PicoStar vs GuideWatch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
PicoStar
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Calibrate any telescope using true-to-scale planetary images.
GuideWatch
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GuideWatch puts your PHD2 guiding session on your wrist. If you run NINA to control your astrophotography rig, you already know the drag of walking back to the laptop every few minutes just to check whether guiding is still holding steady. GuideWatch connects directly to either PHD2 or NINA over your local Wi-Fi network and shows you what matters, right on your Apple Watch: โข Live guiding graph: see RA/Dec error trends update in real time, just like the graph in PHD2 itself โข RMS error and key guiding stats at a glance, with optional haptic alerts if guiding fails โข Simple connection status, so you know instantly if guiding has dropped out โข A quick settings screen to connect to PHD2 or NINA on your controller's IP address and port No need to keep walking back to a screen, break your dark adaptation, or leave a laptop running somewhere inconvenient (just glance at your wrist). GuideWatch also includes a simulation mode, so you can explore the app and its guiding display before connecting it to a live session. Requirements: GuideWatch needs either PHD2 or a NINA instance with the Advanced API module running on the same local network. GuideWatch does not control PHD2, NINA or your imaging session; it's a read-only guiding monitor designed to keep you informed without needing to touch your imaging laptop.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GuideWatch at none against PicoStar's 1. GuideWatch also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months). PicoStar's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PicoStar sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GuideWatch asks for nothing beyond the download.
PicoStar ships an update every 7 months, GuideWatch fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PicoStar | GuideWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Fortnightly โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No โ better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 โ better | 26.5 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ryan Rudes | Cambridge AI Works Ltd. |
In-app purchases
PicoStar
- Planetary Expansion Pack$9.99
GuideWatch
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PicoStar free?
Is GuideWatch free?
Do PicoStar or GuideWatch have ads?
Which is updated more often, PicoStar or GuideWatch?
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