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The quick sort
Our picks in 30 seconds
Rule: the cheapest in-stock smart telescope, and the cheapest with 100 mm or more of aperture.
#1Cheapest smart telescope
DwarfLab Dwarf Mini
30 mm (1.2 in)aperture
30 mm, 150 mm focal length.
- Type and aiming
- smart telescope, automatic (app, camera)
- Weight
- not published
- lightest budget
- smallest aperture in the group
$419price checked November 7, 2026; it may have changed
Check price at High Point Scientific#2Cheapest with 100 mm or more
Unistellar eQuinox 2
114 mm (4.5 in)aperture
114 mm, 450 mm focal length, field 34.2 × 45.6 arcmin.
- Type and aiming
- smart telescope, automatic (app, camera)
- Weight
- 15.5 lb
- more light per exposure
- 15.5 lb heaviest piece
$2,319 $2,899price checked November 7, 2026; it may have changed
Prices on November 7, 2026. How we compare: criteria, sources and dates
Contents
Aperture Math is paid through affiliate links: a purchase through a link to Unistellar or High Point Scientific may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. As of November 7, 2026, no affiliate program has accepted the site yet. Commissions never decide a ranking. How we choose.
A smart telescope is a camera, a lens or mirror, a motorized mount and an app in one box. It finds, tracks and stacks images on your phone. They differ mostly in aperture and focal length, which set how much light each exposure gathers and how large the field is. We read 12 models on November 7, 2026, from Unistellar's and Seestar's stores, Celestron's and High Point Scientific.
The comparison chart
| Smart telescope | Aperture | Focal length, f/ | Field of view (published) | Limiting magnitude | Weight | Prices (cheapest first) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZWO Seestar S30 | 30 mm (1.2 in) | 150 mm, f/5 | not published | not published | 3.64 lb | Seestar (ZWO) $399 (out of stock) High Point Scientific $399 (out of stock) |
| DwarfLab Dwarf Mini | 30 mm (1.2 in) | 150 mm, f/5 | not published | not published | not published | High Point Scientific $419 |
| ZWO Seestar S50 | 50 mm (2.0 in) | 250 mm, f/4.9 | not published | not published | 6.6 lb | Seestar (ZWO) $499 (out of stock) High Point Scientific $549 (out of stock) |
| DwarfLab Dwarf 3 | 35 mm (1.4 in) | not published, f/not published | not published | not published | 2.9 lb | High Point Scientific $549 |
| ZWO Seestar S30 Pro | 30 mm (1.2 in) | 160 mm, f/5.3 | not published | not published | 3.64 lb | Seestar (ZWO) $699 High Point Scientific $699 |
| Vaonis Vespera II | 50 mm (2.0 in) | 250 mm, f/5 | not published | 16 (brand figure) | not published | High Point Scientific $1,192.50 |
| Unistellar Odyssey | 85 mm (3.3 in) | 320 mm, f/3.9 | 33.6 × 45 arcmin | 17.2 (brand figure) | 14.3 lb | Unistellar $2,079 High Point Scientific $2,499 (out of stock) |
| Vaonis Vespera Pro | 50 mm (2.0 in) | 250 mm, f/5 | not published | 16 (brand figure) | not published | High Point Scientific $2,242.50 |
| Unistellar eQuinox 2 | 114 mm (4.5 in) | 450 mm, f/4 | 34.2 × 45.6 arcmin | 18.2 (brand figure) | 15.5 lb | Unistellar $2,319 High Point Scientific $2,799 (out of stock) |
| Unistellar Odyssey Pro | 85 mm (3.3 in) | 320 mm, f/3.9 | 33.6 × 45 arcmin | 17.2 (brand figure) | 14.3 lb | Unistellar $3,679 High Point Scientific $4,499 (out of stock) |
| Unistellar eVscope 2 | 114 mm (4.5 in) | 450 mm, f/4 | 34.2 × 45.6 arcmin | 18.2 (brand figure) | 15.5 lb | Unistellar $3,999 High Point Scientific $4,999 (out of stock) |
| Celestron Origin Intelligent Home Observatory | 152 mm (6.0 in) | 335 mm, f/2.2 | 1.32° x 0.75° | not published | 41.6 lb | Celestron $4,299 (out of stock) High Point Scientific $4,299 |
How we compare: criteria, sources and dates
What aperture buys in a smart telescope
Light collected grows with the area of the aperture, the square of its diameter [calc]: 50 mm gathers 2.8 times as much as 30 mm, 85 mm 2.9 times as much as 50 mm, and 114 mm 1.8 times as much as 85 mm. Resolution follows the Dawes limit: 3.9" at 30 mm, 2.3" at 50 mm, 1.4" at 85 mm, 1.0" at 114 mm (Wikipedia, Dawes' limit). The camera and processing then do the rest, and no formula captures them.
Field of view: what fits in one frame
A short focal length gives a wide field. The full Moon is 31.6 arcminutes across (NASA). Unistellar publishes 33.6 x 45 arcmin for the Odyssey and Odyssey Pro and 34.2 x 45.6 for the eQuinox 2 and eVscope 2. Other brands' fields are not on the pages we read; where a figure is missing the chart says so.
Unistellar's four models
Odyssey and Odyssey Pro: 85 mm mirror, 320 mm focal length, f/3.9, 4 kg (8.8 lb). eQuinox 2 and eVscope 2: 114 mm, 450 mm, f/4, 7 kg (15.5 lb). The Pro and eVscope 2 add an electronic eyepiece developed with Nikon, per Unistellar. All figures from Unistellar's comparison page, read November 7, 2026.
Unistellar's 85 mm model
Unistellar Odyssey
85 mm (3.3 in)aperture
85 mm mirror, 320 mm focal length, 33.6 x 45 arcmin field, 8.8 lb, carry-on size per Unistellar.
- Type and aiming
- smart telescope, automatic (app, camera)
- Weight
- 14.3 lb total
- fits a full Moon in the frame
- no eyepiece (the Odyssey Pro adds one)
$2,079 $2,599price checked November 7, 2026; it may have changed
Unistellar's 114 mm model
Unistellar eQuinox 2
114 mm (4.5 in)aperture
114 mm mirror, 450 mm focal length, published limiting magnitude 18.2, 15.5 lb.
- Type and aiming
- smart telescope, automatic (app, camera)
- Weight
- 15.5 lb
- 1.8 x the light of the 85 mm models [calc]
- heavier: 7 kg
$2,319 $2,899price checked November 7, 2026; it may have changed
Want an eyepiece instead? See what a regular telescope shows in What will I see? and compare all models in the telescope comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Seestar vs Unistellar: what is the real difference?
Aperture and price. On published figures, the Seestar S30 and S50 have 30 and 50 mm lenses; the Unistellar Odyssey has an 85 mm mirror and the eQuinox 2 and eVscope 2 a 114 mm mirror. Collecting area grows with the square of the aperture: 114 mm gathers about 5.2 times the light of 50 mm [calc]. Prices differ just as much; see the table.
Will the Moon fit in the field of view?
The full Moon is 1896 arcseconds, about 31.6 arcminutes (NASA). Unistellar publishes 33.6 x 45 arcmin for the Odyssey and 34.2 x 45.6 for the eQuinox 2: the Moon fits, with little margin on the short side.
Is a smart telescope's limiting magnitude comparable to a regular telescope's?
No. A smart telescope stacks camera exposures, so its published limit (18.2 for the eQuinox 2) is not a visual figure. A visual 114 mm telescope works out to about 12.8 with the usual formula [calc].