Comparison

Seestar vs Shutter Trail

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

Head to head
About

Seestar

Explore the universe with a smart telescope that simplifies stargazing. Automatically find, focus, and capture celestial objects without professional guidance. Observe stars, the sun, and even landscapes with intuitive app control.

Highlights
  • Wireless control of telescope
  • Automatic celestial object finding and tracking
  • Solar observation with filter
  • Scenery mode for terrestrial viewing
  • Built-in sky atlas and encyclopedia
  • Stargazing index and recommendations
  • Share observations with community
Features
Read full description

Take the first step in exploring the universe! The Seestar smart telescope will give you a stargazing experience like never before. No need for professional guidance, just tap on the screen and you are ready to observe and capture the stars. Seestar is a smart device that integrates the functions of an altazimuth mount, telescope, and camera, with both hardware and software applications. With the Seestar App, you can easily control this multifunctional device and explore the infinite world of stars. Key features: - Wireless control: Control with Seestar device through wireless connection. - Stargazing Mode: Automatically find and focus on celestial objects, intelligently identify stars and track them for automatic capturing and image processing. - Solar Mode: Support auto-scan and solar tracking. Use the included Solar Filter to observe the unique sun. - Scenery mode: Manually control the telescope direction and auto-focus, so you can enjoy observing birds and landscapes. -Sky Atlas: Built-in curated celestial object database AND a rich astronomical knowledge encyclopedia,help you easily understand the mystery of starry sky. - Stargazing Index forecasts and popular Recommendations: Stay updated with popular information, making you an expert in astronomical events. - Share Your Work in the Square: Engage and exchange insights with astronomy enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing your observational achievements. - Adaptation Model: It will work with all Seestar models. Seestar is your ideal companion for exploring the universe, observing the stars and sharing experiences. Download Seestar App now and Explore the universe with Seestar.

About

Shutter Trail

Record your GPS trails for free to easily geotag photos from any camera. Create trips, review routes, and sync with Lightroom Classic using a free plugin. Export GPX files with a subscription.

Highlights
  • Record GPS trails for free
  • Geotag photos from multiple cameras
  • Create and review trips on a map
  • Lightroom Classic plugin for automatic matching
  • Export GPX files with subscription
  • Optional biometric authentication
Features
Read full description

Shutter Trail records your GPS trail, making it easier to geotag photos from any camera. Record for free using Standard or High Accuracy mode. Review your history, create trips, and explore routes without a subscription. Subscribe only when you want to export a GPX file. KEY FEATURES • Start recording with a single tap. • Use Standard or High Accuracy recording for free. • Create trips afterward from any recorded time range. • Add a cover photo to each trip. • Review routes on an interactive map. • Export trips as standard GPX files with a subscription. • Use one trail to geotag photos from multiple cameras. LIGHTROOM CLASSIC WORKFLOW Export a trip as a GPX file, then: • Use the free Shutter Trail plug-in for Adobe Lightroom Classic to automatically match selected photos with recorded locations. • Or use Lightroom Classic’s built-in Map module to match locations by capture time. The plug-in accounts for UTC offsets stored in photo metadata, simplifying multi-camera and multi-time-zone workflows. No Bluetooth pairing or camera-to-phone location syncing. Record one trail and use it with all your cameras. Your location history stays on your device unless you export it. Optional Face ID, Touch ID, or device-passcode authentication helps protect access. Learn more about the Lightroom plug-in: https://apps.infiz.com/shuttertrail/lightroom-gpx-sync/ Shutter Trail is not affiliated with or endorsed by Adobe or any camera manufacturer. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Seestar4 screens
Shutter Trail4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Shutter Trail at 5.0 against Seestar's 4.2. Shutter Trail also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs monthly). Seestar's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (355 vs 2). On price and ads 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. Shutter Trail sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Seestar asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shutter Trail holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Seestar has 355 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Seestar ships an update monthly, Shutter Trail every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Seestar versus Shutter Trail: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSeestarShutter Trail
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (355 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings355 — better2
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSuZhou ZWO Co., LtdJIMMY HU

Customer experience

Seestar

All ratings352 ratings
Positive79.5%
Neutral3.7%
Negative16.8%
Written reviews187 reviews
Positive62.0%
Neutral7.5%
Negative30.5%

Shutter Trail

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Seestar

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Firmware update cycle preventing settings changes
  • Tracking errors and star trailing issues
  • App crashing on startup
  • Inability to connect to telescope
  • Forced firmware updates during use

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add equatorial mode support
  • Provide fine control of exposure time
  • Implement mosaic mode for wider FOV
  • Add support for iPad landscape mode
  • Integrate with other astronomy apps

Shutter Trail

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Seestar

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Shutter Trail

Subscriptions1
  • Shutter Trail Premium1 Month trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Seestar free?
Seestar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shutter Trail free?
Shutter Trail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Seestar or Shutter Trail?
Shutter Trail is rated higher. Seestar averages 4.2 out of 5 from 355 ratings, while Shutter Trail averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Seestar or Shutter Trail have ads?
Neither Seestar nor Shutter Trail shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Seestar or Shutter Trail?
Seestar ships an update monthly, and Shutter Trail every 6 days. Most recently, Seestar was updated on October 30, 2026 and Shutter Trail on October 21, 2026.

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