- For pure visual observation, I consider telescopes under $150 to be a poor choice. For most serious beginners, I highly recommend an 8” or 10” Dobsonian telescope, typically priced between $600 and $1000 USD.
- Deep Sky Astrophotography: This requires a budget well in excess of $1000 USD and typically involves purchasing a separate optical tube assembly and computerized equatorial mount, rather than the mostly-visual-focused telescopes listed below.
Please note that prices and availability are subject to change. It’s advisable to check the latest details before making a purchase. Last updated Nov 29, 2024, 6 AM PST
List Price: $139
The SarBlue Mak60 with a user-friendly tabletop Dobsonian mount is an Amazon-exclusive and provides sharper views of the moon and planets. At $110, its Black Friday exclusive pricing is the lowest it’s ever been.
The Z100 is my favorite telescope in the $150 range. It’s available exclusively on Amazon. Currently priced at $149 (after a $50 coupon), it’s $10 cheaper than the $159 price Celestron charged for most of 2024.
List Price: $199
The SarBlue Mak70 is a scaled-up version of the above-listed compact Mak60 and includes a decent tripod. Like the Mak60, it excels at viewing the Moon, planets, and double stars but is not ideal for deep-sky objects. It’s Black Friday deal price of $149 is stellar.
List Price: $349
The Zhumell Z130 is one of the best of the tabletop Dobsonians, featuring even more aperture than all of the above choices. With a $100 coupon on Amazon, it’s available for $249 (lowest in the past year), a fantastic value for its performance.
List Price: $349
The StarSense Explorer 114 is essentially a Zhumell Z114 with a StarSense phone dock added. With a $20 coupon, it’s available for $269 on Amazon, close to its lowest recorded price of $243—a fair deal.
List Price: $479
StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ is essentially a Zhumell Z130 with a StarSense phone dock added and a tripod with an alt-azimuth mount instead of the Z130’s tabletop Dobsonian base. It’s currently at its lowest price in two years.
List Price: $470
The Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150P is a fully computerized 6” tabletop dobsonian telescope in a compact, lightweight package. It’s difficult to argue against this fabulous instrument, especially at a price of $399, one of the lowest it’s ever been.
List Price: $559
A free-standing 6” manual Dobsonian, the Apertura AD6 offers a decent bundled accessory package for just $449, especially if you don’t like the idea of a tabletop dobsonian telescope like the above-mentioned SkyWatcher Virtuoso 150P. However, if you can scale up to the Apertura AD8, you’ll get all of the benefits of the AD6 in a similar weight/volume but with vastly greater light-collecting and resolving power.
List Price: $699
The Apertura AD8 is considered the ‘best bang for your buck’ among visual telescopes. This is also the most sold telescope referred by our website. The price is also the best we’ve seen over the last couple of years.
List Price: $799
While not as well-accessorized as the AD8, the StarSense Explorer 8″ is lightweight, provides the same quality views, and the StarSense Explorer technology makes the scope simple to use, even for newcomers. The downsides are its price and lack of accessories, which are why I prefer the Apertura AD8 over this scope. The price is, as usual, $799.
List Price: $949
The Apertura AD10 builds on the 8″ Apertura AD8 by adding just a bit more aperture. The scope is only a tiny bit more bulky, but the views are over 56% brighter than an 8” scope. The price is also the lowest we’ve seen recently.
List Price: $1099
The NexStar 6SE has enough aperture that it really begins to be able to take advantage of all that the computerized GoTo technology has to offer. It’s also remarkably compact. The price is among the lowest we’ve seen in the last 12 months.
List Price: $1099
The StarSense Explorer 10” Dobsonian has a lightweight base and the usefulness of the StarSense Explorer technology in finding deep-sky objects. However, be prepared to spend quite a few extra bucks on some accessories for your new scope, unlike the Apertura AD10. The price is also, as usual, $1099.
List Price: $1299
The Apertura AD12’s massive tube requires a strong owner and a large vehicle (or a convenient at-home setup such as a dolly or cart to simply roll it outside) to be set up and transported easily.
List Price: $1450
The Skywatcher 8″ Collapsible GoTo features full GoTo but can be pushed around manually with or without aligning the GoTo system—and without disrupting the alignment of said GoTo system.
List Price: $1679
The Evolution 6 features substantial improvements over its cheaper cousin, the Celestron NexStar 6SE, and is one of the most recommended SCT telescopes in the $1000 range. Price is also the best we’ve seen in the past year.
List Price: $1715
Featuring full GoTo and a collapsible tube, the 10” Collapsible is a great option for beginners and experienced users alike. Like most GoTo Dobsonians, the 10” Collapsible can be operated completely manually should you not want to use the GoTo system, and it can be adjusted manually without upsetting the GoTo alignment.
List Price: $1715
While not the cheapest nor the most well-accessorized as the Apertura AD12, you’re beginning to almost require a truss tube due to the massive length and bulk of a 12″ instrument—particularly if you plan to transport the scope and do not own a large vehicle. The SkyWatcher 12″ Flextube Collapsible is a breeze to transport, as you can collapse its optical tube and extend it when in use with ease.
List Price: $1499
StarSense Explorer 12″ isn’t as well-equipped as the Apertura AD12 but features a considerably lighter base and built-in handles, alongside the Celestron StarSense Explorer technology to help you navigate around the night sky. There is no discount, unfortunately.
List Price: $2949
The 8” Evolution has the same bells and whistles as the Evolution 6”, but with more aperture, and is a substantially steadier and better-made scope than its cheaper cousin, the NexStar 8SE. Evolution 8 is also retailing at its lowest price of the year.
List Price: $2560
Sky-Watcher 12″ Flextube Dobsonian GoTo
The 12” Flextube GoTo is the computerized version of the $1499 manual Sky-Watcher 12″ FlexTube dobsonian. This telescope is also now at its lowest price of the year.
List Price: $2949
The Advanced VX is not up to the task of supporting the C9.25 optical tube for deep-sky astrophotography, of course, but it makes for a much less intimidating option than the massive Evolution or CPC mounts offered with the C9.25, and you can swap the C9.25 out for a smaller astrograph more in line with the Advanced VX’s payload capacity if you wish. Unfortunately, there is no discount going on here.