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Ranking The Best from 90+ Computerised Telescopes

Rank & ratings last updated by Zane Landers on

I know most beginner astronomers are drawn to computerised GoTo telescopes for their many advantages, like requiring less (though not zero, contrary to popular belief) knowledge about the night sky and the ability to automatically move the telescope and track objects hands-free with the push of a button, inducing fewer vibrations than manual pushing.

However, in my opinion, computerised telescopes are not the best for everyone and are also more expensive for a given aperture size.

The money spent on getting a computerised feature could instead go into simply purchasing a larger and more powerful manual telescope (like a dobsonian telescope) or even accessories. The GoTo/PushTo system also adds weight and takes longer to set up each time. Whether these tradeoffs are worthwhile is up to you.

Aperture of reflector and refractor telescope
More telescope aperture means more light-collecting area, which allows us to see fainter objects more easily. Also, light-gathering ability goes up with the square of the aperture, so an 8” aperture telescope gathers four times as much light as a 4” aperture telescope.

That being said, very large telescopes (often costing £2000+) can outright require tracking (and, by extension, GoTo) to be used comfortably.

A few other cases where I can see the need for Go-To scopes are observatories and star parties, where we need to reliably find an object to show it off on schedule to a group of people. Also for specific astronomical events like occultations, transits, and eclipses, we need the tracking to keep us pointed at that obscure object so that we don’t miss anything. And, of course, there is astrophotography, where tracking is an absolute necessity. But in all of these use cases, what I find interesting is that they’re not strongly overlapping with the interests of a beginner astronomer who might have a budget less than £1000.

These telescopes are offered in either the fully computerised "GoTo" or partially computerised "PushTo" configurations:

Most of the GoTo telescopes that I had the chance to use in my early days of the hobby came with the caveat of being unable to be aimed manually, either at all or without disrupting their GoTo system's tracking and pointing accuracy. But I can see that this is finally changing with the advent of new dual-encoder systems that allow seamless computerised and manual pointing abilities. I can move such newer GoTo telescopes manually without ruining the GoTo alignment.

Celestron's Astro-Fi/NexStar/NexStar Evolution and Sky-Watcher's SynScan/Virtuoso/AZ-GTi are some of the popular Go-To telescope series.

PushTo telescopes use encoders or our smartphones to compute where the telescope is aimed in the sky and then offer directions on where to manually push the telescope to get to our target in the sky. Celestron's StarSense Explorer series and Orion's (which went defunct in 2024) Intelliscope series are the only PushTo telescope series you might encounter.

Rank Category: Computerised Telescopes Below £400

Being the starting price range of computerised scopes, we have a single 150 mm reflector, a couple of 130mm reflectors, and a few other lesser aperture offerings of telescope types such as refractors, maksutovs, and even smart telescopes. A 150mm aperture is pretty nice for being computerised, and a 130mm aperture is what I'd call a fair aperture, which can actually show us some stuff. Below 130mm aperture, the deep-sky target options get severely limited, and so, the computerised feature itself is of questionable usefulness to begin with. Many of the low-quality scopes in this price range have weaker tripods and plastic or imprecise gears, lower-quality or fewer accessories, and tend to consume more power.
Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150 Tabletop GoTo Dobsonian
Sky-Watcher Heritage 150P Virtuoso GTi Tabletop Dobsonian GoTo
£399 at FLO
With quality optics, well-made included eyepieces, portability, and the ability to be used manually even while the well-designed GoTo mount’s electronics are powered on, the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150P takes centre stage as an exceptional piece of equipment at any price tag and offers some of the best value for money of any telescope available today.

The Sky-Watcher GTi 150P is a formidable 6-inch (150mm) Newtonian reflector with full motorised GoTo and tracking at your fingertips, operated via your smartphone or tablet and the SkySafari Pro or the SynScan app. The 150P features FreedomFind encoders, which offer the flexibility to unlock the GoTo mount's clutches for manual aiming, and this is feasible whether the electronics are powered up or not. This proves incredibly advantageous for a swift setup and as an alternative in case the battery is depleted.

The Virtuoso GTi 150P’s short 750 mm focal length bestows upon it a substantially wider field of view as opposed to comparable 6-inch full-sized Dobsonian, refractor, or catadioptric telescopes. 

One of the remarkable facets of the Virtuoso GTi 150P is its portability. When disassembled, it can snugly fit into luggage or a sizeable backpack. Optimal usage is achieved when placed atop a short, elevated surface such as a bar stool or a milk crate. Alternatively, a sturdy tripod with a 3/8-inch stud is also compatible. 

But, given that the 150P is an open-tubed scope, it is advisable to fashion some form of shroud for the tube to curtail reflections.

Sky-Watcher SkyHawk 1145P AZ-Go2 WiFi Parabolic Newtonian Telescope
Skywatcher SkyHawk 1145P AZ-GO2 Reflector GoTo
£309 at FLO
The Skyhawk 1145P on the AZ-GO2 WiFi mount is an excellent low-cost GoTo telescope option, with the same fit, finish, and app-based interface as Sky-Watcher’s higher-quality GoTo models. It’s not the biggest or best-equipped, but it's certainly a step above most cheap GoTo systems in its price range.

What distinguishes this telescope from many of its predecessors and the competition is its wireless control capability, enabling users to harness the power of their smartphone or tablet to operate the telescope in place of a hand controller. This is achieved through the integration of the complementary SynScan app, which is compatible with both iOS and Android platforms.

Possessing an admirable 114mm f/4.4 parabolic primary mirror, the Skyhawk 1145P can achieve a very wide field of view ideal for the largest deep-sky objects. An aftermarket Barlow lens or planetary eyepiece is excellent for sharp close-ups of the Moon, planets, and double stars. A 114mm telescope can’t quite resolve detail in galaxies or most globular star clusters, but it’s enough to get you started.

A pair of eyepieces is supplied with the Skyhawk 1145P, but as mentioned, you’ll definitely want more to explore the full range of magnifications.

Celestron Astro Fi 130 Reflector GoTo
Rank 3
4.1/5
The tripod-mounted and phone-controlled Astro-Fi 130 reflector has the same optics and extremely similar features and accessories to the above-mentioned Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 130P. However, unlike the Astro-Fi, the GTi 130P has a collapsable tube and can be aimed manually. The Astro Fi adds a 2” focuser and a decent aluminium tripod, but as far as I'm concerned, these aren't really necessary nor worth the bump up in price.

The use of a 2" focuser and eyepiece can bring the AstroFi 130's field of view up to nearly 4 degrees from the GTi 130P's already-wide 2.5 degrees, which is even greater for deep-sky observing with the AstroFi 130. But unfortunately, this inexpensive 2" rack-and-pinion focuser is hard to focus at high power.

Though the scope is a bit of a battery guzzler, it has an easy-to-use interface and a solid mount that’s easy for beginners and enjoyable for experienced users to get the hang of.

The Astro Fi 130 is controlled via your smartphone/tablet with the Celestron SkyPortal app or directly via SkySafari, either of which is significantly more intuitive than the Sky-Watcher SynScan app.

You may disregard the Astro-Fi 130's low Amazon ratings, which happened due to numerous bugs with the initial units’ software. I used to hesitate to recommend it. But these issues have since been remedied and should not be of concern to new buyers.

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ Reflector PushTo
Rank 5
4/5
The StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ uses the same optical tube as the above-mentioned Astro-Fi 130 and Virtuoso GTi 130P. But unlike the fully computerised Celestron Astro Fi and Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi GoTo systems, the DX 130AZ is controlled via Celestron’s smartphone-aided StarSense Explorer tech. This system assists in getting to the targets by showing which direction to push the telescope manually, but it doesn't track them once they drift across the sky. GoTo systems are vastly preferable to the simple Push-To system of the DX 130AZ, but these are cheaper to own.
Celestron StarSense Explorer 130mm Tabletop Dobsonian PushTo
Rank 6
4/5
The Celestron StarSense Explorer 130mm Dobsonian shares its optics with the previously mentioned Celestron DX 130, Astro Fi 130 and Sky-Watcher Virtuoso 130P. But unlike the DX 130AZ and Astro-Fi 130, it features only a 1.25” focuser, and a cheap plastic rack-and-pinion one at that. The DX130 is more versatile with its 2” focuser, while you could also get the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 130mm or Celestron Astro Fi 130 with full motorised GoTo and tracking for around the same price as the StarSense 130mm tabletop.
Celestron StarSense Explorer 114mm Tabletop Dobsonian PushTo
Rank 7
4/5
It has the same StarSense Explorer tech but with lesser view clarity than a 130mm reflector telescope. We think of this telescope as a capable but pricey pick.
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 102AZ Refractor PushTo
Rank 8
3.8/5
For a price tag big enough to obtain a larger and fully computerised instrument, this Celestron model is not the most economically justifiable scope.
Celestron Astro Fi 102 Mak GoTo
Rank 9
3.7/5
The Astro-Fi 102 boasts 4” (102mm) Maksutov-Cassegrain optics with sharp views in a very compact form, mounted atop a full-sized tripod and controlled via your smartphone/tablet using the SkyPortal or SkySafari Pro app. But due to the Astro-Fi 102’s small aperture and long 1325mm focal length, we aren't able to view much in the way of deep-sky objects, and it feels like it's primarily optimised for lunar and planetary viewing. The brightest nebulae and open star clusters don't fit in its field of view, and the scope's aperture is too small to view most planetary nebulae, globular clusters, and galaxies in detail. However, the setup is very portable, and Maksutov-type telescopes don’t need collimation, which may justify their worth despite the price tag.
Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ Refractor PushTo
Rank 10
3.7/5
The StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ Refractor has decent optics and comes with a pair of quality eyepieces included. It's also very easy to aim, thanks to Celestron’s StarSense Explorer Technology. However, due to its pitifully small 80 mm aperture, there are probably only a dozen practical targets where the StarSense Explorer app might be of any benefit.
Rank 11Skywatcher Explorer 130P AZ-GO2 WiFi Reflector Telescope3.6
Rank 12Skywatcher SkyMax 102 SynScan AZ3.6
Rank 13Skywatcher Star Discovery 90i3.5
Rank 14Sky-Watcher StarTravel 102 AZ-Go2 WiFi Refractor Telescope3.5
Rank 15CELESTRON ASTRO FI 90MM REFRACTOR TELESCOPE3.4
Rank 16Skywatcher Explorer 130P SynScan AZ GoTo Telescope3.4
Rank 17Skywatcher Startravel 102 AZ-GTe3.3
Rank 18Skywatcher Mercury 707 AZ-GTi Refractor3.2
Rank 19National Geographic 90mm GoTo Automatic 3
Rank 20National Geographic 70 Refractor GoTo2.5
Rank 21Celestron 114 LCM Newtonian GOTO Telescope2

Rank Category: Computerised Telescopes Between £400 and £700

Computerised telescopes in this price range are mostly tripod-mounted 4-6" telescopes, except for the 8" dobsonian and 6" tabletop dobsonian offerings from Celestron's StarSense Explorer series. Many of these are pretty good optically, but I don’t see most of these telescopes benefiting that much from GoTo except mostly gaining performance from the motorised tracking of GoTo systems.
Celestron StarSense Explorer Dobsonian 8" Telescope
Celestron StarSense Explorer 8” Dobsonian PushTo
£599 at FLO
Any 8” Dobsonian puts up excellent views, and the StarSense Explorer 8” throughout the period that I used it was no exception. In addition to the extremely easy-to-use StarSense Explorer technology, what I think separates the Celestron StarSense Explorer 8” Dobsonian from other 8” Dobsonians is its lightweight Dobsonian base. Celestron has shaved off as much bulky particle board as possible to keep weight down, and cutouts in the base act as carry handles.
The only downsides, when compared to its manual counterparts, such as our most-recommended and most-sold StellaLyra 8", are its price and lack of accessories. The loss of value-for-money is so much so that we still recommend the manual StellaLyra 8" Dobsonian more.
Sky-Watcher Skymax 127 Virtuoso GTi GoTo
£489 at FLO
The SkyMax 127 Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope optical tube from Sky-Watcher is characterised by its 4.7-inch (120 mm) Maksutov-Cassegrain optics, which deliver sharp and crisp viewing of the Moon, planets, and double stars. The Virtuoso GTi mount is smartphone-controlled and allows for manual movements thanks to its FreedomFind encoders and slip clutch technology, but it does not include a tripod. You’ll have to purchase a tripod with a ⅜” stud separately if you do not want to use this scope on a table. It’s worth mentioning that due to its smaller 120 mm aperture and a lengthy 1500 mm focal length, it’s somewhat limited in its prowess for observing deep-sky objects that require a wide field of view. Despite these limitations, the telescope’s compactness and portability, coupled with the fact that it doesn’t require collimation, make it a contender worth considering nonetheless.
Celestron StarSense Explorer 150mm Dobsonian
Rank 3
3.9/5
The Celestron StarSense Explorer 150mm Dobsonian, to no surprise, uses standard 150mm f/5 optics used by most other 150mm reflectors in this list along with a single-armed tabletop base. Considering that even the fully computerised Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150P, which uses the same optical specs, is quite a bit less expensive, I can’t really think of a good reason to go with the StarSense Explorer 150mm Dobsonian over the dozen picks ahead of it. Still, it certainly would deliver excellent views and is well aided by the easy-to-use StarSense Explorer smartphone app and technology.
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 6” SCT
Rank 4
3.9/5
The 6" optical tube exhibits the sleek form factor of a compact, computerised Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, and the StarSense Explorer DX mount provides a sturdy and easy-to-use lightweight mounting for it, though you may prefer a different telescope with motorised tracking or greater aperture. The StarSense Explorer technology, of course, makes finding targets a breeze with this scope. It is, however, essential to note that when compared to a typical Newtonian/Dobsonian of similar aperture, the DX 6” SCT does not manage to achieve as wide a field of view thanks to its 1500mm focal length and lack of 2” accessory compatibility. Despite this, the DX 6” SCT shines when it comes to observing the Moon, planets, double stars, and a plethora of the smaller and most luminous deep-sky objects. 
Skywatcher Skymax 127 AZ-GTi
Rank 5
3.9/5
The Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi has the same optics and, by and large, the same features as the Virtuoso GTi 127 but is mounted atop the AZ-GTi mount and tripod. Not only does the AZ-GTi feature FreedomFind encoders and full smartphone-controlled GoTo, but it can also be converted to a tracker for long-exposure astrophotography with a telephoto lens with the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer wedge. The AZ-GTi’s included tripod also provides a lot more versatility than the tabletop GTi 127.
Skywatcher Star Discovery 150i
Rank 6
3.9/5
Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 5” SCT
Rank 7
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 a typical 130mm reflector model. 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. Also, the mount is, of course, easy to use thanks to the StarSense Explorer technology. However, it lacks motorised tracking like most similarly sized scopes in this price range.
Celestron Astro Fi 5 SCT
Rank 8
3.9/5
It’s perched atop a full-sized tripod and offers the same modern controls as the Astro Fi 130 via a smartphone or tablet through the SkyPortal or SkySafari Pro apps. To ensure you hit the ground running, it comes bundled with a red dot finder, a 1.25-inch prism star diagonal, and a duo of eyepieces.
Skywatcher Explorer 130PS AZ GTi
Rank 9
3.9/5
Skywatcher Skymax 127 AZ-GO2
Rank 10
3.8/5
Celestron Astro Fi 102 Mak GoTo
Rank 11
3.7/5
The Astro-Fi 102 boasts 4” (102 mm) Maksutov-Cassegrain optics with sharp views in a very compact form, mounted atop a full-sized tripod and controlled via your smartphone/tablet using the SkyPortal or SkySafari Pro app. But due to the Astro-Fi 102’s small aperture and long 1325mm focal length, we aren't able to view much in the way of deep-sky objects, and it feels like it's primarily optimised for lunar and planetary viewing. The brightest nebulae and open star clusters don't fit in its field of view, and the scope's aperture is too small to view most planetary nebulae, globular clusters, and galaxies in detail. However, the setup is very portable, and Maksutov-type telescopes don’t need collimation, which may justify their worth despite the price tag.
Skywatcher Skymax 127 SynScan AZ
Rank 12
3.7/5
Sky-Watcher Skymax 102 AZ-GTi
Rank 13
3.7/5
While expensive, the 102mm Skymax Maksutov pairs wonderfully with the AZ-GTi. The Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi mount can be controlled via our smartphone or tablet, and like many other Sky-Watcher mounts, it can also be moved manually—powered or not—without affecting the GoTo alignment or tracking. The mount and tripod are remarkably compact, and we can even convert the GTi into an equatorial star tracker. However, this small Maksutov-Cassegrain is outperformed by the larger Dobsonians and Schmidt-Cassegrains in our list. Notably, the Celestron Astro-Fi 102 shares the same optics as the SkyWatcher SkyMax 102, apart from the lack of manual adjustments, at a much lower price.
Celestron Nexstar 127SLT Mak GoTo
Rank 14
3.7/5
The NexStar 127SLT has great optics, but the mount is undersized, and the field of view of the telescope is quite narrow thanks to its long focal ratio. The scope is inferior in performance to the much cheaper 130mm or 150mm reflectors/Dobsonians that are available, such as the Astro Fi 130 or Virtuoso GTi telescopes.
Celestron NexStar 102SLT Maksutov GoTo
Rank 15
3.7/5
Celestron NexStar 5 SLT SCT GoTo
Rank 16
3.6/5
Celestron Nexstar 4SE Mak GoTo
Rank 17
3.4/5
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 computerised scope.
Celestron Nexstar 130SLT Reflector GoTo
Rank 18
3.3/5
The NexStar 130SLT is a decent telescope, but its tripod legs are not the best. For less money, we could get the Astro-Fi 130, which has the same views but is more stable and easier to align and control.
Celestron Nexstar 90SLT Mak GoTo
Rank 19
3.2/5
The NexStar 90SLT is not a bad scope and features an acceptable mount and accessories along with great optics. It is a 90mm f/14 Maksutov—the same optical tube as Celestron’s C90, designed to emulate the famed and mechanically superior Questar 3.5. The SLT (Star Locating Telescope) mount is designed to be very lightweight and inexpensive, but it’s so lightweight that it’s easily bumped or knocked over. However, it carries the 90SLT optical tube fine and has no issues with vibrations. 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. There’s really not much of a point in purchasing it. Those interested in a computerised telescope should really pursue something with more aperture, and those interested in a quick “grab n’ go” instrument should consider a tabletop telescope of some kind.
Celestron NexStar 102SLT Refractor GoTo
Rank 20
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.

Rank Category: Computerized Telescopes Around £1000

Computerised telescopes above £1000 offer large enough apertures that they can actually show us stuff that’s difficult to find, and motorised 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” or 12" Dobsonian PushTo
£779 & £1,189 at FLO
While not as well-accessorised as our most recommended and best-valued 10"/12" manual Dobsonians (the StellaLyra 10" and 12"), the StarSense Explorer 10" and the 12" models are lightweight, and the StarSense Explorer technology makes the scope extremely easy to use, even for newcomers. However, be prepared to spend quite a few extra bucks on some accessories for your new scope.
Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200P FlexTube or 250P FlexTube GoTos
£989 & £1,229 at FLO
Given the price, portability and similar handling characteristics of the 250P to the 200P, I would strongly recommend you go with the Skyliner 250P FlexTube GoTo Dobsonian over the smaller 200P GoTo – viewing performance is significantly improved by the 250P’s larger aperture, and there are few to no drawbacks otherwise. The 250P FlexTube is actually shorter in length when collapsed than its 200P counterpart, and its base is largely the same physical size. The larger 300P is a significant step up in weight and heft, however.
The Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200P and 250P are in many ways much like a scaled-up Virtuoso GTi 150P. Like the GTi, the Skyliner 200P/250P FlexTube GoTo features Sky-Watcher’s FreedomFind encoders, and depending on the version you get, it is usually integrated with WiFi operability via the SynScan app (or with a SynScan hand controller if you wish). This allows us to save power by nudging the scope to the approximate area of sky we’d like to observe, then using the GoTo to fine-tune until we’re on target.
Thanks to the collapsable tube, the 200P and 250P FlexTube fit in almost any automobile and are relatively easy to pick up and carry around yourself. The 200P FlexTube largely puts up the same views as any other good 8” Dobsonian; the collapsable tube makes little difference at this size. But the FlexTube design results in some slight portability improvements over a solid-tubed scope at 10" (250mm) size. 
The Sky-Watcher Skyliner 250P FlexTube GoTo Dobsonian strikes an excellent balance of portability, performance, features, and cost for a GoTo telescope and is probably the largest scope we’d recommend on this list for beginners.
Removing the optical tube from the mount can be a bit of a pain, and the setup time can get kind of long when you dismantle the base. The open tube also necessitates a shroud of some sort to keep light out of the tube, as well as mitigate dew, which you can either purchase or sew yourself.
Celestron Nexstar 6SE Schmidt-Cassegrain GoTo
$1279 at FLO
The Celestron NexStar 6SE is the smallest of Celestron’s fully computerised options to actually have enough aperture for the GoTo to make sense. It’s also a little more suitable for astrophotography than the half-priced Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150 scope, though the views through either are largely going to be the same.
The 6SE has a long focal ratio of f/10 and a resulting 1500mm focal length, which gives it a narrower field of view than competing 6" Dobsonian telescopes, but it does make it easier to do planetary astrophotography with the addition of a 2x Barlow lens. The 6SE is also remarkably compact. Overall, a very good choice for the beginner or experienced astronomer. But for most prospective buyers, the higher price and the lack of WiFi functionality (though a WiFi dongle can be purchased as an aftermarket addition) might be a concern.
Skywatcher Explorer 150PDS EQ5 Pro GoTo
$1009 at FLO
A decent setup for beginner astrophotographers, the Sky-Watcher Explorer 150PDS is an imaging-optimised fast Newtonian reflector, and the EQ5 Pro mount is an acceptable mount for either visual or astrophotography use with it – though a heavier-duty HEQ5 or EQ6-class mount will produce better results for more demanding applications.
Rank 5Skywatcher Explorer 200PDS EQ5 PRO Telescope3.9
Rank 6Skywatcher Explorer 150P EQ3 Pro Telescope3.9
Rank 7Skywatcher Explorer 130P-DS EQ3 Pro GOTO Telescope3.9
Rank 8Skywatcher Explorer 150P-DS EQ3 Pro Telescope3.9
Rank 9Skywatcher Explorer 200P EQ5 Pro GOTO Telescope3.8
Rank 10Bresser Messier NT-150/750 Hexafoc EXOS-2 GoTo3.8
Rank 11Bresser Messier NT-203 EXOS-2 GoTo3.8
Rank 12Celestron NexStar 5SE SCT3.7
Rank 13Skywatcher Skymax 127 EQ3 Pro GOTO3.7
Rank 14Celestron NexStar 6 SLT3.7
Rank 15Celestron NexStar 127 SLT3.7
Rank 16Bresser Messier NT-150/1200 Hexafoc EXOS-2 GoTo 3.6
Rank 17Skywatcher Explorer 150PL EQ3 Pro GOTO Telescope3.5
Rank 18Bresser Messier MCX-127 GoTo3.4
Rank 19Bresser Messier MC-127/1900 EXOS-2 GoTo 3.4
Rank 20Skywatcher Evostar 120 EQ5 Pro GOTO Telescope3.4
Rank 21Skywatcher Evostar 120 EQ3 Pro GOTO Telescope3.3
Rank 22Bresser Messier MC-100/1400 EXOS-2 GoTo3.3
Rank 23Bresser Messier AR-102S EXOS-2 GoTo3.3
Rank 24Bresser Messier AR-127L EXOS-2 GoTo3.2
Rank 25Bresser Messier NT-130/1000 EXOS-2 GoTo 3.2
Rank 26Bresser Messier MCX-102 GoTo3.2
Rank 27Bresser Messier AR-90 EXOS-2 GoTo3

Rank Category: Computerised Telescopes Around £1500

Computerised telescopes above £1200 offer large enough apertures that they can actually show us stuff that’s difficult to find, and motorised options begin to offer some form of imaging capability, albeit not particularly good quality and often lacking the ability to autoguide the mount.
Celestron NexStar Evolution 6
Celestron NexStar Evolution 6 Schmidt-Cassegrain GoTo
£1652 at FLO
The 6-inch NexStar Evolution is an entrancing piece of astronomy equipment, featuring the renowned C6 XLT optical tube, which is identical to that of its kin, the NexStar 6SE. The chief distinction lies in the mounting, as the 6-inch NexStar Evolution is elegantly situated atop the innovative Celestron NexStar Evolution mount, a beefy design adorned with built-in WiFi and an integrated battery. It is pertinent to note that, barring these slight variations, the core telescope remains unaltered. The upgrades certainly add a layer of convenience, but at a steeper price.
Sky-Watcher Explorer 200P-DS HEQ5 PRO GoTo
£1,399 at FLO
A Sky-Watcher telescope/mount combination intended for imaging, the Explorer 200PDS works acceptably on the HEQ5 Pro provided you use autoguiding and don't push your exposures too long. For visual use, it's rather uncomfortable, but it will do the job with comparable views to an 8" Dobsonian.
Rank 3Skywatcher Skymax 150 Pro HEQ5 Pro4
Rank 4Skywatcher Evostar 150 HEQ5 Pro GOTO Telescope3.9
Rank 5Skywatcher Skymax 150 Pro EQ5 Pro 3.9
Rank 6Skywatcher Explorer 200P HEQ5 Pro GOTO Telescope3.8
Rank 7CELESTRON NEXSTAR EVOLUTION 5 TELESCOPE3.8
Rank 8CELESTRON ADVANCED VX 6 INCH NEWTONIAN TELESCOPE3.7
Rank 9CELESTRON NEXSTAR 8SE TELESCOPE3.7
Rank 10Celestron C8-N Newtonian VX GOTO3.5
Rank 11Bresser Messier AR-152S EXOS-2 GoTo3.5
Rank 12Bresser Messier AR-127S EXOS-2 GoTo3.5
Rank 13Skywatcher Evostar 150 EQ5 Pro GOTO Telescope3.5
Rank 14Skywatcher Evostar 120 HEQ5 Pro GOTO Telescope3.5
Rank 15Bresser Messier AR-152L EXOS-2 GoTo3.5

Rank Category: Computerised Telescopes in £2000 range

A budget of £1500 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 computerised Dobsonians and 6” Schmidt-Cassgrains.
Sky-Watcher 14" Flextube SynScan GoTo Collapsible Dobsonian
Skywatcher Skyliner 350P FlexTube GoTo
£2,441 at FLO
The 350P FlexTube has even more light gathering than the 300P and 250P models, with the bonus of a dual-speed Crayford focuser and a fully collapsable base. The Sky-Watcher FlexTube 350P GoTo Dobsonian boasts a level of portability that, in certain respects, outdoes both the manual and GoTo versions of the FlexTube 300P. What’s the secret? The base effortlessly collapses into a flat configuration without the need for tools and can be reassembled within minutes. For those concerned with space during transportation, this feature is a godsend.

Unlike the smaller FlexTube scopes, the 14” model’s base assembles with hand knobs and is designed to be packed flat. Assembly of both the tube and collapsed base takes minutes and requires no tools. This means you can fit the tube and base into a smaller space than would otherwise be possible, particularly if you are transporting the telescope in a vehicle.

The FlexTube 350P demands considerable storage space and a sizeable vehicle for transport. However, the rewards are substantial, with a 36% increase in brightness compared to a 12-inch telescope.

Skywatcher Skyliner 300P FlexTube GoTo
£1795 at FLO
The Sky-Watcher Skyliner 300P FlexTube GoTo Dobsonian is an extraordinary beast. This telescope features plenty of light-gathering capacity, and astoundingly, it manages to maintain a modicum of portability too. Thanks to Sky-Watcher’s innovative FlexTube technology, the setup and relocation process is still streamlined to the extent that it can be managed single-handedly. This combination of potency and portability makes the Skyliner 300P a tour de force in the realm of amateur astronomy.

The 12” FlexTube GoTo features a massive 305mm (12”) primary mirror, which collects more than double as much light as an 8” with 50% more resolving power (or 44% more light and 20% more resolution than a 10”). This transforms views of deep-sky objects—spiral arms in galaxies like M51 become fair game under dark skies.

The 300P FlexTube’s collapsable tube also really comes in handy for transport, reducing the 144 cm long tube to about 92 cm, which means it’ll fit sideways across the back of a car with no problems, unlike a traditional solid-tubed 12” f/5 Dobsonian telescope.

The motorised base of the FlexTube 300P GoTo is, however, quite heavy, and you might need help – or wheels – to move it around at all, as well as load it into a vehicle.

As with the smaller FlexTube scopes, you get the same features like WiFi operability, a single-speed 2” Crayford focuser, a 50 mm finderscope and a pair of eyepieces to get you started bundled in too.

Celestron 8" NexStar Evolution Computerized Telescope
Celestron NexStar Evolution 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain GoTo
$2195 at FLO
The Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 boasts a whopping 8-inch (203mm) aperture housed in Celestron’s compact yet versatile C8 XLT optical tube, which has garnered accolades for its design since the 1970s. The NexStar Evolution mount and accompanying tripod are armed with a sophisticated GoTo system that can be effortlessly controlled via the provided hand controller or, alternatively, through a smartphone app such as SkySafari or Celestron’s own SkyPortal app. 

A salient feature is the ability to unlock the mount’s clutches to manually aim the telescope. However, it’s crucial to remember that this functionality is unavailable when the telescope is powered on.

The built-in WiFi is certainly a crowning feature, and it is further complemented by an in-built rechargeable lithium battery that promises longevity, capable of powering the scope for several nights and lasting roughly a decade before necessitating replacement.

Rank 4Skywatcher Skymax 180 Pro EQ5 Pro4.1
Rank 5Celestron Advanced VX 8" SCT 4
Rank 6Skywatcher Explorer 250PDS NEQ6 Pro GOTO Telescope4
Rank 7Celestron C6 SCT VX GOTO (Celestron Advanced VX 6")4
Rank 8Skywatcher Evostar 150 NEQ6 Pro GOTO Telescope3.9
Rank 9Skywatcher Explorer 300PDS NEQ6 Pro GOTO Telescope3.6

Reasons Why I Often Recommend Manual Telescopes Over Computerised Ones

Except for the Celestron NexStar Evolution telescopes and a few other costlier telescopes, almost every computerised telescope requires a portable power supply, either a 12-volt lead-acid rechargeable DC battery or lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. Either adds cost to your scope or has to be hauled around. I’ve used AA batteries as backups in some telescopes, but they quickly guzzle them within a few observing sessions, and I found it to be expensive to continually replenish them. So, I’d advise you to budget at least $50 for a power supply.

GoTo technology has been around for three and a half decades now. Yet I see many computerised telescopes having an interface basically the same as it had 20 years ago, with a small hand controller with the processing abilities of a pocket calculator, a small LCD screen with calculator-like text, and many functional limitations. Most computerised scopes still have no internal clocks and require realignment if power is lost, even briefly.

However, newer models like SkyWatcher’s Virtuoso series and Celestron’s StarSense Explorer series, among many others, are exceptions.

Most computerised telescopes have an advertised feature that supposedly lets us quickly align their GoTo system by using any three bright sky objects or by simply pointing the scope north and levelling the scope with the horizon. But from my vast experience, neither works accurately, and most of the time, I end up having to align on two known bright stars. But for you to do this, you need to have a basic understanding of the motions of the sky and some bright stars to find in the sky.

I also experience occasional failures and weird behaviours requiring hours of troubleshooting—hours that could be spent looking through a manual telescope’s eyepiece instead.

If you ask me, star charts and observing books like Turn Left at Orion are much more interesting and engaging to read than the user manual of a Go-To telescope. Also, learning star hops in online forums is more interesting and engaging than consulting troubleshooting forums.

And it is indeed more fun to manually point a telescope, following star-hops to figure out where an object is in the sky. It’s more fun because it’s more engaging, and it gives you something to do. By learning to find objects, you’re learning the night sky. You’re learning to navigate it, to go from place to place, and to learn which objects are in the neighbourhood.

However, the pros may outweigh the cons for you depending on your situation, and there’s absolutely no shame in owning a computerised instrument.

5 thoughts on “Ranking The Best from 90+ Computerised Telescopes”

  1. I own an old nexstar 4 . The hand control failed although the direction buttons still work. I have a large tripod, a full set of eyepieces and filters, and a sun filter. What can I purchase that would be reliable and utilize some of my old accessories. I would want to have minimal alignment or setup requirements.

  2. Thank you for this site. My brother and his family are going to moving into a new home in a secluded area where they should be surrounded by beautiful dark skies and nature, and I want to gift them a telescope as a housewarming. Honestly, I do not feel we have any future astronomers among the group, but I would like to give them something sturdy and amateur user friendly. I like the idea of giving them a “push to” or “go-to” telescope. I was looking at the Meade StarNavigator NG based on the Space.com site, but I see it is not a recommendation for you. Can you help me determine what I should be looking at given what I have shared, please? Thank you for your consideration

  4. Hello, I ordered the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTI 150P and am excitedly waiting for the same. What accessories do you suggest? This will be my first telescope and will be observing more from the backyard. Thinking of a simple step stool for the table to setup the telescope. Guessing eyepieces are the most importan accessory I need. No specific budget, looking for best value rather than lowest price or maximum performance. I wear glasses for short sight and will be with my 6y daughter who does not. Do eye pieces come with diopter adjustment like binoculars? Thinking of binoviewers for planetary watching so may be buying double the eyepieces. Lots of light pollution from street lights and neighbors so will likely need a shroud. What would you recommend? Thanks!

    • You don’t need a diopter adjustment or anything like that, just focus for your own eyesight. Binoviewers have diopters.

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