredibly easy. You just put it on the ground, unfold it and wait for it to calibrate itself. For beginner telescopes, we would definitely recommend the Vaonis Vespera without hesitation because of its affordability, ease of use and user-friendly features.
We are currently reviewing the newer Vespera II — it has more megapixels and is only marginally more expensive than the original Vespera, so keep your eyes peeled for our Vespera II review coming very soon.
- Read our full Vaonis Vespera review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Futuristic curvy design. |
| Performance | Copes well with light pollution but can't observe planets. |
| Functionality | Easy to set-up. |
Best for light pollution
✅ You live in an urban area: It has impressive CLS (City Light Suppression) eliminating light pollution from cities and towns.
✅ You want good images: Its 6.2MP camera is the second-best on this list, and we found the images impressive even under less than favorable conditions.
❌ You want something lightweight: It's the heaviest option on this list, so if weight is a concern, look at other options.
❌ You want to photograph planets: It's not ideal for planetary viewing — for that you might want to check out one of the smart scopes from Unistellar.
❌ You're a beginner: While it's easy enough once you get the hang of it, there are a few aspects that could trip beginners up.
🔎 Vaonis Stellina: Easy to control and provides delightful images directly to your phone or tablet within minutes. Once you have mastered the setup procedure, it trades versatility for ease of use. ★★★★
The bigger sister to the Vespera, the Vaonis Stellina has more megapixels and more magnification, but it's also heavier and more expensive. It does have a couple of small design niggles, as we noted in our Vaonis Stellina review, but we didn't see any dealbreakers and overall we thought it was sleek, compact and robust.
While it's quite easy to carry with the backpack, it's important to note that the Vaonis Stellina is the heaviest smart telescope in this lineup, weighing 24.25 lbs / 11kg. This makes it more suited for backyard use — unless the weight isn't a concern for you. This is particularly useful if you live in a city since its CLS (City Light Suppression) effectively removes any traces of light pollution from the images. We found that the stars and nebulas were accurately represented, although the star quality wasn't as sharp as we hoped for.
We did note that the instructions were quite poor (or nonexistent), which could leave beginners scratching their heads if they don't know how to set it up. Although the process is fairly straightforward, a simple sheet of instructions would make a world of difference for beginners.
But once it's set up, you can leave it to its own devices and retreat into the warm indoors, where you can continue viewing the results from your phone and choose new targets to capture, provided you stay within its 10-yard hotspot range — a wonderful advantage if it's a particularly cold night.
- Read our full Vaonis Stellina review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Suitcase shaped, although it's the heaviest on this list. |
| Performance | CLS leaves no trace of light pollution. |
| Functionality | Poor instructions could be tricky for beginners. |
Best smart telescopes: Comparison
| Product | Rating |
| Unistellar eQuinox 2 | ★★★★½ |
| Unistellar eVscope 2 | ★★★★½ |
| Vaonis Vespera II | ★★★★★ |
| Unistellar Odyssey Pro | ★★★★½ |
| Vaonis Vespera | ★★★★½ |
| Vaonis Stellina | ★★★★ |
Reviews coming soon
Some exciting new products are coming to the world of smart telescopes in 2024, here are just a few to keep your eyes peeled for...we'll review them as soon as we get hold of them.
Vaonis Hestia: The first ever smartphone-based telescope, you simply place your smartphone on Hestia's ocular, align it with the celestial object of your choice and you'll be treated to a whole new world of exploration right there from your smartphone. The unit itself isn't much bigger than a phone, weighing just 1.87 lbs (850g) and measures 6.7 x 9.5 x 2.2 inches (17 x 24 x 5.5cm), taking stargazing to a whole new level of portability. It operates without electronics, so there's no battery (and therefore no risk of power loss). It retails for around $299.
Vaonis Vespera Pro: It seems Vaonis have upped their astrophotography game with the Vespera Pro, which will include a 12.5MP sensor — the most detailed of any smart telescope so far, and you can even bump it up to 32MP in panorama mode. They've improved the battery life from 4 hours up to a huge 11 hours, and it has a feature called Master Dark Automatic Calibration. Considering we struggled to get it to calibrate until well after twilight, this will be an interesting feature. This has the potential to be a fantastic smart telescope for astrophotographers, starting at $2499 and available in May 2024.
Celestron Origin: Celestron has also now entered the smart telescope game with the Origin. We love their more traditional telescopes, so we can't wait to try out their first smart telescope. Not for the faint of heart, it's on the more expensive end of the spectrum ($3999) and it's a big boy, with the total system weighing 41.6 lbs (18.87kg) — definitely one for the backyard. It has a 6.44MP sensor and a focal ratio of f/2.2 which lets in a ton of light — more than any of the options currently in this guide. It's on preorder now with an estimated arrival time of late March/early April 2024.
Smart telescope FAQs
What's the difference between a smart telescope and a traditional telescope?
Unlike traditional telescopes, smart telescopes are designed to be autonomous. With minimal, if any, set-up you should be able to put the telescope outside, synchronize with a smartphone app and start observing and imaging the night sky immediately.
They are especially useful for beginner astronomers with little to no night sky knowledge and even have light pollution suppression systems in place to produce good images in cities.
Are smart telescopes only for advanced users?
No, in fact they're a fantastic option for beginners as their fully-automated controls and features do a lot of the work for you! They're super user-friendly and you don't need to have any prior knowledge of telescopes or what's in the night sky, as the smart telescope will have an extensive database of celestial objects to choose from, so you just need to select one (that's visible in the night sky) and it'll take you to it automatically.
The only thing that could potentially be a dealbreaker for beginners is the price, as, unsurprisingly, smart telescopes are a lot more expensive than traditional telescopes. That said, the cheapest option on this list is around $1500. Plus, there's less chance you'll outgrow a smart telescope as your skills grow, so it'll prove to be a good investment in the long run if you can afford it.
Are smart telescopes worth it?
In our opinion, yes. If you're more of a traditionalist then a smart telescope may not be the best choice for you, but we think smart telescopes are a fantastic option for anyone who wants to get into stargazing without the steep learning curve. They're expensive, sure, but you're less likely to outgrow a smart telescope because they cater to users of all skill levels, plus they don't skimp on tech (not to mention, some of them include eyepieces from some of the top camera brands like Nikon).
How we test the best smart telescopes
To guarantee you're getting honest, up-to-date recommendations on the best smart telescopes to buy here at Space.com we make sure to put every smart telescope through a rigorous review to fully test each instrument. Each smart telescope is reviewed based on numerous aspects, from its construction and design, to how well it functions as an optical instrument and its performance in the field.
Our expert staff and knowledgeable freelance contributors thoroughly test each smart telescope. This ensures honest reviewing based on the smart telescope's price, category, and intended use.
With complete editorial independence, Space.com are here to ensure you get the best buying advice on smart telescopes, whether you should purchase an instrument or not, making our buying guides and reviews reliable and transparent.
Aside from this comprehensive list, we do also have brand-specific telescope guides for Celestron, Skywatcher, Meade, and Orion deals for those loyal to their favorite brands. Like this guide, we also keep those updated year-round, so they're always worth checking out. There are plenty of stores out there that dabble in skywatching equipment as well. Do Best Buy sell telescopes? They sure do, and we have a guide on Telescopes at Best Buy.
Still wondering 'what telescope should I buy'? We have also selected our favorite budget telescopes under $500, best beginner telescopes and best telescopes for kids and not just what the best telescope to buy for adults is, in case you're looking for those specifically.
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