QUARCS vs Cygnus Astro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
QUARCS
This open-source software kit enables remote astrophotography capture via Wi-Fi and computer. It offers comprehensive control over telescope mounts, cameras, autoguiding, and electric focusers, integrating with Stellarium for sky mapping.
- Remote capture via Wi-Fi
- Computer remote capture via LAN
- Mount control
- Camera control
- Autoguiding
- Electric focuser control
- Stellarium skymap integration
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Q.U.A.R.C.S (QHYCCD Universal Astrophotographic Remote Capture System) is an open-source software kit that supports the full function of mobile remote capture via WIFI and computer remote capture via LAN. It includes the mount control, camera control, autoguiding, electric focuser control, and Stellarium skymap function.
Cygnus Astro
Control your astrophotography equipment remotely from your mobile device. This app provides a touch-friendly interface to connect, monitor, and manage your N.I.N.A. software and connected gear, simplifying your setup in the field.
- Remote equipment control
- N.I.N.A. software integration
- Mobile touch interface
- Real-time exposure preview
- Open-source and free
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Cygnus Astro Get ready to do astrophotography from your mobile phone! Cygnus Astro enables astrophotographers to use a mobile touch-friendly interface to control their equipment from N.I.N.A. software. No matter if you have a laptop, or a mini PC, you can replace that complex UI with a mobile app. When in the field, you're able to connect, monitor, and control all your astrophotography equipment without worrying about a desktop interface. Turn your PC on, and forget about it! Key features: - Connect your equipment (mount, camera, electronic focuser, etc.) using a simple button - Launch and monitor your advance sequence - Perform your Three-Point Polar Alignment without having to hold your laptop - Preview your exposures in real-time - Fully open-source. This app is, and will aways be free Cygnus Astro uses N.I.N.A. PC software and the N.I.N.A. Advanced API plugin to communicate with your PC. This app is not a replacement for N.I.N.A. or your PC.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cygnus Astro at 67% against QUARCS's 0%. Cygnus Astro also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.0) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Cygnus Astro holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of QUARCS's written reviews are positive against 67% of Cygnus Astro's.
QUARCS ships an update every 6 months, Cygnus Astro every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | QUARCS | Cygnus Astro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (1 ratings) | 4.3 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Light Speed Vision(Beijing) Co., Ltd | Christopher Ventura |
Customer experience
QUARCS
Cygnus Astro
In-app purchases
QUARCS
No in-app purchases
Cygnus Astro
No in-app purchases
