Experience the ultimate in astrophotography simplicity with a smart telescope! Where traditional setups require you to be the architect of your imaging system, smart telescopes come with everything you need right out of the box. Optics, camera(s), motors, battery and electronic brains bring the night sky to your phone or tablet with no complicated set up required. Skirt across the craters of the Moon, marvel at the majesty of the Andromeda galaxy, or reveal the incredible wispy wonders of nebulae with just a few taps! These incredibly intelligent, all-in-one astrophotography devices don't just make going from set up to stargazing easy either, with convenient, compact footprints that make traveling with most of these smart scopes simple! Unlike traditional telescopes, your exploration of the universe can simultaneously be shared with others for a an exciting experience that is as personal or inclusive as you want it to be. With a growing number of excellent options available in 2025, chances are great that there is a smart scope perfectly suited for your needs. To help make the selection process as smooth as using one of these telescopes, here at High Point we've put together the best options for the most common use cases. Each pick has been field tested by our very own Experts to give you a first-hand accounting of how these options shine, and what they can help you accomplish!
Best Overall
If price point isn’t a concern for you, and you’re looking for the finest optics, the highest image quality, and the overall best user experience, the new Celestron Origin Mark II is the telescope for you. This coming-soon evolution takes the Origin platform even further to leave other smart telescopes in the dust. While this smart scope is yet to see its public debut, this impressive option has already impressed us and earned its spot at the top of this list!
Celestron Origin Mark II—
So, what exactly makes the Celestron Origin Mark II the best? For one, the optical assembly is a 6” Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph, renowned for being one of the fastest and highest quality systems available on the market today. With a whopping 6” of light gathering power, a fast f/2 focal ratio, and pristine light correcting capabilities, images come out sharp, clear, and brimming with vibrancy. Supporting this impressive optical tube assembly is the tried-and-true Celestron NexStar Evolution single fork arm mount, capable of slewing and tracking with exceptional accuracy. This mount easily breaks down for effortless portability and is fitted with carrying handles for heightened convenience. Taking the stellar optics further is a new, higher resolution IMX678C Sony STARVIS 2 sensor. This sensor offers exceptional sensitivity and has a small pixel size of 2 μm that is an even better match for the custom-designed 6” RASA than the original, giving you the best resolution of detail. Making this Celestron Origin platform truly unique, the camera itself is accessible, meaning the Origin is ready to harness any future sensor advancements that may arise; as seen with Celestron's upgrade path for original Origin owners looking to refresh their smart scope with the Mark II camera. To control this Smart Telescope, Celestron offers the Celestron Origin App—the most user-friendly telescope control platform across all smart telescope brands. This app was developed in collaboration with Simulation Curriculum, creators of the world-renowned SkySafari app, and offers an intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate for beginners while still being powerful enough to fulfill the needs of advanced astrophotographers. As you’re capturing stunning images of your targets, Celestron makes it easy to expand your knowledge of the night sky by providing facts and detailed descriptions of the objects you’re observing. Celestron is dedicated to pushing the Origin further as well, with more imaging control, wireless file transfer, and EQ wedge compatibility added to the platform since its release! With features like these, it’s easy to see why the Celestron Origin Mark II stands out as the best choice for both performance and user experience!
Advantages:
✓ Outstanding RASA optics
✓ Top notch reliability and user experience
To Consider:
✗ Steep price point
Best Bang for Your Buck
Looking for a smart telescope that delivers exceptional value without breaking the bank? The ZWO Seestar S50 is the one for you. This high-performance telescope is a culmination of the exceptional expertise from ZWO in the field of astroimaging technology, and is a widely popular choice amongst those interested in smart telescopes. Its roaring success can be credited to the high performance, ease of use, incredible price point, and ZWO's dedication to the platform; with new Seestar features available this year!
ZWO Seestar S50 —
Powered by the Sony IMX462 STARVIS sensor and fitted with triplet apochromatic optics, the Seestar provides stunning, color-accurate images of the night sky at a fraction of the price of other smart telescope models. Also, the integrated live stacking feature brings your images to life in real time right before your eyes. This functionality has been extended from 2024, with new mosaic planning and EQ mode now available for those looking to push their smart telescope experience further. Weighing just 6.6 lbs. (3 kg), the Seestar S50 is perfect for any outing to dark skies and offers uninterrupted imaging for 6 hours thanks to its long battery life. It comes furnished with everything you need for use right out of the box and even includes a solar filter for safe imaging of our nearest star. With your smartphone or tablet, you can effortlessly slew from object to object with the expansive on-board database and gain in-depth knowledge on each celestial wonder you encounter. While the Seestar S50 delivers strong overall performance, it’s important to keep in mind that the sensor only includes 2 megapixels of resolution, which can be limiting for certain astroimaging applications.
Advantages:
✓ Created by ZWO, an industry leader in manufacturing of astrophotography gear
✓ Excellent value for aperture, hardware, and performance
To Consider:
✗ Sensor features only 2 megapixels
Best for Ultra Portability
ZWO continues their stellar smart telescope series, with a compact companion to the smash-hit S50: the Seestar S30. This brings the ease of use and high performance from that popular offering and combines it with a second vantage point, AI tools, and more portable footprint. If you're looking for a standout smart telescope experience that fits in a backpack for an exceptional price, this is the pick for you!
ZWO Seestar S30 —
With the Seestar S30 taking up only about 50% of the volume and 55% of the weight of it's bigger sibling, ZWO has succeeded in creating an even more grab-and-go friendly take on their already fairly portable platform. This 3.64 lb. device downsizes on aperture with 30 mm triplet APO optics, but adds some extras! A second 1080p camera compliments the main Sony 1080p IMX662 STARVIS 2 sensor, peering out through a wide-field optic above the main telescope for more versatile daytime use. ZWO has also packed in AI processing that can help track daytime objects and enhance your finished nighttime images. With a 6 hour battery life this smart telescope gives you plenty of time for a mix of both day and night use, or extended sessions out under the stars (or longer sessions observing our star, with the included solar filter). The impressive hardware packed into the Seestar S30 shines through the ZWO Seestar app, which showcases the company's experience in astronomy software through its very capable yet easily accessible feature set. While the camera resolution is a bit on the lower side for a device made in this year and the included tripod is non-adjustable & sets the smart telescope very close to the ground, the remaining combination of hardware, software, and value firmly cement this as our selection for an ultra portable option!
Advantages:
✓ Very compact offering that stows completely in a small, portable, hard case
✓ Industry leading hardware and software lineage results in great performance-for-value
To Consider:
✗ Limited resolution and aperture compared to most other offerings
✗ Stock tripod leaves a bit to be desired
Best for High-Resolution Images
If you’re in the market for a smart telescope that delivers pristine, detail-rich images, Vaonis has you covered. As pioneers in smart astronomy with the development of the first ever smart telescope, Stellina, they’ve continued to fine-tune their approach; delivering their latest advancements, the Vespera Pro. Through the feature-rich app interface and impressive telescope design, the Vespera Pro is perfect for those looking to capture outstanding images of the night sky.
Vespera Pro —
This exceptional smart telescope houses a whopping 12-megapixel sensor, the highest resolution offered by any smart telescope on this list! When used with the included CovalENS technology, you can capture panoramas of the night sky that feature up to 50 megapixels in resolution, an outstanding achievement among smart telescopes. Combining this high megapixel yield, the excellent low light sensitivity provided by the Sony IMX676 STARVIS 2 sensor, and the apochromatic quadruplet optical design, expect detail-rich images delivered straight to your smartphone or tablet. Not only is the telescope design superb, the app is too! The Singularity app includes features like PreserverENS: the ability to capture images over multiple nights without interruption, the CovalENS Live Mosaic Mode 2, which handles field rotation automatically and gives users the opportunity to capture high-resolution wide-field images, and Plan My Night 2, allowing you to pre-schedule your imaging sessions for heightened automation. While perfect for beginners just getting started in astroimaging, the Vespera Pro is also ideal for those who have more experience in the field wanting more control over their image acquisition. Simply enable the Expert Mode within the Singularity app and adjust your imaging settings, capture calibration frames, and gain access to the 16-bit RAW files for more precise image manipulation within PC-based software. This Vespera Pro comes equipped with a tripod, a built-in bubble level, and a hygrometer, though does not include a USB-C cable for charging. If you’re wanting an alternative to the Vespera Pro, Vaonis also offers another Vespera model, their Vespera II! This version includes an 8-megapixel sensor, and is fully backed by the powerful Singularity app, making it a wonderful choice for those seeking high resolution images at a lower price point.
Advantages:
✓ 12-megapixel sensor, the highest megapixel count of any smart telescope on this list
✓ CovalENS technology automates mosaic creation for panoramas of the night sky
To Consider:
✗ Does not come with a USB-C charging cable
Best for Versatility
Searching for a versatile grab-and-go observatory that’s excellent for not only astrophotography but for landscape imaging as well? With its size and weight comparable to that of a dictionary, and impressive technology for terrestrial or wildlife photography, the DWARF 3 is our top recommendation!
DWARF 3 —
With two distinct perspectives and balance of day & night features, the DWARF 3 reigns supreme as the most versatile smart telescope of 2025. Where the other prominent dual camera offering sports a modest step back between perspectives, DWARFLABS gives you a stark contrast between the 3's 4K telephoto and 1080p ultra-wide for up-close-and-personal observations of distant landmarks or panoramic shots of the scenery at large. Either of these views can be expanded further with giga-pixel panorama stitching, supported by the dedicated AI processor built in. This AI processing adds object tracking to enhance the daytime feature set of the DWARF 3. This intelligent imaging all-in-one isn't just at home in the day, featuring an impressive set of astrophotography features that earn it this spot on our list. Behind the 30 mm telephoto is a Sony STARVIS 2 series sensor for clearer images and 2 selectable, internal, astrophotography filters that combat light pollution and isolate deep sky objects. Automated astrophotography calibration will find these objects for you in just a few taps. Live stacking and automated processing will easily reveal the wonders above, with EQ mode and mosaic planning available for those looking for a more involved process. While accessing all this functionality is less intuitive than it is on the apps from the more seasoned astronomy brands on this list, the DWARF 3 is still easy to master for those looking a Swiss-army knife smart telescope!
Advantages:
✓ Expansive daytime feature set with AI tracking, giga-pixel panorama, and the widest ultra-wide of this list
✓ The smallest and most portable telescope available
To Consider:
✗ Limited telephoto aperture
✗ Interface isn’t as intuitive as we’d like to see
These top picks for the best smart telescopes of 2025 combine powerful optics, cutting-edge technology, and ease of use in a singular unit. Not only do they make stargazing more convenient and more accessible than ever before, but they also provide rich educational opportunities for the entire family. By choosing any of the telescopes on this list, you’re well equipped in exploring the cosmos with ease, excitement, and a sense of wonder, from just about anywhere!
Learn More
Interested in learning more about telescopes and choosing the right gear for you? Not sure where to begin? Check out our Astronomy Hub!
