Comparison

Dragonfly Observatory Control vs OnStep Controller

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Dragonfly Observatory Control

Features
Read full description

The companion app of your Dragonfly - control your observatory roof and equipment from anywhere, literally. No router configuration skills needed!

About

OnStep Controller

Features
Read full description

OnStep Controller Take full control of your OnStep telescope mount from your iPhone. OnStep Controller is a clean, dark-mode companion app for amateur astronomers โ€” connecting over WiFi (OnStep or OnStepX) or Bluetooth Low Energy (OnStepX with the BLE plugin required) to give you everything you need from setup to the final star. Connect and Configure Connect to your mount over your local WiFi network or via Bluetooth Low Energy. Send your GPS coordinates and current time directly to the mount for accurate alignment, and verify that the mount's site data matches your device before you start observing. Interactive Sky Chart Browse a live star chart showing hundreds of named stars and Messier deep-sky objects projected for your exact location and time. Pan and zoom freely, then tap any object to see its details and issue a GoTo command. Horizon, overhead, and meridian flip limits are drawn directly on the chart so you always know what your mount can reach. Visual Star Alignment Begin a 1- to 9-star alignment from the Setup tab and get guided through the process on the sky chart. Pick your alignment stars visually, slew to each one, then fine-tune with the on-screen directional pad and accept. Full Mount Control Move the mount in any direction at four slew rates โ€” Guide, Center, Find, and Slew. Toggle tracking on and off, switch between Sidereal, Lunar, and Solar tracking rates, park and unpark, and find home โ€” all from a single screen with live RA, Dec, Alt, and Az readouts. GoTo from a Catalog Search a built-in catalog of stars, open clusters, globular clusters, nebulae, galaxies, and planetary nebulae. Filter to objects currently above the horizon and slew to any target with a single tap. Or enter coordinates manually for objects not in the catalog. Designed for the Dark The entire app runs in forced dark mode with a deep red accent color chosen to protect your night vision at the eyepiece. Requires an OnStep or OnStepX telescope mount controller. WiFi works with both; Bluetooth requires OnStepX with the BLE plugin installed. iOS does not support Classic Bluetooth.

Screenshots

Dragonfly Observatory Control4 screens
OnStep Controller4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Dragonfly Observatory Control at 8.0 against OnStep Controller's 17.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Dragonfly Observatory Control versus OnStep Controller: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDragonfly Observatory ControlOnStep Controller
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size33 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLunatico Astronomia S. L.Gray Digital Arts LLC

In-app purchases

None

Dragonfly Observatory Control

No in-app purchases

None

OnStep Controller

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dragonfly Observatory Control free?
Dragonfly Observatory Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OnStep Controller free?
OnStep Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dragonfly Observatory Control or OnStep Controller have ads?
Neither Dragonfly Observatory Control nor OnStep Controller shows ads.

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