Comparison

SynScan vs Cygnus Astro

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

Head to head
About

SynScan

Control motorized telescope mounts for celestial object tracking and exploration. Features include GOTO functionality, object catalogs, and gamepad navigation. Ideal for novice users with alt-azimuth mounts.

Highlights
  • Control telescope mount slew, align, GOTO, and track
  • Point and Track celestial objects
  • Support gamepad navigation
  • Browse and save celestial object catalogs
  • Third-party app integration (ASCOM, SkySafari, Stellarium)
  • Emulator mount for testing
Features
Read full description

Use the SynScan app to control Sky-Watcher telescope mounts via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE. Mounts without built-in Wi-Fi can be supported via a SynScan Wi-Fi adapter. This version of the SynScan app is suited for novice users using alt-azimuth mounts. Features - Control telescope mount to slew, align, GOTO and track. - Point And Track: track celestial objects (including the Sun and planets) without aligning. - Support gamepad navigation. - Browse a catalog of stars, comets, and deep sky objects. Or, save your own objects. - Provide access to mount for use by third-party apps, including ASCOM clients, SkySafari, Luminos, Stellarium Mobile Plus, Stellarium Desktop or customer-developed apps. Also set up mount alignment for Luminos, Skysafari. - Support access to the mount and the SynScan app from any platform that supports TCP/UDP connections. - Provide emulator mount for testing and practicing. - Track fast-moving earth satellites by working with the PreviSat app on Windows PC or the Lumios app on iOS devices.

About

Cygnus Astro

Control your astrophotography equipment remotely from your mobile device. This app provides a touch-friendly interface to connect, monitor, and manage your N.I.N.A. software and connected gear, simplifying your setup in the field.

Highlights
  • Remote equipment control
  • N.I.N.A. software integration
  • Mobile touch interface
  • Real-time exposure preview
  • Open-source and free
Features
Read full description

Cygnus Astro Get ready to do astrophotography from your mobile phone! Cygnus Astro enables astrophotographers to use a mobile touch-friendly interface to control their equipment from N.I.N.A. software. No matter if you have a laptop, or a mini PC, you can replace that complex UI with a mobile app. When in the field, you're able to connect, monitor, and control all your astrophotography equipment without worrying about a desktop interface. Turn your PC on, and forget about it! Key features: - Connect your equipment (mount, camera, electronic focuser, etc.) using a simple button - Launch and monitor your advance sequence - Perform your Three-Point Polar Alignment without having to hold your laptop - Preview your exposures in real-time - Fully open-source. This app is, and will aways be free Cygnus Astro uses N.I.N.A. PC software and the N.I.N.A. Advanced API plugin to communicate with your PC. This app is not a replacement for N.I.N.A. or your PC.

Screenshots

SynScan3 screens
Cygnus Astro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cygnus Astro at 67% against SynScan's 22%. Cygnus Astro also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). SynScan's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cygnus Astro holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of SynScan's written reviews are positive against 67% of Cygnus Astro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SynScan ships an update every 2 months, Cygnus Astro every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SynScan versus Cygnus Astro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSynScanCygnus Astro
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (8 ratings)4.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.2% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAstropower Technology Co. Ltd.Christopher Ventura

Customer experience

SynScan

All ratings8 ratings
Positive37.5%
Neutral37.5%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral16.7%
Negative61.1%

Cygnus Astro

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SynScan

No in-app purchases

None

Cygnus Astro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SynScan free?
SynScan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cygnus Astro free?
Cygnus Astro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SynScan or Cygnus Astro?
Cygnus Astro is rated higher. SynScan averages 3.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Cygnus Astro averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do SynScan or Cygnus Astro have ads?
Neither SynScan nor Cygnus Astro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SynScan or Cygnus Astro?
SynScan ships an update every 2 months, and Cygnus Astro every 5 days. Most recently, SynScan was updated on September 16, 2026 and Cygnus Astro on October 4, 2026.

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