PixInsight review: powerful astro processing at a price
Where does it rank on our leaderboard
| Rank | Software | Stars for Your Buck | Recorded UK price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stellarium | 100 out of 100 | Free |
| 2 | NINA | 98 out of 100 | Free |
| 4 | GraXpert | 96 out of 100 | Free |
| 5 | BlurXTerminator | 95 out of 100 | £75 |
| 10 | Siril | 88 out of 100 | Free |
| 12 | ASIStudio | 82 out of 100 | Free |
| 14 | PixInsight | 76 out of 100 | £258 |
| 15 | DeepSkyStacker | 71 out of 100 | Free |
| 16 | Adobe Photoshop | 67 out of 100 | £22 |
Contents
- 01 Where does it rank on our leaderboard
- 02 Specifications and features
- 03 A walk through PixInsight
- 04 From the video
- 05 In my words
- 06 Watch it in my videos
- 07 Should you buy it?
- 08 Questions and more about this review
In 30 seconds
Stars for Your Buck 76/100
Reviewed 17 Nov 2024 Updated 2 Oct 2026
- Rank
- #14 of 16 software
- Verdict
- Damon recommends
Written by Damon Scotting 4 min read
Buy it if
- You process your own deep-sky data and want one program for the whole job.
- You use RC Astro's BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator or StarXTerminator and want them in the same workspace.
- Your computer has 32 GiB of memory or more.
Skip it if
- You are starting out on a budget: GraXpert and Siril are free.
- Your computer has 16 GiB of memory or less: 32 GiB is the supported minimum for processing current raw data, while the maker lists 64 or 128 GiB as the practical minimum, depending on the workload.
PixInsight is the editing software I felt I needed to move from amateur results towards semi-professional ones.
Specifications and features
Against the software I have reviewed
Compare with
| PixInsight reviewed #14 of 16 | SharpCap #3 of 16 | NINA #2 of 16 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded UK price | £258 | £14 | Free |
| Stars for Your Buck | 76/100 | 97/100 | 98/100 |
| Made by | Pleiades Astrophoto (Spain) | Robin Glover (UK) | Stefan Berg and the N.I.N.A. contributors |
| What it is for | Processing astrophotographs | Camera capture, live stacking and polar alignment | Equipment control and automated imaging sequences |
| Licence | €300 outside the EU; 45-day free trial | Free edition; SharpCap Pro £14 a year | Free and open source (Mozilla Public License 2.0) |
| Operating systems | Windows 11, macOS 26 and 15, Linux | Windows 11, 10, 8.1 and 7 SP1 | Windows 10 (64 bit) or later |
| Current version | 1.9.4 Lockhart | 4.1.14310 (10 Jul 2026) | 3.2 |
| Live stacking | No: it processes saved data | Yes; advanced and planetary live stacking in Pro | Through the Livestack plugin |
| Polar alignment | No | Yes; adjustment guidance in Pro | Through the Three Point Polar Alignment plugin |
| Plate solving | ImageSolver script, for saved images | Built in near the pole; ASTAP and other solvers for the whole sky | Through ASTAP (recommended) and other solvers |
| Autofocus | No | Focus measurement; automated focus scans in Pro | Yes, after conditions you set |
| Scripting and plug-ins | JavaScript scripts and modules; RC Astro's XTerminators sold separately | Python scripting (Pro) | A plugin framework |
A walk through PixInsight
Process console Every step is written to the process console: here it reads my North America Nebula JPEG, 9576 x 6388 pixels in three channels.
StarXTerminator StarXTerminator splits the stars from the nebula and can save the stars as an image of their own. I use it to remove star halos.
BlurXTerminator RC Astro's deconvolution tool sharpens the stars, reduces their halos and sharpens the nebula, with the PSF found automatically. It is sold separately from PixInsight.
NoiseXTerminator Noise reduction with separate strengths for brightness and colour, in fine and coarse detail. Another RC Astro tool, sold separately.
Stars and starless The two results side by side: the stars on their own on the left, the nebula with its stars removed on the right.
BlurX and NoiseX, logged The console logs each run with its settings and its time: BlurXTerminator took 11.8 s on this small test copy, then NoiseXTerminator ran on the same view.
From the video
PixInsight in my GraXpert video
BlurXTerminator on my Andromeda Galaxy in PixInsight
In my words
“Deconvolution is an unbelievably helpful method that helps remove the blur or distortion in your images caused by atmospheric disturbance or your own optics. The most powerful demonstration of this tool is currently Russell Croman's BlurXTerminator, available for just under $100. It's a feature I've used a lot when editing in PixInsight.”
From my GraXpert video
“This is how my image of Andromeda looked before I used BlurX versus after. It's so good it can almost be referred to as a cheat code, that's how stark the difference is between using it and not.”
From my GraXpert video
“Now we're going to remove the star haloing by separating the stars and the nebula with the StarXTerminator tool in PixInsight.”
From my budget filters video
Watch it in my videos
How to HUGLEY IMPROVE your Astro images in under 2-Minutes! (Seestar S30 /GraXpert / Telescope Live) · published 17 November 2024 · 9:28 · Watch on YouTube · 67,911 views, 1,833 likes on 2 Oct 2026
Jump to
- 0:28 Removing gradients in GraXpert
- 1:43 The AI background extraction
- 2:35 GraXpert's deconvolution
- 3:03 BlurXTerminator in PixInsight
- 3:22 GraXpert against BlurXTerminator
- 3:59 The denoiser
- 5:21 A 60 megapixel Telescope Live image
Transcript of the video 219 words · 3 chapters · searchable
Press a time stamp to play from there.
2:35 GraXpert's deconvolution
2:35 a definitive proof of that then look no further than narrow band Imaging there's seemingly no right way to process your images this is GraXpert's latest 2:41 development their deconvolution tool currently only accessible by downloading their beta don't worry I've attached the link in the description below just download whichever one corresponds to 2:50 your operating system and then reboot GraXpert you'll know it works when you're greeted with this message now deconvolution is an unbelievably helpful method that helps remove the blur or 3:00 Distortion in your images caused by atmospheric disturbance or your own Optics the most powerful demonstration of this tool is currently Russell Croman's BlurXTerminator available for just
3:03 BlurXTerminator in PixInsight
3:09 under $100 is a feature I've used a lot when editing in PixInsight this is how my image of Andromeda looked before I used BlurX versus after it's so good it 3:19 can almost be referred to as a cheat code that's how stark the difference is between using it and not well the new GraXpert deconvolution tool isn't as
3:22 GraXpert against BlurXTerminator
3:27 powerful but it's still very capable of sharpening your images with the $100 BlurX tool it determines your FWHM for you but GraXpert asks you to input this 3:35 information yourself the FWHM refers to the full width half maximum and you can find this out even through the use of
Check out more videos on the PixInsight
I Bought £58 Astrophotography Filters, Here's What Happened
19 May 2026
Should you buy it?
76/100 Stars for Your Buck
Pros
- It gives you far more flexibility over your images, with some really powerful tools.
- Buying it was a great decision: it made my whole editing workflow so much easier.
- Runs on Windows 11, macOS and Linux, 64 bit on all three.
- A licence brings a permanent account for downloads, with support and updates at no extra cost.
- A 45-day trial is fully functional, so you can learn it before you buy.
- RC Astro's XTerminator tools run inside it: I split stars from nebulae and fix halos there.
Cons
- The one-off licence fee might seem steep at first, and it really felt that way to me. Pleiades Astrophoto sells it only in euros.
- The XTerminator tools cost extra: BlurXTerminator alone is $100 from RC Astro.
- Pleiades Astrophoto lists 32 GiB as the supported minimum for processing current raw data, and 64 or 128 GiB as the practical minimum, depending on the workload.
- Narrow system support: Windows 11 only, and only macOS 26 and 15.
- Free alternatives are coming: as more of us build our own tools, replicating the workflows of pricey software like Photoshop or PixInsight will be easier than ever.
It could very quickly age like milk once newer free alternatives are released.
Who the PixInsight is for
Deep-sky imager with hours of data
Buy
This is where my stacks go to be finished; nothing else I use does as much.
BlurXTerminator user
Buy
The XTerminator tools run as PixInsight processes, side by side with everything else.
Beginner on a budget
Skip
My recommendation is to start with the free GraXpert and Siril, and come back when you outgrow them.
Smart telescope owner
Skip
For a Seestar, GraXpert (free) removes the gradient and noise in minutes; this is more than you need.
Owner of an older computer
Skip
With 16 GiB or less, raw data from a modern camera will be hard going.
Three alternatives I have reviewed
- Siril Free, and does many of the same processes: the better value by a distance 88/100 Free Read the review
- GraXpert Free gradient removal, deconvolution and noise reduction in a couple of minutes 96/100 Free Read the review
- BlurXTerminator RC Astro's deconvolution, the tool I run inside PixInsight that changes my images most 95/100 £75 Read the review
Questions and more about this review
Reviewed by
Damon Scotting
The Telescope Man Verified
BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology, Loughborough University PGCE / QTS, University of Nottingham
About Damon About Damon Damon Scotting is The Telescope Man. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics with Astrophysics and Cosmology from Loughborough University and a PGCE with QTS from the University of Nottingham, and taught physics in secondary schools before becoming an astronomy creator. He is a contributing writer for BBC Sky at Night Magazine and the author of 42 Wonders of Our Night Sky, and his photograph of the galaxy M100 with the dwarf planet Ceres was Highly Commended in the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2024 competition run by Royal Observatory Greenwich. He has appeared on the BBC's Blue Peter. More than 750,000 people follow his astronomy channels on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and he has reviewed more than 140 telescopes, mounts, cameras, filters and accessories hands-on for this site. More about Damon · How I test · Damon's book
I review all kinds of gear: most of it I buy, some is gifted and some is loaned, and all of it is reviewed the same way. How this site is funded
Seven questions, answered
Questions about the PixInsight
Reviewed 17 November 2024 ·Updated 2 October 2026
I review all kinds of gear. Most of it I buy, some is gifted and some is loaned, and all of it is reviewed the same way: no company sees or approves a review before it is published. How this site is funded
- How much does PixInsight cost? €300 for a licence if you live outside the EU; buyers in the EU pay €300 plus their own VAT. It is sold only by Pleiades Astrophoto, and support and updates are included. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
- Is there a free trial? Yes: a 45-day trial licence of the full, fully functional program on Linux, macOS or Windows. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
- Are BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator and StarXTerminator included? No. RC Astro sells them separately: BlurXTerminator $100, NoiseXTerminator and StarXTerminator $60 each, or the three as a PixInsight bundle for $190. A walk through PixInsight ↓
- Does PixInsight run on a Mac? Yes, on macOS 26 and 15; on Windows it needs Windows 11, and it runs on Linux too. It is 64 bit only. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
- How much memory does PixInsight need? Pleiades Astrophoto says 16 GiB can run the program but is unsupported for practical raw-data processing. It gives 32 GiB as the supported minimum, and 64 or 128 GiB as the practical minimum, depending on the workload. The specifications and the comparison table ↓
- Is there a free alternative? GraXpert, which I use for gradients, deconvolution and denoising, and Siril for stacking are both free. Watch it in my videos ↓
- What have I not tested on the PixInsight? The walk-through ran the tools on JPEG copies of a finished image, so it shows each tool at work, not a stack of raw data from start to finish.