A database, two motors, and an alignment that has to be honest

The best GoTo mounts for 2026

A GoTo mount holds a catalogue of objects and drives itself to whichever one is chosen, and the quality of the experience rests almost entirely on the alignment routine rather than on the size of the database. Every one of these mounts asks the observer to centre two or three known stars so that it can work out where it is standing and how it is tilted; a routine that is quick, forgiving and clearly explained produces a mount that lands objects in the eyepiece, and a routine that is fussy produces a mount that is sold within a year. Read how many stars the alignment needs, whether the mount can accept a rough level and a rough date, and whether it recovers when a star is centred slightly wrong. The database size printed on the box — often tens of thousands of entries — is close to meaningless, since most of those objects are beyond the reach of the telescope on top. What matters is whether the useful lists are easy to reach and whether the hand controller can be read at night. Power is the practical trap: these mounts draw current continuously, the battery compartment on cheaper models empties in an evening, and the socket type decides what can be plugged in. Then read the payload rating, and read whether the mount can be driven from a phone or a computer as well as from its own controller. We compare pointing accuracy, alignment routine, database and lists, controller and app support, power draw and socket, and payload rating.