VGamepad Lite vs TapDeck
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VGamepad Lite
Transform your phone into a physical game controller for your PC. Enjoy customizable buttons, motion controls, and haptic feedback for an immersive gaming experience. Supports standard controller emulation and basic mouse/keyboard functions.
- Emulates standard controllers
- Motion control using phone sensors
- Customizable button layout
- Haptic feedback
- Game capture button
- AR Body Tracking (iPhone XS+)
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VGamepad gives you the full experience of a physical controller. Customizable buttons, haptic feedback, motion control, and more. Play on your PC using nothing but your phone. Features: - Emulates standard controllers (including Joy-Con). - Motion Control: steer, aim, and move using your phone’s sensors. - AR Body Tracking (iPhone XS or later): play certain games using body motion. - Customizable layout: move and resize buttons to fit your hands. - Game Capture button for quick recording. - Haptic feedback that makes every press feel physical. - Pressure-sensitive inputs with 3D Touch (supported devices). - Optional sound feedback for buttons. - Change joystick images from a large selection. - Basic mouse & keyboard support (W/A/S/D buttons on keyboard). Connectivity: Use the simple Windows/Mac/Linux companion app for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/LAN pairing, or use PCGameConsole to turn your PC into a full gaming console compatible with VGamepad. Full setup guide: https://github.com/PJSoftCo/VGamepad TERMS OF USE: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ PRIVACY POLICY: https://pjsoftco.com/vgamepadpp.html ONLINE SUPPORT: Please join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/ZcAuAJp8py
TapDeck
Transform your iPhone or iPad into a personalized PC gaming controller. Enjoy a fast, reliable connection and design custom layouts to match your play style. Personalize your experience with unique themes.
- Customizable PC gaming controller
- Personalized layout design
- Fast, reliable wired connection
- Unique theme personalization
- iPhone and iPad support
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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a fully customizable PC gaming controller. Connect with a fast, reliable wired connection, design a layout that fits your play style, and personalize your controller with unique themes. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
VGamepad Lite and TapDeck both sit at 3.2 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of TapDeck's written reviews are positive against 40% of VGamepad Lite's. TapDeck also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). VGamepad Lite's advantage is ratings volume (106 vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.5). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. VGamepad Lite sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and TapDeck sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.2 for VGamepad Lite against 3.3 for TapDeck. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VGamepad Lite has 106 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of VGamepad Lite's written reviews are positive against 100% of TapDeck's.
VGamepad Lite ships an update every 2 weeks, TapDeck every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VGamepad Lite | TapDeck |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.2 (106 ratings) | 3.3 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 39.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 106 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 111 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PJSOFTCO | Yashua Evans |
Customer experience
VGamepad Lite
TapDeck
Bugs and requests
VGamepad Lite
Reported bugs
9 issues- Connection fails despite correct IP and password entry
- Ads appear but don't load, blocking app usage
- RT button and other buttons not functioning
- Buttons disappear after rearranging
- Mouse cursor moves in background during gameplay
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- App crashes or freezes during use
- Controller not recognized by PC after connection
- Inconsistent performance across different iPhone models
- PC download fails with Error 1001
Requested features
7 requests- Bluetooth connectivity for easier pairing
- Mac OS support for server-side application
- Nintendo Switch controller support
- Remove or reduce ad frequency with paid option
- Apple TV compatibility
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- L1, L2, R1, R2 buttons for PlayStation controllers
- Better documentation and troubleshooting guides
TapDeck
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
VGamepad Lite
- VGamepad Monthly Subscription$0.991 Month
- VGamepad Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
TapDeck
- Tier 1 Tokens Pack$0.99
- Tier 2 Tokens Pack$1.99
- Tier 3 Tokens Pack$4.99
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- Tier 4 Tokens Pack$9.99
- Tier 5 Tokens Pack$19.99
- Tier 6 Tokens Pack$49.99
Questions
Is VGamepad Lite free?
Is TapDeck free?
Which has better reviews, VGamepad Lite or TapDeck?
Do VGamepad Lite or TapDeck have ads?
Which is updated more often, VGamepad Lite or TapDeck?
Other comparisons
