Ranking 102 Computerized Telescopes (GoTos and PushTos)

Computerized telescopes have numerous benefits and drawbacks. They are offered in both GoTo and PushTo configurations. GoTo telescopes have motors that automatically track the sky, while PushTo telescopes use encoders or your smartphone to compute where they are aimed and then offer directions on where to point to locate your target. GoTo telescopes normally come with the caveat of being unable to be aimed manually – either at all or without disrupting their tracking and pointing accuracy – but this is finally changing with the advent of new dual-encoder systems which allow seamless manual or computerized pointing abilities.

The biggest drawback of computerized telescopes is that they add weight and cost which could otherwise go into simply purchasing a larger and more powerful telescope – or saving the money for accessories; this is particularly true with GoTo telescopes but can apply to PushTo systems as well. However, very large telescopes can outright require tracking (and by extension, GoTo) to be used comfortably, and you might particularly benefit from GoTo if you do not have a lot of time to learn your way around the sky or do a lot of your viewing with other people such as friends or family.

Our rankings here sort more than 102 telescopes by value and performance in different price categories. For a wider selection that compares smaller price increments and manual telescopes, check out our main telescope rankings page.

$450

$650

$1100

$1800

$2600

$3800

~$300-550 range

Being the starting point for computerized scopes, almost all of the telescopes in this price category have such small apertures that they tend to be severely limited in target options, to the point that the computerized mounting is of questionable usefulness to begin with. The views you get with most of these telescopes, except the SkyWatcher Virtuoso GTi series, would be similar to those offered by manual scopes in the $150–250 price range and would be constrained to the Moon, planets, and the brightest deep-sky targets—all of which are relatively easy to locate manually.

Best Value

Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150P

GoTo, Tabletop Dobsonian Reflector

Rank 1

4.8_^/5

The Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150P is a fully GoTo 6” telescope in a compact, lightweight package that can also be used manually. With quality optics, well-made included eyepieces, and the ability to be used manually even while the mount’s electronics are powered on and aligned with the sky, it’s hard to argue against this fabulous instrument-especially at a price on par with most manual telescopes of its aperture.

$470 at HighPoint

Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 130P

GoTo, Tabletop Dobsonian Reflector

Rank 2

4.4_^/5

The Virtuoso GTi 130P, the younger sibling of the mighty Virtuoso GTi 150P, adds GoTo functionality to the beloved Heritage 130P without hindering the ability to move the telescope manually—even when powered on and aligned—with a minimal increase in weight. However, the usefulness of this feature with a wide-field and relatively small instrument is questionable, especially when the 150mm model, Virtuoso GTi 150P, is only a bit more expensive.

$435 at HighPoint

PushTo, Refractor

Rank 3

4.2_^/5

The Popular Science Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 100AZ features Celestron’s StarSense Explorer technology to help you locate objects using your smartphone as both the “brains” and to inform the software where you’re pointed. The telescope itself is a little limited – as a fast 4” refractor, it throws up a fair amount of chromatic aberration and isn’t quite as capable as a 130mm or larger reflectors like the above SkyWatcher Virtuoso GTi tab l etops for deep-sky viewing. However, this one is still a convenient and cost-effective scope for beginners and experienced observers alike.

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Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ

PushTo, Reflector

Rank 4

4_^/5

The Celestron StarSense Explorer mount, which helps you find targets with your smartphone, is atop the StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ telescope. It has the same optical tube as Celestron’s slightly more expensive fully GoTo product, the Astro-Fi 130, which provides full tracking and GoTo and is vastly preferable to the DX 130AZ’s simple Push-To technology.

$429.95 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ

PushTo, Refractor

Rank 5

3.8_^/5

The Popular Science version of the same scope, named Popular Science Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 100AZ is available at a cheaper price, and is a far better choice. For the price tag big enough to obtain a larger and/or fully computerized instrument, the Celestron version is not the most economically justifiable scope.

$469.95 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron Astro Fi 102

GoTo, Maksutov-Cassegrain

Rank 6

3.7_^/5

The Astro-Fi 102’s Maksutov-Cassegrain optical design makes for a compact package, but the scope’s long focal length and rather small aperture prevent the GoTo technology from being of much use, as the 102 is limited to only the Moon, planets, and the brightest deep-sky targets, which are relatively easy to locate manually.

$529.95 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron Astro Fi 90

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 7

3.4_^/5

The Astro-Fi 90 has a relatively modest aperture and is not a great match for its rather lightweight GoTo mount. It also suffers from a fair amount of chromatic aberration due to being an inexpensive achromatic refractor.

$509.95 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Sky-Watcher StarTravel 80 AZ-GTe

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 8

3.4_^/5

The lightweight and portable design of the AZ-GTe mount makes for a great pairing with this wide-field, short-tubed 80mm f/5 refractor. The included accessories are great, too. However, considering the high price tag and the huge amount of chromatic aberration inherent in a cheap fast refractor, we’re not sure who this telescope is intended to appeal to.

$540 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron Nexstar 90SLT

GoTo, Maksutov-Cassegrain

Rank 9

3.2_^/5

The NexStar 90SLT is not a bad scope and features an acceptable mount and accessories along with great optics, but setting up and aligning the mount is time-consuming and, quite frankly, overkill for a small instrument that’s almost exclusively useful for the Moon and planets.

$539.95 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron 80 LCM

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 10

2.2^_/5

The Celestron 80 LCM has decent optics, but its small aperture doesn’t deliver much with regards to deep-space views, and the mount is rather poorly constructed.

Not Recommended

Celestron 114 LCM

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 11

1.9^_/5

The Celestron 114 LCM’s Bird-Jones optical design and lousy mounting make it a spectacularly bad choice for beginners and experienced users alike, delivering mushy views on a wobbly and easily-broken computerized mount with poor accuracy.

Not Recommended

~$550-$750 range

Computerized telescopes in this price range are mostly tripod-mounted 4-6” telescopes, many of which are pretty good optically but don’t benefit much from GoTo, instead mostly gaining performance from the motorized tracking of GoTo systems.

Best GoTo

Celestron Astro Fi 130

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 1

4.1_^/5

The Astro-Fi’s fully computerized GoTo mount is controlled by your phone or tablet, and will automatically slew to and track almost any object you choose. However, the scope is a bit of a battery guzzler and the free SkyPortal app is lacking . For optimal use, you’ll need a rechargeable power supply and a copy of SkySafari Pro, both of which increase the price of Astro Fi 130 by quite a bit.

$559.95 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Orion StarSeeker IV 150mm

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 2

3.9_^/5

The StarSeeker IV mount offers excellent features and is steady enough with the 150mm f/5 optical tube supplied atop it. However, the cheap plastic aspheric eyepieces supplied with Orion StarSeeker IV 150 offer poor views, and the lack of collimation adjustments doesn’t help either. The ability to aim the scope manually is nice, but the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150P offers identical optical performance and mount features but with collimation adjustments, better eyepieces, a collapsible tube, and a lower price.

$699.99 at Orion

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5”

PushTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 3

3.9_^/5

Using Celestron’s C5 SCT optical tube atop the StarSense Explorer mount, the StarSense Explorer DX 5” doesn’t have views any better than the 130mm Newtonian model, ie Astro Fi 130. In fact, it’s quite a bit inferior in performance – but it is slightly steadier and more compact thanks to the C5 optical tube’s Schmidt-Cassegrain design. And the mount is of course easy to use, thanks to the StarSense Explorer technology. However, it lacks motorized tracking like most similarly-sized scopes in this price range.

Buy from Amazon

Orion StarSeeker IV 130mm

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 4

3.9^_/5

In addition to being needlessly priced at the same amount as the 150mm model, the Orion StarSeer IV 130mm GoTo Reflector shares its larger counterpart’s low-quality eyepieces, though you can at least adjust the collimation of the primary mirror. As with the 150mm StarSeeker IV, the Virtuoso GTi 130P from Sky-Watcher duplicates the StarSeeker IV 130mm’s features and performance at a much lower price and with better eyepieces included, or you could just get the superior Virtuoso GTi 150mm anyway.

$699.95 at Orion

Orion StarSeeker IV 114mm

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 5

3.9_^/5

The StarSeeker IV 114mm GoTo uses a nice, wide-field 114mm f/4.4 optical tube that’s rock-solid on the StarSeeker IV mount and provides sharp views. However, the included accessories are quite poor, the price is fairly high, and for around the same price, there are far better deals.

$549.99 at Orion

Orion StarSeeker IV 80mm

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 6

3.8^_/5

The StarSeeker IV GoTo mount is complete overkill for the tiny ShortTube 80 refractor supplied with it, and the price is hardly justified either. The included eyepieces are also mostly plastic and provide poor performance, especially at the scope’s fast f/5 focal ratio, and an 80mm f/5 refractor is essentially a glorified finder scope compared to the 6-8” telescopes available at this price, which blow it away in performance at the eyepiece.

$599.95 at Orion

Celestron Nexstar 127SLT

GoTo, Maksutov-Cassegrain

Rank 7

3.5_^/5

The 127SLT has sharp optics and enough aperture to show you some faint fuzzies, but the mount is undersized and the field of view of the telescope is quite narrow thanks to its long focal ratio.

$699.95 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Sky-Watcher 102 mm Skymax AZ-GTi

GoTo, Maksutov-Cassegrain

Rank 8

3.5_^/5

While expensive, the 102mm Skymax Maksutov makes for a wonderful pairing with the AZ-GTi. Moving the mount manually won’t disrupt tracking or slewing accuracy, thanks to the GTi’s Freedom Find encoders. The optics are fabulous, the cooldown time is negligible, and the included accessory set is plenty good to start with. However, the Celestron Astro-Fi 102 is essentially identical, apart from the lack of manual adjustments, at a much lower price.

$680 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Meade ETX-90 AT

GoTo, Maksutov-Cassegrain

Rank 9

3.5_^/5

The Meade ETX-90 is a nicely made and beloved 90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain on a compact GoTo fork mount. We’d rank it a lot higher if it were cheaper, but compared to a 4-5” catadioptric or 6” reflector it doesn’t have nearly as much performance, and Meade’s AudioStar GoTo system isn’t exactly the most high-tech or up-to-date system out there.

$849 at Telescope.com

Sky-Watcher StarTravel 102 AZ-GTe

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 10

3.3_^/5

As with the smaller 80mm model, the huge amount of chromatic aberration and the stripped-down nature of the GTe mount (lacking any ability to be moved manually) make this scope and mount combination a rather unappealing pick at any price range, much less the outrageously high one it commands.

$610 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron Nexstar 4SE

GoTo, Maksutov-Cassegrain

Rank 11

3.3_^/5

The NexStar 4SE is sturdy, well-mounted and features great optics. While the higher-quality gearing in the SE mount is nice, the main advertised features of the 4SE, such as the flip mirror and built-in wedge, are basically useless gimmicks, and you’d be better off with a larger computerized scope or with the Astro-Fi 102.

$679.99 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron Nexstar 130SLT

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 12

3.3_^/5

The NexStar 130SLT is a decent telescope, but its tripod legs are not the best, and for less money you could get the Astro-Fi 130, which has the same views but is more stable and easier to align and control.

$589.95 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Explore FirstLight 102mm Doublet with iEXOS-100 PMC-Eight Equatorial Tracker System

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 13

3.2_^/5

The FirstLight 102mm f/6.5 Doublet is not suitable for high magnifiactions while its 1.25” focuser limits your ability to achieve a wide field of view. The iEXOS-100 mount is undersized and fairly impractical for this telescope in any case.

$649.99 at ES

Explore Scientific FirstLight 80 mm with iEXOS

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 14

3.2_^/5

This package is advertised for astrophotography use, but with the lightweight nature of the iExos mount, the achromatic optics of the telescope itself, and the plastic focuser, it’s not going to be good for anything but smartphone astrophotography (which Explore Scientific has thankfully provided a low-quality adapter for). This package is actually less than the sum of its parts.

$669.99 at HighPoint

Celestron NexStar 102SLT

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 15

2.7_^/5

The NexStar 102SLT is under-mounted, its dew shield is too short, it can’t balance with heavy eyepieces, and there’s quite a bit of chromatic aberration thanks to its rather fast focal ratio. We’d recommend you steer clear.

Not Recommended

~$750-$1400 range

Computerized telescopes above $750 offer large enough apertures that they can actually show you stuff that’s difficult to find, and motorized options begin to offer some form of imaging capability, albeit not particularly good quality and often lacking the ability to autoguide the mount.

Celestron StarSense Explorer 10”

PushTo, Dobsonian

Rank 1

4.7_^/5

If your budget is big but you don’t want a 12”, the StarSense Explorer 10” Dobsonian is easily one of the best 10” scopes you could buy thanks to its 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.

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List Price: $1099

Celestron StarSense Explorer 8”

PushTo, Dobsonian

Rank 2

4.7_^/5

While not as well-accessorized as our most recommended and the best-valued 8″ dobsonian, Apertura AD8, the StarSense Explorer 8″ is lightweight, provides great views, and the StarSense Explorer technology makes the scope extremely easy to use, even for newcomers. The only downsides are its price and lack of accessories.

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List Price: $799

Orion SkyQuest XT8i

PushTo, Dobsonian

Rank 3

4.6_^/5

The XT8i offers almost identical features, form factor, and performance to the Celestron StarSense Explorer 8” Dobsonian at essentially the same price. Aside from an extra 10mm Plossl eyepiece and 9×50 finder, the only real difference is that you use a hand controller keypad with physical position encoders instead of the StarSense Explorer’s smartphone-aided design, which can be a little more prone to issues and may confuse beginners. However, Orion SkyQuest XT8i is still a great choice.

$849.99 at Orion

Celestron Nexstar 6SE

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 4

4_^/5

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.

$1099.95 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Sky-Watcher 8″ Flextube SynScan

GoTo, Dobsonian

Rank 5

4^_/5

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. It can even be controlled via your phone or tablet with the SynScan Pro app or SkySafari. The GoTo 8” Collapsible is more or less a manual 8” Collapsible with the SynScan system.

$1450 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron Advanced VX Series 6″ Newtonian

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 6

3.7_^/5

The 6” Advanced VX Newtonian is easier to get the hang of using—especially for astrophotography—than even its 8” model, due to its lighter weight and shorter tube, but lacks the 2” focuser of the 8” model (which is more suitable for fitting a camera to) or as much aperture for visual astronomy.

$1329 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Meade ETX-125AT

GoTo, Maksutov-Cassegrain

Rank 7

3.7_^/5

The Meade ETX-125AT is a well-made and compact 5” Maksutov-Cassegrain on a GoTo mount operated with Meade’s AudioStar hand controller (or over WiFi with an aftermarket adapter). While not as capable as a 6-8” telescope, it’s a convenient, portable, and extremely sharp scope that delivers all the capability to be expected of a premium quality 5” instrument.

$999 at Telescope.com

Explore Scientific FirstLight 152mm with EXOS2GT

GoTo, Maksutov-Cassegrain

Rank 8

3.7_^/5

The FirstLight 152mm Mak’s EXOS-2GT mount is a little hard to navigate, but the optics of this telescope are excellent, and the built-in 2” Crayford focuser eliminates image shift or the hassle of figuring out how to securely attach a star diagonal and other accessories to the back end.

$1399 at ES

Celestron Nexstar 5SE

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 9

3.7_^/5

While we’d prefer the NexStar 6SE due to its greater aperture (that extra inch matters a lot more than you might think!), the 5SE isn’t a bad choice for those on a budget or looking for a little more portability.

$939 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Explore FirstLight 150mm with EXOS2GT

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 10

3.6_^/5

The FirstLight 150mm Newtonian optical tube is fine, but the clunky EXOS-2GT mount is insufficient to support it for deep-sky imaging and is hard to pair with an autoguiding setup or PC.

$949 at ES

Sky-Watcher 127 mm Skymax AZ-GTi

GoTo, Maksutov-Cassegrain

Rank 11

3.3_^/5

As with the 102mm Skymax Maksutov, this mount and scope combination is a great “grab n’ go” instrument–but with a high price tag and minuscule gains over a 102mm Maksutov thanks to the Synta Maksutovs’ stopped-down 120mm of actual aperture. The only things you really gain are price and cool-down time for the optics on cold nights.

$880 at HighPoint

Celestron SkyProdigy 130

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 12

3^_/5

The SkyProdigy 130 is functionally identical to the NexStar 130SLT, but features Celestron’s StarSense auto-aligning technology built into the mount. However, not only is the StarSense wholly unnecessary and responsible for raising the price of the telescope significantly, but it is prone to malfunction and rarely operates as desired.

Not Recommended

~$1400-$2200 range

A budget of $1400 or more is enough to buy an acceptable astrophotography mount on its own or bundled with a small imaging Newtonian (though shopping a la carte for each may be a better idea) as well as numerous options for computerized Dobsonians and 6” Schmidt-Cassegrains.

Meade 6″ f/4.1 LX85 Astrograph

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 1

4.4_^/5

The Meade 6” f/4.11 LX85 Astrograph is a great kit for the beginner deep-sky astrophotographer. There are better mounts available for sure, and such a fast imaging Newtonian needs a coma corrector to provide good photos, but it makes for a great package, and the price is quite attractive too.

$1999.99 at HighPoint Check Orion Price

Sky-Watcher 10″ Collapsible

GoTo, Dobsonian

Rank 2

4.1_^/5

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 Sky-Watcher 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.

$1715 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Orion SkyQuest XT10G

GoTo, Dobsonian

Rank 3

4.2_^/5

The Orion SkyQuest XT10G is virtually identical in features and performance to the 10” Collapsible GoTo Dobsonian offered by Sky-Watcher, but uses a solid tube and features an upgraded focuser. Upgrading the focuser on the Sky-Watcher 10” would cost only a bit more than the price difference between the two scopes, however, so the choice between one or the other is really up to personal preference.

$1999 at Orion

Best Compact GoTo

Celestron NexStar Evolution 6

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 4

4.1_^/5

The Evolution 6 features substantial improvements over the NexStar 6SE—mainly a built-in lithium-ion battery and Wi-Fi control capability out of the box. It also has better gearing, a slightly simpler setup, and comes with two eyepieces out of the box, as opposed to the 6SE’s single 25mm Plossl. However, the views are identical to those through the 6SE.

$1679 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron Advanced VX 6″

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 5

4_^/5

The C6 optical tube is best with either a HyperStar unit or an f/6.3 reducer for deep-sky astrophotography, but is a reasonable scope to start with and works well on the Advanced VX mount. However, setting up this relatively small scope on a clunky, big, and complicated mount for visual use is simply overkill.

$1749 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron Nexstar 8SE

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 6

3.7_^/5

While still a decent pick, the 8SE’s mount is less than ideal due to its rather small tripod legs and lightweight single-arm fork design. We’d recommend stepping up to the 8” NexStar Evolution or CPC if you must have an 8” GoTo scope.

$1599 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Explore Scientific AR102 Doublet

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 7

3.6_^/5

The Explore Scientific AR102 is a well-made optical tube and ideal for wide-field viewing, while the more advanced PMC-Eight configuration of the EXOS2GT mount is easier to use for observing or imaging purposes and up to the task of supporting this scope for visual observation. The provided accessories are also decent. However, the achromatic optics of this telescope limit high-power performance due to chromatic aberration, and it is not really designed for imaging.

$1599 at ES

Celestron Advanced VX Series 8″ Newtonian

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 8

3.5_^/5

The Advanced VX 8” could be an acceptable platform for learning astrophotography, but it is quite a complicated rig to set up and assemble, and arguably overkill for visual use. The 8” optical tube is also pushing the limits of the mount’s capabilities, and thus it can be a bit frustrating to get consistently sharp results with long exposures.

$1629 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Explore FirstLight 127mm Doublet with EXOS2GT

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 9

3.3_^/5

The FirstLight 127mm Doublet is certainly less under-mounted on the EXOS-2GT than on the Twilight I, but the mount is still not up for the task of such a long and heavy telescope, nor is it particularly easy to use, low in price, or provided with much in the way of useful accessories.

Not Recommended

Celestron Advanced VX Series 6″

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 10

3.2_^/5

The 6” Advanced VX Refractor suffers from some chromatic aberration and is certainly not the astrophotography-ready platform that marketing material might suggest. It’s a great choice for those who want a big refractor, though you might want to ponder what it is that’s so appealing about such a rig before purchasing.

Not Recommended

Explore FirstLight 203mm Newtonian with EXOS2GT

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 11

3.2_^/5

The EXOS-2GT mount is simply insufficient for the task of supporting an 8” reflector, let alone for long-exposure astrophotography, and as such, we’d recommend you steer clear.

Not Recommended

Explore FirstLight 152mm Doublet with EXOS2GT

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 12

3.1_^/5

Undermounted compared to the Advanced VX 6” refractor, a similarly bulky setup, and with worse accessories, there’s little value in the FirstLight 152mm refractor despite its excellent optical performance.

Not Recommended

Explore FirstLight 102mm Doublet with EXOS2GT

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 13

3.1_^/5

The FirstLight 102mm is well supported by the EXOS-2GT mount, but this pairing comes with poor accessories, GoTo is unnecessary for a small, primarily planetary telescope, and the mount is complicated and difficult to use. The Twilight I combo with this optical tube is preferable.

Not Recommended

~$2200-$3000 range

Computerized telescopes in this price range are offered in a wide variety of optical and mount configurations, such as GoTo and PushTo Dobsonians, astrophotography-ready imaging Newtonians, and various Schmidt-Cassegrain designs.

Best Value

Orion SkyQuest XX14i

PushTo, Dobsonian

Rank 1

4.3_^/5

The Orion SkyQuest XX14i offers a huge amount of performance compared to a smaller 12” scope but is fairly lightweight and compact – much better than the GoTo 12” Dobsonians and their heavy electronics. The provided dual-speed Crayford focuser is excellent quality, too. The XX14i does need some additional accessories and may be a bit much as a beginner or only scope, but offers excellent views at the eyepiece.

$2899 at Orion

Orion SkyQuest XX12G

GoTo, Dobsonian

Rank 2

4.3_^/5

The Orion SkyQuest XX12G features a collapsible base and fully motorized GoTo/tracking capabilities with dual encoders to allow manual aiming even when the GoTo system is activated and aligned. The true truss system allows the scope to collapse down to a manageable size along with the flat-pack base, and the scope features a high-quality dual-speed 2” Crayford focuser as is to be expected with any high-and Dobsonian.

$2799 at Orion

Sky-Watcher 12″ Flextube

GoTo, Dobsonian

Rank 3

4.3_^/5

The 12” Flextube isn’t as compact as a true truss model, but for many people, the collapsible tube is all you need to fit it into a vehicle or storage space. Setting up the GoTo 12” Flextube is almost identical to the manual version; the scope can still be used manually, and there isn’t much of a price difference.

$2560 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Orion SkyQuest XX12i

PushTo, Dobsonian

Rank 4

4.2_^/5

The Orion SkyQuest XX12i Dobsonian is a truss tube Dobsonian – albeit not the most compact example of one. This scope features the ability to be broken down into multiple pieces, making transport easier (at the expense of more complicated assembly). The Orion IntelliScope object locator is provided to assist in aiming, though it of course won’t move the scope on its own or track objects.

$1999.99 at Orion

Best Planetary

Celestron Advanced VX 9.25″

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 5

4.2_^/5

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.

$2949 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron 8″ NexStar Evolution

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 6

4.2_^/5

The 8” Evolution has the same bells and whistles as the 6”, but with more aperture-and is a substantially steadier and better-made scope than its cheaper cousin, the NexStar 8SE. However, given the availability of cheaper computer-aided or GoTo Dobsonians with wider fields of view, the NexStar Evolution 8 is quite the luxury package with few real-world advantages.

$2199.99 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Best Astrophotography

Celestron Advanced VX 800

GoTo, RASA

Rank 7

4.2_^/5

An imaging-only telescope, the Celestron RASA 800 offers a wide field with its mere 400mm focal length at the super fast speed of f/2. The Advanced VX mount makes for a decent pairing with this instrument and a good one-shot color CMOS or CCD camera for deep-sky astrophotography, though it’s not the most accurate or well-equipped mount for the job.

$2999 at HighPoint

Orion SkyQuest XT12G

GoTo, Dobsonian

Rank 8

4.2_^/5

A regular solid-tubed 12” Dobsonian is a monster scope, and the weight of the Orion SkyQuest XT12G’s electronics doesn’t help much with that, bringing the assembled weight to over 100 lbs. You would probably be better served by a collapsible or truss 12” scope at this size with a more compact or collapsible base as well. However, for those who don’t mind the weight and bulk, the XT12G is an excellent scope with the same fabulous GoTo, dual encoders, and dual-speed 2” Crayford focuser bundled with a huge 12” aperture as many more expensive options.

$2399 at Orion

Best Portable

Celestron NexStar Evolution 8″ EdgeHD with StarSense

GoTo, Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 9

4.1_^/5

The EdgeHD optics aren’t a huge upgrade for a visual telescope like the 8” NexStar Evolution, but cooldown time is slightly improved and you get some perks should you decide to dabble into imaging. The StarSense technology also speeds up setup of the already simple and portable Evolution mount.

$2949 at HighPoint

Meade 8″ f/4 LX85 Astrograph

GoTo, Reflector

Rank 10

4.1_^/5

If you really want a scope that’s good for both visual and imaging use, there are worse options than the 8” f/4 LX85 Astrograph. It’s a great scope for wide-field views of deep-sky objects. You can do some deep-sky imaging with it, and with a strong Barlow lens, you can also image the Moon and planets pretty well.

$2199.99 at HighPoint Check Orion Price

Celestron Advanced VX Series 8″

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 11

4_^/5

The 8” Advanced VX Schmidt-Cassegrain makes for a surprisingly portable setup, and is especially good for planetary imaging. However, the Advanced VX is simply not up to the task of supporting the 8” Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube for deep-sky astrophotography – nor is a C8 an ideal first astrophotography scope.

$2299 at HighPoint

Celestron CGEM II 800 SCT

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 12

4_^/5

The CGEM II is sufficient enough to allow for acceptable deep-sky images with the C8 XLT optical tube and an f/6.3 reducer, and rock solid for imaging with a Hyperstar f/2 conversion. It’s also only slightly bulkier than the Advanced VX, making it ideal for planetary imaging or visual observation too, though with few advantages over the Advanced VX or NexStar Evolution mounts for either purpose.

$2999 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron Advanced VX 700

GoTo, Maksutov-Cassegrain

Rank 13

4_^/5

7” Maksutovs are specialty products, with long cooldown times and almost exclusively useful for lunar and planetary viewing or imaging, but if you’re willing to put up with the limitations of the Advanced VX 700, it essentially provides the same capabilities and focal length as the C9.25 with slightly lower maintenance and more tolerant focusing. However, you’re losing quite a bit of aperture, and the cooldown time can be a nuisance if you don’t rig up some kind of fan system.

$2599 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Celestron Advanced VX 8″ EdgeHD

GoTo, Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 14

3.9_^/5

The Advanced VX 8” EdgeHD provides little in the way of advantages over the regular C8 XLT for visual astronomy or planetary imaging, and the Advanced VX is insufficient to carry the C8 optical tube for long-exposure deep-sky imaging unless you use the scope at f/2 with a HyperStar conversion, which costs a lot more than just buying the 8” RASA instead.

$2799 at HighPoint

Meade 8″ f/10 LX85 ACF

GoTo, Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 15

3.9_^/5

Similarly to the 6” f/10 ACF package, the Meade 8” f/10 ACF has serious drawbacks compared to offerings from Celestron, but without nearly as much versatility or overall value. Again, it’s not a bad scope, but not a good price for what you get compared to other options.

$3099.99 at HighPoint Check Orion Price

Meade 6″ f/10 LX85 ACF

GoTo, Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 16

3.9_^/5

The 6” f/10 LX85 ACF is essentially a much more expensive twin of the Celestron 6” Advanced VX SCT kit, but without the ability to use a HyperStar to shoot at f/2 and a heavier scope less suited for any kind of imaging, all at a higher price. It’s not bad, but not a great deal either.

$2299.99 at HighPoint Check Orion Price

Celestron 9.25″ NexStar Evolution

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 17

3.9_^/5

The 9.25” NexStar Evolution is an extremely massive setup – as bulky as the 12” Dobsonians on our list. However, it’s got all of the same features as the Evolution 8 with just a bit more aperture – all perched atop a super-heavy-duty tripod.

$2849 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Explore Scientific ED102 Triplet w/ EXOS2 PMC-Eight

GoTo, Refractor

Rank 18

3.9_^/5

The Explore Scientific ED102 Triplet is a decent scope for visual use or deep-sky astrophotography, with triplet apochromat optics minimizing chromatic aberration. The EXOS-2 PMC-Eight mount is just barely sufficient to carry it for imaging use with an autoguider, though buying a separate optical tube and mount might be a better option if you are looking for a high-quality imaging telescope.

$2199 at ES

Meade 8″ LX90 ACF

GoTo, Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 19

3.8_^/5

The 8” LX90 is a relic from a bygone era, with nowhere near as many possible upgrades as comparable Celestron 8” fork-mounted setups. However, the AudioStar controller is a fun bonus, you get the same built-in GPS as the Celestron CPC, and the fork mount is fairly compact and sturdy.

$3099 at HighPoint

Celestron CPC 800 GPS

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 20

3.8_^/5

The CPC 800 is a little less fancy than the 8” NexStar Evolution, but comes on a beefier mount and can be used for astrophotography on an equatorial wedge (sold separately).

$2599.99 at HighPoint Check Amazon Price

Vaonis Vespera Smart Telescope

GoTo, Smart

Rank 21

3.7_^/5

Vaonis’ Vespera is essentially an all-in-one telephoto lens astrophotography rig, based on a 50mm apochromatic refractor. The scope is jaw-droppingly convenient and the images it delivers are pretty nice, with the ability to do your own processing as well as view them “live”. However, if you want to look through a telescope, this isn’t for you, and a dedicated astrophotography rig delivers a lot more for the price. Planetary images are also extremely poor, as Vespera is simply too small and short in focal length to capture them well.

$2499.99 at HighPoint

UniStellar eVscope eQuinox Smart Telescope

GoTo, Smart

Rank 22

2.5_^/5

The eVscope EQUINOX does what it says – or at least, what it says beneath the marketing fluff. You’re getting a few hundred bucks worth of 114mm telescope, a cheap uncooled camera, and a low-quality mount in a package that delivers garbage “live” poorly processed images that would make a real astrophotographer laugh at you, and with views largely inferior to a moderate-sized Dobsonian under even light-polluted skies. Don’t believe the hype.

Not Recommended

~$3000-$4500 range

Computerized telescopes above $3000 diversify greatly into large SCTs and Dobsonians designed for visual use and planetary imaging, along with numerous (mostly catadioptric) scopes mainly meant for deep-sky astrophotography use. An astrophotography setup will usually require you to pick out an optical tube, mount, and camera piecemeal.

Orion SkyQuest XX14G

GoTo, Dobsonian

Rank 1

4.7_^/5

Offering a true truss tube which can be dismantled for storage and transport, the Orion XX14G is a fantastic instrument for visual observing and significantly more portable than the 16” models from Sky-Watcher and Orion. You can easily aim it with the hand controller, manually, or with a WiFi adapter (the scope’s dual encoders allow manual aiming even when the electronics are powered up) and views at the eyepiece are downright spectacular as with any monster Dob of this size.

$3299.99 at Orion Buy from Amazon

Sky-Watcher 14” Flextube SynScan

GoTo, Dobsonian

Rank 2

4.7_^/5

The 14” Sky-Watcher FlexTube is solely available in a GoTo configuration, which makes it a little more bulky and expensive, though it features the ability to be aimed manually, too thanks to its FreedomFind encoders, while the GoTo system is easily operated via your smartphone/tablet. Even when collapsed, the 14” FlexTube is huge compared to a true truss tube scope of this size, but it’s easy to transport and store in most situations.

$3615 at HighPoint Buy from AgenaAstro

Celestron CGX 800 EdgeHD

GoTo, Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 3

4.6_^/5

The Celestron CGX is more than adequate for astrophotography purposes with the EdgeHD 8” optical tube, and is usable for a variety of imaging and visual tasks at f/2, f/7, native f/10 or with a Barlow lens for a longer f/raito. However, the CGX is capable of supporting the larger C9.25 EdgeHD too.

$4099 at HighPoint Buy from AgenaAstro

Celestron CPC 1100

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 4

4.4_^/5

The Celestron CPC 1100 is the largest of the three CPC scopes and is the only alt-azimuth mounted configuration offered for the C11 XLT optical tube. However, it is rather bulky and heavy as the C11 is permanently attached to the heavy-duty fork mount, which can make storage and transport difficult.

$3999 at HighPoint Buy from AgenaAstro

Celestron 8″ CGEM II RASA

GoTo, RASA

Rank 5

4.3_^/5

The Celestron CGEM II mount isn’t much of an upgrade from the Advanced VX for imaging purposes, though it’s adequate and a little steadier with the 8” RASA. However, we would recommend springing for an EQ6Ri Pro or CGX mount instead if you can afford it.

$3799 at HighPoint Buy from AgenaAstro

Celestron CGX 925 SCT

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 6

4.2_^/5

The regular Celestron C9.25 is not ideal for deep-sky astrophotography compared to the EdgeHD version, and the CGX mount is overkill with this scope for visual use. As such, there’s not much of a point in purchasing though the CGX makes for a fine mount with plenty of capabilities.

$4199 at HighPoint Buy from AgenaAstro

Celestron CGX 800 SCT

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 7

4.2_^/5

The Celestron C8 XLT is extremely overmounted for visual use on the CGX while being sub-par for deep-sky astrophotography compared to the EdgeHD or RASA designs. As such, while there’s nothing inherently wrong with the scope, we do not recommend this combination as highly compared to those options.

$3799 at HighPoint Buy from AgenaAstro

Celestron CGEM II 800 EdgeHD

GoTo, Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 8

4.1_^/5

The Celestron CGEM II can technically carry the 8” EdgeHD optical tube for deep-sky imaging, but it’s subpar for the job compared to other mounts with stepper motors, and overkill for visual use compared to the Advanced VX (the EdgeHD optics are also unnecessary for the task).

$3399 at HighPoint Buy from AgenaAstro

Celestron CGEM II 925 SCT

GoTo, Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 9

4.1_^/5

The CGEM II is somewhat overkill for holding the C9.25 XLT for visual use while being completely insufficient for deep-sky astrophotography with such a big scope. However, it is a little steadier than the Advanced VX if you demand more rigorous requirements.

$3399 at HighPoint Buy from AgenaAstro

Meade 10″ LX90 ACF

GoTo, Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain

Rank 10

4.1_^/5

The Meade 10” LX90 ACF lacks any of the astrophotography capabilities of the LX200 model, though it’s a little lighter and cheaper. However, it is still a sub-par option for the money compared to options from Celestron and isn’t exactly a top pick of ours.

$3899.99 at HighPoint Buy from AgenaAstro

Celestron Advanced VX 11″ Schmidt-Cassegrain
Celestron CGEM II 925 EdgeHD
Celestron CGEM II 700 Mak
Celestron CPC Deluxe 925 EdgeHD
Celestron CPC Deluxe 800 EdgeHD
Celestron Advanced VX 9.25″ EdgeHD
Celestron CGX 700 Mak

~$4500-$6500 range

Orion SkyQuest XX16G Dobsonian GoTo
Sky-Watcher 14” Flextube SynScan GoTo Dobsonian
Celestron CGX 925 EdgeHD
Celestron CGX 1100 EdgeHD
Celestron CGEM II 1100 SCT
Sky-Watcher 16″ Flextube SynScan GoTo Dobsonian
Celestron CPC 1100 EdgeHD
Meade 10″ LX200 ACF Computerized Telescope
Meade 12″ LX90 ACF Computerized Telescope
Vaonis Stellina
Celestron CGX-L 9.25 SCT
Meade 8″ LX200 ACF
Unistellar eVscope 2