Question 1

How much does NightScape Stacker cost?

Accepted Answer

$99, a one-time charge. No subscription, no renewal.

Question 2

Is there a subscription?

Accepted Answer

No. You pay once and own the license forever.

Question 3

How many computers can I install it on?

Accepted Answer

Your license covers 2 seats. Install on up to 2 of your own machines across any combination of Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Question 4

Are future updates included?

Accepted Answer

Bug fixes and improvements are included with your license at no additional charge. Major version upgrades may be offered as a separate paid upgrade. We will notify you well in advance if that is ever the case.

Question 5

What if I lose my license key?

Accepted Answer

Contact us with your purchase email address and we'll recover it for you.

Question 6

Can I use it for commercial photography?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The standard license covers individual photographers running their own business, including selling prints, licensing images, and delivering work to clients. An extended license is only needed if you are processing images for others as a paid service, or deploying across multiple users in an organization.

Question 7

What platforms does it run on?

Accepted Answer

macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows 10/11, and Linux.

Question 8

Do my photos get uploaded anywhere?

Accepted Answer

No. NightScape Stacker runs entirely on your local machine. Your photos are never uploaded or transmitted anywhere.

Question 9

What file formats are supported?

Accepted Answer

16-bit TIFF (.tif, .tiff) as input. NightScape Stacker exports 16-bit TIFF throughout the entire pipeline, preserving full dynamic range.

Question 10

How is NightScape Stacker different from Lightroom?

Accepted Answer

They're complementary tools. Lightroom is for tone, color, and overall editing. NightScape Stacker handles the stacking, gradient removal, and star removal or reduction that happens before you bring the image into Lightroom.

Question 11

Does it work with RAW files?

Accepted Answer

NightScape Stacker works with 16-bit TIFF files exported from your RAW processor (Lightroom, Capture One, etc.). Export your RAW files as 16-bit TIFF first. This preserves the full dynamic range you captured in camera.

Question 12

What is image stacking?

Accepted Answer

Stacking combines multiple exposures of the same scene. Since noise is random between frames but the actual image signal is consistent, averaging frames together causes the noise to cancel out, revealing detail that's invisible in a single shot.

Question 13

How many frames do I need to stack?

Accepted Answer

8 to 25 frames is the practical sweet spot. Stacking 4 frames roughly halves the shot noise. Stacking 16 frames cuts it to about a quarter. The improvement follows the square root of the number of frames, so the gains slow past around 25 frames, though shooting more is never a bad idea.

Question 14

Can I stack without a star tracker?

Accepted Answer

Yes. NightScape Stacker is designed for untracked nightscape photography. It aligns the sky in each frame independently to account for Earth's rotation during your shooting session.

Question 15

What's the difference between stacking the sky and the foreground?

Accepted Answer

For Milky Way photography, the sky moves between frames (Earth's rotation) but the foreground doesn't. NightScape Stacker aligns and stacks the sky separately. You composite the stacked sky with a single-frame foreground in Lightroom or Photoshop afterward.

Question 16

What is the 500 rule / NPF rule?

Accepted Answer

These are guidelines for the maximum exposure time before stars start to trail in your image. The 500 rule divides 500 by your focal length. The more accurate NPF rule factors in aperture and sensor pixel pitch. NightScape Stacker works with whatever exposure length you shoot. Just stay within the limit for your lens.

Question 17

How does NightScape Stacker compare to Sequator?

Accepted Answer

Sequator is Windows-only. NightScape Stacker runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux. NightScape Stacker also includes gradient removal and star removal or reduction in the same app, so you don't need separate tools to finish your image.

Question 18

How does it compare to Starry Landscape Stacker?

Accepted Answer

Starry Landscape Stacker is Mac-only and costs $39.99. NightScape Stacker runs on all three platforms, includes a full post-stack workflow (gradient removal and star removal or reduction), and costs $99 for a 2-seat license.

Question 19

Why not just use DeepSkyStacker?

Accepted Answer

DeepSkyStacker is designed for telescope-tracked deep-sky imaging: calibration frames, flat/dark/bias workflow, FITS output. It's overkill and ill-fitting for landscape astrophotography. NightScape Stacker is purpose-built for the nightscape workflow.

Frequently asked questions

Pricing & Licensing

The App

Image Stacking

Compared to Other Software