Comparison

AstroPup View vs GuideWatch

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • FITS and XISF format support
  • GPU-accelerated rendering
  • Automatic advanced stretching
  • QuickLook integration
  • Icon creation
  • Smart metadata display
Read 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

About

GuideWatch

Features
Read 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

AstroPup View1 screens
GuideWatch1 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AstroPup View ships an update every 2 weeks, GuideWatch fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
AstroPup View versus GuideWatch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAstroPup ViewGuideWatch
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAaron FreimarkCambridge AI Works Ltd.

In-app purchases

None

AstroPup View

No in-app purchases

None

GuideWatch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AstroPup View free?
AstroPup View is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GuideWatch free?
GuideWatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do AstroPup View or GuideWatch have ads?
Neither AstroPup View nor GuideWatch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AstroPup View or GuideWatch?
AstroPup View ships an update every 2 weeks, and GuideWatch fortnightly. Most recently, AstroPup View was updated on October 14, 2026 and GuideWatch on October 24, 2026.

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