AstroPup View vs GuideWatch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AstroPup View
Easily manage and view astronomical image files like FITS and XISF. Offers GPU-accelerated rendering, automatic stretching, and QuickLook integration for a seamless user experience. Create icons and display smart metadata directly from your files.
- FITS and XISF format support
- GPU-accelerated rendering
- Automatic advanced stretching
- QuickLook integration
- Icon creation
- Smart metadata display
Read full descriptionHide full description
Astrophotography images traditionally use an obscure raw image format called FITS, and a newer format called XISF. AstroPup View is designed to manage these files as easily as JPEGs: through Finder integration and viewer support. * XISF and FITS format support * GPU-accelerated rendering * Automatic advanced stretching * QuickLook integration * Icon creation * Smart metadata display
GuideWatch
Read full descriptionHide full description
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: • Live guiding graph: see RA/Dec error trends update in real time, just like the graph in PHD2 itself • RMS error and key guiding stats at a glance, with optional haptic alerts if guiding fails • Simple connection status, so you know instantly if guiding has dropped out • 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 iOS requirement: AstroPup View at 18.0 against GuideWatch's 26.5. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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.
AstroPup View ships an update every 2 weeks, GuideWatch fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AstroPup View | GuideWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 26.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aaron Freimark | Cambridge AI Works Ltd. |
In-app purchases
AstroPup View
No in-app purchases
GuideWatch
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is AstroPup View free?
Is GuideWatch free?
Do AstroPup View or GuideWatch have ads?
Which is updated more often, AstroPup View or GuideWatch?
Other comparisons















