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AutoStakkert on a Mac? Ways to stack Moon video without Windows
AutoStakkert! is the standard tool for stacking Moon and planet video, but it is a Windows program. If you use a Mac, an iPad or a phone, these are your options.
Updated 25 October 2026
The options
| Option | Runs on | Good for | Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| AutoStakkert! in a Windows virtual machine (Parallels, VMware) or a Wine-based tool (CrossOver) | Mac | The full AutoStakkert! workflow | Setup, a Windows licence for a VM, slower on large files |
| PlanetarySystemStacker | Windows, Mac, Linux | Free and open source, works much like AutoStakkert! | Installing a Python program; slower |
| Lynkeos | Mac | A native Mac planetary stacker | Older interface, fewer updates |
| Your telescope's app (Seestar, Dwarf) | Phone, tablet | One tap, no transfer | Little control, usually 8-bit output |
| AstroSlide | Any browser: Mac, iPad, phone, Windows | Nothing to install; stacking, sharpening and mineral colour in one place; Seestar RAW video handled directly | Video is uploaded (deleted once stacked); up to 3 GB per stack |
What AutoStakkert! does that matters
AutoStakkert! splits the image into many small patches, called alignment points. For each patch it picks the frames that were sharpest there. The air blurs different parts of the Moon differently from moment to moment, so this keeps more detail than ranking whole frames.
How much that helps depends on your telescope. With a large telescope (20 cm and up) at high magnification, frames vary a lot, and per-patch selection is a big win. With a small smart telescope it barely matters. We measured this on real 50 mm Seestar clips: picking frames per patch instead of per frame made them only 1–2% sharper at the usual 70% of frames kept. A Seestar's lens is too small to show much difference between good and bad moments of air.
When to use what
- Seestar, Dwarf or another small telescope: per-patch selection gains little. A browser stacker like AstroSlide gets close to the same result without the setup, and goes straight on to sharpening and colour.
- A large telescope with a planetary camera: AutoStakkert! (in a VM) or PlanetarySystemStacker is worth the trouble, especially in unsteady air where you keep only the best 5–20% of frames.
- Only an iPad or a phone: a browser tool is the only real option.
After stacking
In the traditional workflow, the stack then goes to RegiStax (also Windows) for wavelet sharpening, and to Photoshop or PixInsight for colour. In AstroSlide the stack opens straight in the editor: it is sharpened with the blur measured on the Moon's edge, and you can bring out its mineral colours and save in 16-bit TIFF or PNG. Set sharpening to 0% if you prefer an unsharpened stack to finish elsewhere.
New to this? Start with how to stack Seestar Moon video.