SynScan Pro vs AR
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.
AR
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Explore the universe at your fingertips. Connect the app to a Bluetooth stand, intelligently control the starry sky map, and accurately search for stars; WIFI camera one click start, capture star tracks, take photos and videos freely. Easily manage astronomical images, share celestial wonders in real-time, and make astronomical exploration more intelligent and convenient.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: AR at every 9 days against SynScan Pro's every 2 months. AR also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.
SynScan Pro ships an update every 2 months, AR every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SynScan Pro | AR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.6 (51 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 21.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 51 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 232 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Astropower Technology Co. Ltd. | JOC |
In-app purchases
SynScan Pro
No in-app purchases
AR
No in-app purchases
