Best for

The best smart telescope for beginners

For a first smart telescope, a good fit on the popular targets matters more than specs. Weighing that against price, the Seestar S50 comes out on top, followed by the Seestar S30 Pro.

The ranking

1. 

   #1 · ZWO

   Seestar S50

   • Frames 9 of 20 popular objects well
   • Official price $549

   Details and where to buySimulate a photo

2. 

   #2 · ZWO

   Seestar S30 Pro

   • Frames 9 of 20 popular objects well
   • Official price $699

   Details and where to buySimulate a photo

3. 

   #3 · DWARFLAB

   DWARF 3

   • Frames 7 of 20 popular objects well
   • Official price $549

   Details and where to buySimulate a photo

4. 

   #4 · Unistellar

   Odyssey

   • Frames 11 of 20 popular objects well
   • Official price $2,599

   Details and where to buySimulate a photo

5. 

   #5 · Unistellar

   eQuinox 2

   • Frames 11 of 20 popular objects well
   • Official price $2,899

   Details and where to buySimulate a photo

Show all (14)

How this list is ranked

We weigh how many of our 20 popular targets fit each telescope's frame well (55%) against its official price (45%).

Good to know

• Start with bright targets such as the Orion Nebula, the Pleiades and the Andromeda Galaxy.
• Check your own horizon in the planner first: trees and roofs decide more than the telescope.
• Software and apps keep improving after launch, so a popular model is a safe start.

Not sure? Take the 4-question finder →

Calculated from the specifications in our catalogue and the fit of each telescope's native field of view on our object list. We do not test hardware ourselves and never rank by commission.

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