Comparison
NightScape Stacker vs. GradientXTerminator
RC-Astro's GradientXTerminator handles light pollution gradient removal inside Photoshop or Affinity Photo. It does that job well. The limitation is scope: it is a single-purpose plugin that requires a host application to run, and it addresses only one step of the post-processing workflow. NightScape Stacker includes gradient removal as a built-in step alongside stacking, noise reduction, and star tools, with no host application required.
GradientXTerminator
GradientXTerminator tackles the light pollution gradient problem: the uneven sky glow that shows up in images taken anywhere near a city, and the vignetting that creeps in from lenses and sensor edges. It handles corner gradients, edge gradients, and circular gradients, and it processes 32-bit, 16-bit, and 8-bit files. The results are reliable.
Worth noting: GradientXTerminator is Photoshop and Affinity Photo only. Unlike some other RC-Astro tools, it does not support PixInsight. So if your workflow runs through PixInsight, this plugin is not available to you without switching applications specifically for this step.
The cost is approximately $40 for the plugin, plus the cost of Photoshop ($20 to $55 per month) or Affinity Photo (around $70 one-time). It does only gradient removal. Stacking, denoising, star work, and everything else still require separate tools.
NightScape Stacker
Gradient removal in NightScape Stacker is the third step of a four-step workflow. You stack your frames first, denoise second, remove gradients third, and finish with star removal or reduction. Each step operates on the output of the previous one. No exports, no format changes, no switching applications.
NightScape Stacker is a standalone application. Mac, Windows, and Linux are all supported. There is no Photoshop subscription, no Affinity license, and no PixInsight required. The entire workflow costs $99 one-time for two seats with a perpetual license.
If you already have Photoshop and only need gradient removal as a one-off fix, GradientXTerminator covers that. If you need gradient removal as part of a complete landscape astrophotography workflow on any platform, including Linux, NightScape Stacker is the more direct path.
One app. Full workflow. No subscriptions.
$99 one-time · 2 seats · Mac, Windows, Linux · AI runs locally
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