Comparison

Astro Stacker vs DeepFrame

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

Head to head
About

Astro Stacker

Transform your smartphone into a powerful astrophotography tool. This app uses advanced algorithms to combine multiple night sky photos, reducing noise and revealing hidden celestial details for professional-quality results.

Highlights
  • Advanced stacking algorithms (Average, Median, Maximum, Minimum)
  • Intelligent and manual image alignment
  • Real-time processing and progress tracking
  • On-device processing, no cloud upload
  • Export high-resolution stacked images
  • Detailed processing insights and logs
Features
Read full description

Stack your night-sky photos into one cleaner, more detailed image, right on your iPhone or iPad. Astrophotography stacking combines many exposures of the same sky. Astro Stacker finds the stars in every frame, lines them up and combines them, so random noise falls away and faint stars, the Milky Way and deep-sky targets come through. HOW IT WORKS 1. Take several separate photos of the same patch of sky from a tripod or stable surface. 2. Import them from Photos or Files into a Deep Sky Studio project. 3. Pick a stack mode and tap Stack. 4. Finish the result with Auto Stretch, styles and colour tools, then save or export. THREE SIMPLE STACK MODES - Quick: averages every frame for a fast first look. - Quality (default): rejects outliers such as plane and satellite trails, and leaves out the weakest frames. - Max Detail: the slowest and most selective mode, with finer alignment. AUTOMATIC STAR ALIGNMENT Stars are detected and matched in every frame, with sub-pixel alignment and a quality check for each frame. Stacking needs clear stars in your photos to line them up. CALIBRATION FRAMES (PRO) Add darks, flats, dark-flats and bias frames to correct hot pixels, thermal noise, vignetting and dust. Astro Stacker sorts frames by file name and exposure, so files named "dark" or "flat" are picked up for you. FINISH IN THE SAME APP - Auto Stretch to bring faint signal into view - Gradient removal for light pollution and uneven skies - Local contrast, vibrance, levels and per-channel colour balance - Styles: Natural, Nebula Pop, Cosmic Drama and Scientific, each with a strength slider - Before-and-after comparison - Quick Enhance for a single photo you've already taken FILES IN AND OUT - Import: photos from your library on Free; camera RAW, Apple ProRAW and FITS on Pro - Export: JPG, PNG, TIFF and FITS, with 16-bit export on Pro ON-DEVICE Stacking and editing run on your iPhone or iPad. You don't need a computer, and your source frames are not uploaded to stack them. An optional account backs up finished results. FREE AND PRO Free: up to 10 light frames per stack, 3 stacks every 7 days and 3 saved results. Pro: unlimited frames and stacks, RAW, ProRAW and FITS import, calibration frames, 16-bit export and unlimited history. Choose monthly, annual or a one-time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period, and you can manage them in your App Store account settings. GOOD TO KNOW - Moon, planet and solar stacking (Planet Lab) is coming soon. Today's stacking needs stars to align on. - Colour FITS files from one-shot-colour cameras are not debayered yet. - Star-trail stacking isn't supported, because every stack is aligned on the stars. Guides to capturing and stacking: https://astrostacker.co/guides Privacy Policy: https://astrostacker.co/privacy Terms of Use: https://astrostacker.co/terms Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

DeepFrame

Features
Read full description

eepFrame is a deep-sky imaging planner for astrophotographers. Point it at your location and any night — tonight or a simulated one — and it shows exactly what's worth shooting and when. WHAT IT DOES • Plots every catalogue object's path across your sky from dusk to dawn, with a midnight marker. • Picks out the imageable window — where each object is high enough (alt ≥ 25°) and culminating near midnight — so you know the best hours to capture it. • Draws your rig's true field of view around any object, so you can judge framing before you set up. • Overlays a real all-sky survey photo, the Milky Way, constellations, named stars, the ecliptic, planets and the Moon — toggle each layer to taste. • Masks YOUR local horizon: capture a 360° skyline with the camera (a guided sweep, or import a panorama), edit the sky away, and objects that never clear your trees and buildings are flagged as blocked. • Keeps your imaging log: per-object sessions with date, scope, camera, filters and exposure, your own processed thumbnails, and how far each got — finished, captured-but-unprocessed, or stacked-with-no-result-yet. • Lays your own processed shots on the chart, on their own icon, at the exact field of view they were taken at — so you can see what you've already covered. • Browse your whole imaging database: a searchable, sortable, groupable list of every object with each night underneath. Tap a picture for the full frame; tap a name to jump to it on the sky. BUILT FOR THE FIELD • Works fully offline — the ~5200-object catalogue, all maths and your data live on device. • Fast, gesture-driven all-sky chart: pan, pinch to zoom, tap any object for its card, tracks and imaging log. • A time capsule to preview any past or future night. EVERYTHING IS FREE The full catalogue, every object type, magnitude and size, unlimited rigs, locations and your own shots — all free. No account, no ads, no tracking. Built with open astronomy data (OpenNGC, VizieR/CDS) and public survey imagery (Pan-STARRS via CDS; NOIRLab all-sky photo). Full credits in the About screen.

Screenshots

Astro Stacker4 screens
DeepFrame4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DeepFrame at none against Astro Stacker's 3. Astro Stacker's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Astro Stacker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. DeepFrame asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Astro Stacker ships an update fortnightly, DeepFrame monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Astro Stacker versus DeepFrame: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAstro StackerDeepFrame
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.1 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB80 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAhmed Al-MahmudArnulf Friedemann Jurgen Keese

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Astro Stacker

Subscriptions2
  • AstroStacker app$12.991 Month
  • AstroStacker app$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • AstroStacker app$219.00
None

DeepFrame

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Astro Stacker free?
Astro Stacker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DeepFrame free?
DeepFrame is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Astro Stacker or DeepFrame have ads?
Neither Astro Stacker nor DeepFrame shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Astro Stacker or DeepFrame?
Astro Stacker ships an update fortnightly, and DeepFrame monthly. Most recently, Astro Stacker was updated on November 9, 2026 and DeepFrame on November 10, 2026.

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