Comparison

Polar Scope Align Pro vs Photographers Light Table

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

Head to head
About

Polar Scope Align Pro

This app assists astronomers with precise polar alignment for telescopes, offering tools for various reticles and low-latitude accuracy. It also includes a comprehensive suite of astro tools, from object databases to calculators and weather reports.

Highlights
  • Accurate polar alignment calculation
  • Support for numerous polar scope reticles
  • Daytime/no polarscope alignment tool
  • Deep Space Object database
  • Astrophotography calculators
  • World astro-weather report
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Polar Scope Align Pro is a complete toolkit for amateur astronomers: accurate polar alignment, deep-sky observing, astro weather, push-to/manual GoTo, iOptron mount WiFi control, widgets and more. All features and updates are free forever. Optional in-app purchases are just tips to support development. POLAR ALIGNMENT • Calculates Polaris or σ Octantis position for 30+ reticle types: iOptron, Astro-Physics, Takahashi, Skywatcher, Vixen, Celestron, Orion, Astrotrac and others* • Atmospheric refraction correction for accuracy at any latitude • Works with or without a polar scope ALIGNMENT WITHOUT A POLAR SCOPE • Daytime / No Polar Scope Alignment: works day and night with just your phone's gyro • Camera Azimuth Calibration: use sun/moon/stars to calibrate gyro and align accurately without a compass, immune to magnetic interference • Laser / Hop Align: nighttime alignment for maximum accuracy with a laser or a scope with no view of Polaris • Live sky map guides you to the celestial pole in real time • Sun Finder helps you point your filtered telescope/telephoto to the Sun PUSH TO (MANUAL GOTO) • Attach your phone to any scope and convert it to manual/push GoTo • Select from a large database and use direct push or more accurate hop-to mode DEEP SKY OBJECT DATABASE • 22,000+ objects with altitude graphs, rise/set times and more info • Save and manage curated observing lists • Filter, search, sort and push to any target XASTERIA ASTRO WEATHER • Hourly astronomy forecasts from 7Timer, OpenWeather, MET Norway and Apple Weather, plus a configurable Multi-source forecast • Animated satellite Cloud Map with recent EUMETSAT and NASA infrared imagery • Aurora forecasts • ISS and bright satellite passes with an All Sky night chart, individual sky charts, live map tracking, and Tiangong and Hubble views • Solar eclipse tool with past and future eclipses, live mode with audio cues • Experimental eclipse camera for automated photoshoots of partial phase, diamond ring, Baily's beads, totality bracketing • Interactive light pollution map using World Atlas and recent VIIRS data CALCULATORS & TOOLS • 30+ calculators for observing and astrophotography • Moon phase calendar with altitude graphs • Solar eclipse calculator and simulator • Bubble level & Compass IOPTRON WIFI MOUNT CONTROL • Connect to WiFi-enabled iOptron mounts (HAE, HAZ, HEM, CEM, GEM and more) • Automatic date/time/location setup • Switch between Equatorial and Alt-Az on mounts that support both • Move & Sync: directional control with a live sky map • Point GoTo: aim your phone at a patch of sky and send the mount there • Current Point Query: find out what the mount is pointing at • GoTo any object from the DSO Database NIGHT-FRIENDLY • Red, green or white night mode with dimmer WIDGETS • Configurable Tonight and Multi astronomy weather forecasts • Upcoming bright satellite passes • Aurora probability, activity forecast and NOAA aurora map * Full list of supported reticles: Astro-Physics RAPAS & PASILL, iOptron, the latest Orion / Skywatcher, the Classic Skywatcher / Orion / Celestron / Meade / EXOS2 / Bresser / MSM, various versions of Takahashi EM-10/11/200/400/500, NJP, PM-1, P2-Z, the Telrad, Rigel QuikFinder, a couple for Astrotrac / Losmandy / Kenko / Avalon, the Vixen PF-L/Atlux/SX/SXD/SXP/AXD/GP/GP-DX/Polarie Polar Axis Scopes, a Konus and several Polar Finders: Tuthill, Explore Scientific 8x50, Meade 9x60, Vixen Polaris, Celestron 7x50, Carton Optical. PoleMaster help view for South Hemisphere users.

About

Photographers Light Table

Transform your mobile device into a portable light table for viewing film negatives, prints, and creating astrophotography calibration flats. Offers adjustable brightness, white balance, and an optional grid overlay for precise alignment and accurate color work.

Highlights
  • Device to light table transformation
  • Adjustable brightness control
  • Adjustable white balance
  • Optional grid overlay
  • User-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

Photographers Light Table turns your iPhone or iPad into a clean, evenly lit surface for viewing film negatives and slides, checking prints, and shooting astrophotography calibration flats. Precise, portable, and ready whenever you are. VIEW FILM AND SLIDES Backlight negatives, transparencies, and contact sheets for inspection, DSLR scanning, or digitising — no bulky light box required. PRECISE LIGHT CONTROL Dial in brightness and colour temperature with full-width sliders and live readouts, from warm tungsten to daylight. Pick any custom colour, and keep the ones you use most one tap away. GRID OVERLAY Turn on an adjustable grid for alignment, framing, and repeatable setups. REMOTE CONTROL Adjust your light table from another device without touching it — handy when it's under a camera or telescope. Use any web browser on your WiFi, or a nearby iPhone or iPad directly, with no shared network needed. Group several tables and drive them together, or focus any single one. An optional PIN keeps your table private. SAVED SCENES Store your setups by name and recall them instantly. Apply, rename, and export scenes right from the remote, and back them up or move them between devices. LIGHT EFFECTS Gentle, photosensitivity-safe effects — Breathe, Colour Cycle, and Candle — plus your own programmable colour sequences. ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY FLATS Produce an even, stable illuminated field for flat frames, with fine brightness control and steady output. Photographers Light Table is free and supported by ads. A one-time Premium purchase removes them.

Screenshots

Polar Scope Align Pro4 screens
Photographers Light Table4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Polar Scope Align Pro at 97% against Photographers Light Table's 50%. Polar Scope Align Pro also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.3) and ads (none vs shown). Photographers Light Table's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

Photographers Light Table is free to download; Polar Scope Align Pro costs $3.99 up front. Polar Scope Align Pro sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Photographers Light Table sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Polar Scope Align Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Polar Scope Align Pro has 309 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 97% of Polar Scope Align Pro's written reviews are positive against 50% of Photographers Light Table's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Polar Scope Align Pro ships an update every 2 months, Photographers Light Table every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Polar Scope Align Pro versus Photographers Light Table: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPolar Scope Align ProPhotographers Light Table
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (309 ratings) — better2.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews96.7% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings309 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#79 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDimitrios KechagiasWilliam Termini

Customer experience

Polar Scope Align Pro

All ratings309 ratings
Positive99.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews272 reviews
Positive96.7%
Neutral0.7%
Negative2.6%

Photographers Light Table

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Polar Scope Align Pro

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Weather Updates Not Working
  • Compass Deflected by Mount

Requested features

2 requests
  • Add Observation Recording Feature
  • Add Push To Option for DSO Objects

Photographers Light Table

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Polar Scope Align Pro

One-time3
  • Tip 1x$0.99
  • Tip 4x$3.99
  • Tip 10x$9.99
1 purchases

Photographers Light Table

One-time1
  • Premium (Ad-Free)$1.99

Questions

Is Polar Scope Align Pro free?
Polar Scope Align Pro costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Photographers Light Table free?
Photographers Light Table is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Polar Scope Align Pro or Photographers Light Table?
Polar Scope Align Pro is rated higher. Polar Scope Align Pro averages 4.9 out of 5 from 309 ratings, while Photographers Light Table averages 2.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Polar Scope Align Pro or Photographers Light Table have ads?
Photographers Light Table shows ads; Polar Scope Align Pro does not.
Which is updated more often, Polar Scope Align Pro or Photographers Light Table?
Polar Scope Align Pro ships an update every 2 months, and Photographers Light Table every 3 weeks. Most recently, Polar Scope Align Pro was updated on October 26, 2026 and Photographers Light Table on October 24, 2026.

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