Comparison

StarryCamera2 vs Seestar

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

Head to head
About

StarryCamera2

Capture stunning night sky photos with this advanced camera app. It offers multiple shooting modes like Starry Sky, Star Trails, and Milky Way, allowing you to adjust ISO and shutter speed for professional results.

Highlights
  • Starry sky mode
  • Star trails mode
  • Milky way mode
  • Night view mode
  • Lighten mode
  • Adjustable ISO and Shutter Speed
Read full description

This camera app is designed to help you take beautiful photos of the stars with your iPhone. Why not try shooting star trails with your iPhone? ### How to Use 1. Go to a location with low temperatures where stars are clearly visible. 2. Secure your iPhone on a tripod or similar mount (this is the most important step). 3. Select a shooting mode. 4. Adjust brightness using shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. 5. Press the shutter button. ### Mode Features Starry Sky: Makes bright stars stand out; captures the scene close to how the naked eye sees it. Star Trails: For capturing star trail photos (shooting for 30 minutes creates a distinct star trail effect). Milky Way: For capturing the Milky Way and fine stars with sharp clarity. Night View: For when you want no processing; produces low-noise images. Lighten Composite: Uses lighten compositing (ideal for fireflies, fireworks, light trails, etc.). ### Fine-Tuning Focus 1. Position a bright star (such as a first- or second-magnitude star) in the center of the screen. 2. Press the focus button to zoom in; use the slider for coarse adjustment, then use the stepper controls to find the position where the star appears smallest. 3. If it is difficult to tell, try shooting with different focus positions and compare the results. ### About Star Trail Mode Unlike other modes, Star Trail Mode and Lighten Composite Mode do not allow brightness adjustments via shutter speed; please adjust the brightness using ISO sensitivity instead. To minimize errors, start with a 120-second test shot to adjust settings like ISO sensitivity before proceeding to the actual 1,800- or 3,600-second exposure. The "Starry Sky" mode is suitable for urban astrophotography, as it allows you to capture images in locations where long exposures might otherwise result in an overexposed, washed-out white image. Including statues or monuments in the frame can create impressive, visually striking photos. Using flimsy holders or tripods can cause the star trails to blur, so I recommend using sturdy, high-quality equipment. In "Star Trail" mode, the background is smoothed out via "Lighten Composite" (stacking) processing; this improves the visual quality, even on cameras with small, noise-prone sensors like those found in iPhones. Including the North Star enhances the swirling effect but results in shorter trails. Pointing the camera east (or elsewhere) eliminates the swirling look but produces longer trails. Choose whichever style you prefer. During a meteor shower, a one-hour star trail exposure might capture two or three shooting stars. For "Star Trail" mode, I recommend setting the light duration to "Middle Only." ### About Watermarks The default setting displays the app's name; please customize this with your handle or account name to protect your copyright. ### Recommended Method for Star Trail Photos with Cars 1. Start by selecting the ISO setting one step below the maximum. 2. In the settings, select "Middle Only" for the light duration. 3. Set the light intensity to "Medium" on the shooting screen. 4. Set the shutter speed to 120 seconds and take a few test shots to adjust the ISO sensitivity and light intensity. If the entire image is too bright, lower the ISO sensitivity; if it is too dark, raise it. If the car illuminated by the light is too bright, lower the light intensity; if it is too dark, raise it. 5. Once the ISO and light settings are finalized, set the shutter speed to 1800 seconds for the actual shot. Initially, you can leave the focus at the default setting of 0.0; however, once you get the hang of it, pressing the focus button to ensure precise focusing will result in sharper star trails and higher-quality photos.

About

Seestar

Explore the universe with a smart telescope that simplifies stargazing. Automatically find, focus, and capture celestial objects without professional guidance. Observe stars, the sun, and even landscapes with intuitive app control.

Highlights
  • Wireless control of telescope
  • Automatic celestial object finding and tracking
  • Solar observation with filter
  • Scenery mode for terrestrial viewing
  • Built-in sky atlas and encyclopedia
  • Stargazing index and recommendations
  • Share observations with community
Features
Read full description

Take the first step in exploring the universe! The Seestar smart telescope will give you a stargazing experience like never before. No need for professional guidance, just tap on the screen and you are ready to observe and capture the stars. Seestar is a smart device that integrates the functions of an altazimuth mount, telescope, and camera, with both hardware and software applications. With the Seestar App, you can easily control this multifunctional device and explore the infinite world of stars. Key features: - Wireless control: Control with Seestar device through wireless connection. - Stargazing Mode: Automatically find and focus on celestial objects, intelligently identify stars and track them for automatic capturing and image processing. - Solar Mode: Support auto-scan and solar tracking. Use the included Solar Filter to observe the unique sun. - Scenery mode: Manually control the telescope direction and auto-focus, so you can enjoy observing birds and landscapes. -Sky Atlas: Built-in curated celestial object database AND a rich astronomical knowledge encyclopedia,help you easily understand the mystery of starry sky. - Stargazing Index forecasts and popular Recommendations: Stay updated with popular information, making you an expert in astronomical events. - Share Your Work in the Square: Engage and exchange insights with astronomy enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing your observational achievements. - Adaptation Model: It will work with all Seestar models. Seestar is your ideal companion for exploring the universe, observing the stars and sharing experiences. Download Seestar App now and Explore the universe with Seestar.

Screenshots

StarryCamera24 screens
Seestar4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Seestar at Free against StarryCamera2's $3.99. Seestar also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (334 vs 10). On update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Seestar is free to download; StarryCamera2 costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Seestar holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Seestar has 334 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of StarryCamera2's written reviews are positive against 61% of Seestar's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StarryCamera2 ships an update every 6 weeks, Seestar monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
StarryCamera2 versus Seestar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarryCamera2Seestar
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating3.6 (10 ratings)4.2 (334 ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.1% of reviews61.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10334 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB1.3 GB
Age rating4+4+
Developer康行 NagasimaSuZhou ZWO Co., Ltd

Customer experience

StarryCamera2

All ratings10 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive48.1%
Neutral18.5%
Negative33.3%

Seestar

All ratings334 ratings
Positive79.9%
Neutral3.9%
Negative16.2%
Written reviews179 reviews
Positive61.5%
Neutral7.8%
Negative30.7%

Bugs and requests

StarryCamera2

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Seestar

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Firmware update cycle preventing settings changes
  • Tracking errors and star trailing issues
  • App crashing on startup
  • Inability to connect to telescope
  • Forced firmware updates during use

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add equatorial mode support
  • Provide fine control of exposure time
  • Implement mosaic mode for wider FOV
  • Add support for iPad landscape mode
  • Integrate with other astronomy apps

In-app purchases

None

StarryCamera2

No in-app purchases

None

Seestar

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is StarryCamera2 free?
StarryCamera2 costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Seestar free?
Seestar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, StarryCamera2 or Seestar?
Seestar is rated higher. StarryCamera2 averages 3.6 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Seestar averages 4.2 from 334 ratings.
Do StarryCamera2 or Seestar have ads?
Neither StarryCamera2 nor Seestar shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StarryCamera2 or Seestar?
StarryCamera2 ships an update every 6 weeks, and Seestar monthly. Most recently, StarryCamera2 was updated on October 14, 2026 and Seestar on October 13, 2026.

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