Comparison

glinet vs Couchside

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

glinet

Manage your GL.iNet router remotely, from basic setup and password changes to configuring mesh networks and VPN connections. Monitor real-time traffic, block unwanted users, and check device performance. Easily update firmware, control LED lights, and pause WiFi.

Highlights
  • Basic router setup and password management
  • Mesh network configuration
  • OpenVPN and WireGuard VPN setup
  • Real-time traffic monitoring
  • Block unwanted WiFi users
  • Live router status and performance checklist
  • Firmware updates and LED light control
Read full description

Setup GL.iNet routers with version 3.201 and above. The GL.iNet Mobile app gives you convenient access to your router’s features anywhere and anytime: Basic Setup: Setup and change the password of your devices. Discover the real-time traffic in both mesh & guest network. Block unwanted users that share your WiFi network. Mesh Network: Build up your home mesh network. Step-by-step guidelines for setting up sub-nodes within your house. VPN Setup: Easily configure selected OpenVPN and WireGuard VPN for your private home network. Live Router Status: Real-time performance checklist of your devices, including memory storage and CPU load data. Easily pause WiFi, update firmware, turn off LED lights on the router, and more! Compatible GL.iNet Devices (Model No.): GL-B2200 / Velica GL-AR750S / Slate GL-MT1300 / Beryl GL-MT300N-V2 / Mango GL-AR150 / White GL-AR300M / Shadow GL-AR750 / Creta GL-E750 / Mudi GL-MiFi GL-USB150 / Microuter GL-X300B / Collie GL-X750 / Spitz GL-XE300 / Puli GL-MV1000W / Brume-W microuter-N300 GL-AX1800/Flint GL-SF1200 GL-SFT1200/Opal GL-AXT1800/Slate AX GL-A1300/Slate Plus GL-MT3000/Beryl AX GL-MT2500/Brume 2 GL-X3000/Spitz AX GL-XE3000/Puli AX GL-MT6000/Flint 2 GL-B3000/Marble GL-BE3600/Slate 7 GL-BE9300/Flint 3 GL-BE6500/Flint 3e GL-MT3600BE/Beryl 7 GL-MT5000/Brume 3 GL-E5800/Mudi 7 GL-BE10000/Slate 7 Pro GL-BE14000/Flint 4 GL-MG1300/Mango 2

About

Couchside

Transform your iPhone into a remote console, game launcher, and controller for your Linux gaming PC. Monitor system health, fix issues without a keyboard, and launch games directly from your couch.

Highlights
  • Live system monitoring dashboard
  • One-tap runbook actions for troubleshooting
  • Browse system logs remotely
  • Launch Steam games and custom applications
  • Virtual Xbox 360 game controller
  • Trackpad and swipe control modes
  • Easy QR code pairing
Features
Read full description

Couchside turns your iPhone into a dashboard, remote, game launcher and controller for your living-room Linux gaming PC: SteamOS, Bazzite, a docked Steam Deck, or another supported systemd Linux box. WHAT TO PLAY NEXT Find your next game with suggestions from your box’s game history. See what is running, choose another suggestion, and launch after confirming. The Play tab keeps recent content ready as you move between tabs. Optional demo mode lets you explore sample games away from your box. YOUR STEAM COMPANION Connect Steam on your box for profile and library stats, playtime trends, achievement progress, wishlist discounts and price-drop alerts. Add an optional IsThereAnyDeal integration for historical-low price comparisons. These opt-in features contact Steam and IsThereAnyDeal. Background wishlist notifications are best-effort and need your phone to reach the box. LIVE CONSOLE Check CPU temperature, load, memory, storage, uptime and service health. Supported handhelds also show battery and power information. See what is playing and manage multiple boxes from unified cards with live vitals and connection controls. When the TV is black, inspect the box from your phone. FIX IT FROM THE COUCH Read recent service logs, restart the display session, switch between Desktop and Game Mode, or reboot and shut down with confirmation. Available actions depend on your box’s capabilities and permissions. GAMES, STREAMING AND CONTROLS Browse installed games with cover art, search and filters. Launch a game on the TV or start Steam Remote Play from another PC. Use a virtual gamepad, swipe navigation, trackpad with two-finger gestures, or keyboard input. Landscape controls give you more room when you need it. TV AND LIGHTING Control power, volume and input on supported TVs, including compatible LG and Google TV models. Compatible HDMI-CEC hardware lets the box control the TV. On supported lighting hardware, adjust strip effects, reactive meters and artwork-inspired Game Aura presets. Create custom sequences with frame-by-frame timing and true on/off strobe effects. EASY PAIRING A welcome guide introduces Couchside and optional integrations. Install the free Couchside service on your box, then scan its QR code or enter its pairing PIN. Refined animations can be turned off in Preferences and respect Reduce Motion. Your phone and box must be on the same local network. WAKE FROM THE COUCH Wake supported Ethernet-connected boxes with progress and reconnection confirmation. On iPhone, waking may require another awake Couchside box on the same network to relay the request. Hardware, firmware and network settings must support Wake-on-LAN. PRIVATE LOCAL CONTROL Remote-control traffic stays on your local network, with no cloud relay or Couchside account. Pairing supports an encrypted, pinned connection. Optional online features, store purchases and update checks contact their respective services. No analytics. The Linux service is open source and the app is source-available. TRY FREE FOR 7 DAYS, PAY ONCE Download free and try the full app for 7 days. A one-time purchase unlocks continued use; there is no subscription. Existing unlocks carry forward. REQUIREMENTS • A supported Linux gaming box on your home network • The free Couchside service installed on that box • Your iPhone and box on the same LAN • Optional integrations and hardware for Steam account features, TV control and lighting

Screenshots

glinet4 screens
Couchside4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Couchside at 100% against glinet's 38%. Couchside also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.5) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 weeks). glinet's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Couchside sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. glinet asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Couchside holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 23 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of glinet's written reviews are positive against 100% of Couchside's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

glinet ships an update every 5 weeks, Couchside every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
glinet versus Couchside: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterglinetCouchside
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (23 ratings)5.0 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings23 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size118 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGL Technologies (HK) LimitedTaylor Emery

Customer experience

glinet

All ratings23 ratings
Positive60.9%
Neutral4.3%
Negative34.8%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive37.6%
Neutral10.9%
Negative51.5%

Couchside

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

glinet

Reported bugs

52 issues
  • 429 errors during VPN setup
  • GUI is buggy
  • Cannot sign back in after sign out
  • App behaves as if setting up for the first time after sign out
  • No instructions provided
Show 47 more
  • App won't find router
  • Router dropping WiFi connection
  • App thinks initial config is still needed after web UI setup
  • Difficult to find DHCP settings
  • App never worked
  • VPN menu does not appear when app is set to Chinese
  • App collects user data and reports to China
  • Poor error codes, doesn't indicate why it fails
  • App says not connected to network while connected
  • Router keeps disconnecting from home network
  • No way to reset router and reach admin page
  • Cannot see router
  • App eventually stopped working
  • White screen when opening app
  • Limited administrative access, no main dashboard
  • Couldn't set up router
  • App won't go past 'Power up the router' page in Sub Router Mode
  • App doesn't ask for manual IP or allow entry
  • Cannot figure out how to access 'network storage'
  • App is very limited
  • No option to go back to main dashboard
  • Couldn't set up AXT 1800 router
  • App missing important travel feature (captive portals)
  • App is missing most of the Admin console features
  • Cellular settings show a white screen on Mudi devices
  • Last update made app useless for iOS
  • Cannot log in with PIA VPN
  • Connection error when logging in with PIA VPN
  • HTTPS error when trying to surfshark
  • Unknown error during firmware upgrade
  • 44 key error when uploading Wireguard configuration
  • Cannot sign into North VPN due to character limit
  • Settings link in AdGuard plug-ins doesn't work on iPhone
  • Toggle switches don't obey 'On/Off Labels' preference
  • Old app allowed local device management, new one doesn't
  • New app useless for traveling router
  • App can never connect to or find devices
  • App doesn't show tethering activity
  • App demands location access
  • Cannot add preconfigured router, must blank it
  • Forced upgrade bricks router
  • Router refuses encrypted connections after forced upgrade
  • App has trust issues with password syncing
  • Not designed for iPad, no landscape orientation
  • App doesn't find router within seconds, needs manual IP option
  • App doesn't list VPN servers
  • App doesn't work with older firmware

Requested features

14 requests
  • Add USB print server function
  • More versatile functionalities (repeater, astrowarp)
  • Automate captive portal workflow for travel
  • Import MAC address for captive portals
  • Include all web admin console features in the app
Show 9 more
  • Make network storage feature more obvious
  • iPad app support
  • Manual IP definition for connection
  • Widget for home screen showing network/VPN status
  • Red dot indicator for firmware updates
  • Web link to LuCI interface
  • More screenshots in App Store
  • Support for landscape orientation on iPad
  • Option to store manually defined IPs

Couchside

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

glinet

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Couchside

One-time1
  • Couchside Forever Unlock$7.99

Questions

Is glinet free?
glinet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Couchside free?
Couchside is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, glinet or Couchside?
Couchside is rated higher. glinet averages 3.5 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Couchside averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.
Do glinet or Couchside have ads?
Neither glinet nor Couchside shows ads.
Which is updated more often, glinet or Couchside?
glinet ships an update every 5 weeks, and Couchside every 2 days. Most recently, glinet was updated on November 3, 2026 and Couchside on October 28, 2026.

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