Comparison

Celestron Origin vs AstroEdit

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

Head to head
About

Celestron Origin

This app redefines stargazing and astroimaging with AI-powered real-time stacking and processing. Explore the cosmos through a user-friendly planetarium interface, easily locate celestial objects, and share stunning images with others.

Highlights
  • AI-powered real-time image stacking
  • User-friendly planetarium interface
  • Compass mode for sky navigation
  • Tonight's Best celestial object list
  • Simultaneous streaming to multiple devices
  • Audio presentations for celestial objects
Features
Read full description

Celestron Origin redefines stargazing and astroimaging for a new generation. The images you capture with Origin look better than what you’d see in a much larger telescope under much darker skies. The Celestron Origin Powered by the SkySafari™ app, developed in partnership with Simulation Curriculum, features a user-friendly planetarium interface that makes it easy to navigate the sky and control the system. Simply hold your device up to the sky using Compass mode and tap on any object you want to see. (The best ones are highlighted.) Or try the Tonight’s Best list, which displays all the most impressive celestial objects you can see right now. Once you’ve selected a target, Origin locates it and begins capturing data. With each exposure, built-in AI algorithms autonomously stack and process every frame in real time. Galaxies and nebulae spring to life—sharp, detailed, and in brilliant color—all with no user intervention. Gone are the days of waiting in line to peer into a telescope’s eyepiece. Multiple people can connect to Origin via the app and stream the view with their own devices. With Origin, you can cast the live feed to your smart TV and save and share your completed astroimages. ORIGIN’S KEY FEATURES + Planetarium Functionality + In the app’s Planetarium View, navigate the sky by swiping or pinching the screen. For a more interactive experience, tap the compass icon to enter Compass mode, which uses your smartphone’s accelerometer and gyro to match the onscreen view to the sky overhead. + Selecting an Object + In the Planetarium View, objects highlighted with orange circles are the best targets. Tap an object to select it and display its name. Zoom in to find fainter objects. To point Origin to your chosen object, tap the crosshairs icon or use the “Center Object” option in the Object Info bar. Use the Tonight icon to see a list of the best currently visible objects. You can also search for objects by name or designation with the Search icon. + Picture-in-Picture (PIP) + A Picture-in-Picture (PIP) in the lower-left corner of the Planetarium View shows a live feed from Origin’s camera. Tapping the PIP screen shows the full Camera View, which displays the same view but fills the entire screen. + Camera View + The Camera View displays a live feed from Origin’s camera. Here, you can start imaging sessions or adjust camera settings. Origin automatically stacks and processes each exposure using its built-in AI algorithms. This processing doesn’t add new data to your image but rather brings out the best in your data and reduces noise. When you’re finished, tap “End Imaging” to save the final stacked master to the Image Gallery and your device’s camera roll. + Object Info View + You can view detailed information on every object in the Origin app’s database by pressing the Info button. You can also listen to audio presentations for over 200 of the most popular celestial objects. + Image Gallery + After you complete an image, Origin stores it in the app’s Image Gallery and your device’s camera roll. You can access the Image Gallery anytime by tapping the Gallery button. + Sharing Images + After tapping the Share button, you can customize your image by adjusting settings like exposure, name, date, object, logo, and crop. When you’re ready to share, press the Share icon to share via various apps or directly to social media. + Scheduled Imaging + Origin can capture images automatically during a scheduled imaging session without any input from you (even while you sleep!). Simply add the desired objects to a schedule and tap “Run Schedule Now.” Origin will start with the first object and continue through your list. To retrieve images, select the completed schedule and download the images to your Image Gallery and your device’s camera roll. Device requirements: iOS 16 and up
iPhone 8 and up

About

AstroEdit

Effortlessly enhance your astrophotography with advanced AI tools. Remove noise, stars, and gradients to reveal stunning cosmic details. Includes essential editing controls for professional-quality results on your iPhone.

Highlights
  • AI Noise Reduction
  • AI Star Removal
  • AI Gradient Removal
  • AI Satellite Trail Removal
  • Oval Star Correction
  • Easy Image Controls
  • Curves Adjustment
  • Wavelet Sharpening
Features
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Capture the Cosmos with Ease! Transform your astrophotography with our game-changing app—the only app that harnesses advanced AI tools to deliver stunning results effortlessly! Edit your night sky images in a flash before sharing them on social media. Unlock the Universe with Cutting-Edge AI Features: Noise Reduction: Our state-of-the-art AI effortlessly eliminates noise, ensuring crystal-clear images. Star Removal: Remove stars with precision using advanced AI, allowing you to focus on the beauty of nebulas and galaxies without distractions. Gradient Removal: Say goodbye to distracting sky gradients and enhance your photos like never before. Satellite Trail Removal: Trained on real images, our AI tool removes streaks created by satellites or aircraft. Oval Star: Make oval star round found in Seestar S30. Plus All the Essential Image Processing Tools: Easy Controls: Adjust exposure, brightness, saturation, temperature, and tint with simple sliders. Curves Adjustment: Fine-tune your images with five layers of precise control. Wavelet Sharpening: Bring out intricate details while preserving the natural look of your photos! Hubble Palette Color: Enable new color perspective. Why Choose AstroEdit? This isn’t just another editing tool—it’s a revolutionary experience designed specifically for astrophotographers using Seestar, Dwarf, and other telescopes with iPhone apps. Whether you’re capturing deep-sky objects or terrestrial scenes, our app delivers professional-quality edits right on your iPhone. Key Features: Exclusive to iOS: Experience capabilities unmatched by any other app on the market. Supports TIFF & JPEG: Open and save high-quality images in both formats. Optimized Performance: Designed for seamless use at 1920x1080 resolution for device less than 4GB RAM, otherwise at 2160x3840(4K), with automatic resizing for large files. Get Started Today! Transform your night sky captures into breathtaking masterpieces. Check out our demo video https://youtube.com/shorts/11nECmjHdC0 and discover how fun and magical astrophotography can be! For support, contact us at help@AstroEditApp.com. Don’t just take photos—create cosmic art with our unique AI-powered app! Education: If you are a student belong to an Astronomy society, you can write in (ustransit74@gmail.com) to request up to 10 promotion code. Each promotion code enables an installation of the app on a device. For others, you can write in too to request based on individual case. Basic app tutorial video at https://www.instagram.com/ycbsl/ Requirement: The AI tools require at least 4G RAM for best image. If the device has less than 4GB RAM memory, lesser weight(memory) will be used for the specific AI starless, AI oval and AI satellite, and it will produce degraded results with maximum image size of 1080x1920. This is to prevent crashes due to run out of memory. You can check your device RAM by going to this app Help section. Privacy policy and term of use (EULA) is at https://deepskycolor.blogspot.com/2018/12/privacy-policy-for-deep-sky-color-app.html New Feature: AstroEdit uses AI to automate the complex comet stacking. Currently, user needs to stack first for the stars and second for the comet since they moves at different speeds. Then he has to blend them together and do further edition on another program on a laptop. AstroEdit makes comet stacking quick and simple. Subscription is optional: With one time purchase, users can access all features in AstroEdit. Users can subscribe monthly and we'll keep improving AstroEdit.

Screenshots

Celestron Origin4 screens
AstroEdit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Celestron Origin at Free against AstroEdit's $2.99. Celestron Origin also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (92% vs 62%). AstroEdit's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months) and chart position (#114 vs unranked). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Celestron Origin is free to download; AstroEdit costs $2.99 up front. AstroEdit sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Celestron Origin asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Celestron Origin holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Celestron Origin's written reviews are positive against 62% of AstroEdit's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Celestron Origin ships an update every 2 months, AstroEdit every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Celestron Origin versus AstroEdit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCelestron OriginAstroEdit
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.1 (28 ratings) — better3.9 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews92.3% of reviews — better62.2% of reviews
Number of ratings28 — better17
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#114 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size980 MB153 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCelestron, LLCyong chong loh

Customer experience

Celestron Origin

All ratings28 ratings
Positive82.1%
Neutral3.6%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%

AstroEdit

All ratings17 ratings
Positive64.7%
Neutral23.5%
Negative11.8%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive62.2%
Neutral15.6%
Negative22.2%

In-app purchases

None

Celestron Origin

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

AstroEdit

Subscriptions3
  • Back AI Training$0.991 Month
  • Back New Features.$1.991 Month
  • Back App Longevity$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Activate AI featuresFree

Questions

Is Celestron Origin free?
Celestron Origin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AstroEdit free?
AstroEdit costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Celestron Origin or AstroEdit?
Celestron Origin is rated higher. Celestron Origin averages 4.1 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while AstroEdit averages 3.9 from 17 ratings.
Do Celestron Origin or AstroEdit have ads?
Neither Celestron Origin nor AstroEdit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Celestron Origin or AstroEdit?
Celestron Origin ships an update every 2 months, and AstroEdit every 6 days. Most recently, Celestron Origin was updated on September 18, 2026 and AstroEdit on September 23, 2026.

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