SynScan Pro vs SkyPilot Astro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SynScan Pro
Control motorized telescope mounts for celestial observation and astrophotography. Features include precise slewing, alignment, GOTO, and tracking of stars, planets, and deep-sky objects. Supports advanced functions like polar alignment and camera triggering.
- Control telescope mount (slew, align, GOTO, track)
- Point and Track celestial objects
- Gamepad navigation support
- Catalog of celestial objects
- Third-party app integration (ASCOM, SkySafari)
- Polar alignment (with or without polar scope)
- Camera shutter release control
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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 is the Pro version of the SynScan app and contains features suited for expert users using equatorial 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. - Perform polar alignment with or without a polar scope. - Control shutter release (SNAP) port to trigger an attached camera. (Requires mount with SNAP port and adapter cable that matches camera.) - Use ASCOM to perform autoguiding on mounts that do not have autoguider (ST-4) port. - Other mount controls: auto home, PPEC, park.
SkyPilot Astro
Effortlessly explore the cosmos with automatic star-seeking and calibration. Plan your stargazing sessions with real-time weather and light pollution data. Control your telescope, capture stunning images, and process them for incredible detail.
- Automatic star-seeking
- One-step automatic calibration
- Real-time weather and light pollution data
- Direct telescope control
- One-click GOTO celestial bodies
- Intelligent image processing and stacking
- High-definition photo capture
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Automatic Star - Seeking, Effortless Start:Whether you're a novice or a seasoned astronomy enthusiast, simply operate on the APP. The telescope, with its automatic star - seeking function, can instantly lock onto the target celestial body, making stargazing accessible to everyone. Automatic Calibration, One - Step Completion:Bid farewell to the cumbersome manual calibration process of traditional telescopes. With the EDUSNAP APP, automatic and precise calibration is achieved the moment you power on, allowing you to start your stargazing journey quickly. Weather and Light Pollution, Under Control:The APP provides real - time weather information and light pollution data of the observation site. This enables you to plan the best observation time and location in advance, ensuring ideal conditions for every stargazing session. Direct Control, at Your Command:Via the APP, you can directly control the telescope's direction, freely adjusting the viewing angle. Moreover, you can effortlessly set shooting parameters and capture high - definition photos, ensuring no amazing moment slips by. One - Click GOTO, Direct to Target:Enter the celestial body you wish to observe on the APP, and the one - click GOTO function will swiftly turn the telescope towards the target, accurately pinpointing mysterious celestial bodies in the vast starry sky. Intelligent Image Processing, Stunning Results:Upon shooting, the APP automatically processes and stacks the images, enhancing the picture quality. This makes the details of nebulae, galaxies, and other celestial bodies clearly visible. You can save the exquisite photos with one click, convenient for sharing and preserving memories.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SkyPilot Astro at 4.6 against SynScan Pro's 2.6. SkyPilot Astro also leads on monetization model (free vs paid). SynScan Pro's advantage is review sentiment (22% vs 0%) and ratings volume (51 vs 7). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SkyPilot Astro holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SynScan Pro has 51 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 22% of SynScan Pro's written reviews are positive against 0% of SkyPilot Astro's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SynScan Pro | SkyPilot Astro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.6 (51 ratings) | 4.6 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 21.5% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 51 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 111 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Astropower Technology Co. Ltd. | EDUSNAP TECHNOLOGY LIMITED |
Customer experience
SynScan Pro
SkyPilot Astro
In-app purchases
SynScan Pro
No in-app purchases
SkyPilot Astro
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SynScan Pro free?
Is SkyPilot Astro free?
Which has better reviews, SynScan Pro or SkyPilot Astro?
Do SynScan Pro or SkyPilot Astro have ads?
Which is updated more often, SynScan Pro or SkyPilot Astro?
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