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 Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $400 - $600 USD / $500 - $700 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Dwarf II here

Dwarf 3 Smart Telescope

• Price: $400 - $600 USD / $500 - $700 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Dwarf 3 here

Seestar S50 Smart Telescope

• 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 Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $1500 - $2000 USD / $2000 - $3000 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Unistellar eQuinox here

Unistellar eQuinox 2 Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $2000 - $2500 USD / $3000 - $4000 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Unistellar eQuinox 2 here

Unistellar eVscope 2 Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $4500 - $5000 USD / $6000 - $7000 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Unistellar eVscope 2 here

Unistellar Odyssey Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $2000 - $2400 USD / $3000 - $4000 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Unistellar Odyssey here

Unistellar Odyssey PRO Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $3500 - $4000 USD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Unistellar Odyssey PRO here

Vaonis Stellina Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $3500 - $4000 USD / $5000 - $6000 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Vaonis Stellina here

Vaonis Vespera Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $2400 - $2600 USD / $3000 - $4000 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Vaonis Vespera here

Vaonis Vespera II Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $1500 - $2000 USD / $2000 - $3000 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Vaonis Vespera II here

Vaonis Vespera PRO Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $2500 - $3500 USD / $3500 - $4500 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Vaonis Vespera PRO here

Vaonis Hestia Smart Telescope

• Price Range: $300 - $400 USD / $400 - $500 CAD
• 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.
• Learn More: Discover more about Vaonis Hestia here

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 - $400 USD / $400 - $500 CAD
• Highest Price: Unistellar eVscope 2 at $4500 - $5000 USD / $6000 - $7000 CAD

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:

The Smart Telescope that is suitable for you will depend on your specific needs, budget, and level of experience.

If you have any questions/concerns regarding which Smart Telescope is right for you, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at support@redcarpetoptics.com, and we'll be happy to assist!