Eise.app - Easy Image Stacker Engine

Registax 6 vs Eise.app - Which Should You Use?

Registax 6 (by Cor Berrevoets) was, for over a decade, the go-to tool for wavelet sharpening of planetary images. Most people today still open Registax for its wavelets even after stacking in AutoStakkert!. Eise.app is a modern browser-based alternative that combines stacking and wavelet post-processing in one place. This page compares the two honestly.

Short version: Registax 6 is still worth using if you already have it installed, want the specific "look" its wavelet implementation gives, and are on Windows. Eise.app is the better choice if you're new to planetary imaging, want stacking and sharpening in one modern tool, you're on macOS or Linux, or you don't want to install anything.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

FeatureRegistax 6Eise.app
Install requiredYes (Windows binary)No - runs in browser
Native platformWindowsAny (browser)
Mac / Linux supportWine / VM onlyNative (browser)
Active developmentNo (last update 2011)Yes (2026 active)
PriceFreeFree
Frame stackingYes (older algorithm)Yes (modern AP-based)
Wavelet sharpeningYes - the reason people use itYes
RGB alignmentYesYes (auto + manual)
DeconvolutionNoYes
Color correctionBasicAuto gray-world, auto stretch, saturation
GPU accelerationNoWebGPU (when available)
Runs on modern WindowsYes but shows its ageYes
Open sourceNo (closed source)Yes (on GitHub)
Beginner-friendlyWavelet UI has a learning curveYes - guided flow, sensible defaults

When Registax 6 is the better choice

  • You already have it and know its wavelet UI. Registax's wavelet sliders have a specific character - decades of tutorials have been written around them. If you have muscle memory, don't switch just for the sake of it.
  • You want a very specific look. Registax's wavelet implementation has quirks that some users prefer aesthetically. If you're chasing that look, it's the source.
  • You're doing pure post-processing on already-stacked TIFFs. Registax handles that path directly.

When Eise.app is the better choice

  • You're new to planetary imaging. Eise.app is designed to give a good result with defaults - sensible auto-crop, quality-weighted stacking, wavelet sharpening with a starting preset. Registax's 6-layer wavelet interface is powerful but not obvious to a first-time user.
  • You want an actively developed tool. Registax is closed-source and hasn't seen a real update since around 2011. It still runs, but the codebase is effectively frozen. Eise.app ships changes weekly and is open-source, so if you ever hit an issue on a future OS, the code can be fixed.
  • You're on macOS or Linux. No Wine gymnastics required.
  • You want stacking and sharpening in one flow. Instead of AutoStakkert! -> save TIFF -> open Registax -> tune wavelets, Eise.app does both in one session.
  • You want deconvolution alongside wavelets. Registax doesn't do deconvolution; Eise.app does.
  • You want to sharpen an image on any device. Post-processing works in the browser on Mac, Linux, iPad, Android.

Technical Differences

Age. Registax's last significant release was in 2011. It still runs on modern Windows but the codebase is frozen. Eise.app is under active development and can benefit from modern browser APIs like WebGPU.

Wavelets. Both tools implement multi-layer wavelet sharpening. The math is well-defined and the implementations produce similar results at moderate settings. At extreme settings, the specific algorithm choices diverge.

Combined workflow. Registax is really two tools: an aging stacker (few people use it for stacking anymore) and a still-loved wavelet sharpener. Eise.app treats stacking and sharpening as one continuous pipeline.

Try Eise.app

The quickest test is to drop an already-stacked TIFF into Eise.app's post-processor and compare the sharpening result to Registax.

Open the Eise.app post-processor →

See also