Comparison

Plainly vs CTRL Micro

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

Head to head
About

Plainly

Experience web browsing without distractions. This app offers a clean, full-screen interface with minimal controls, allowing you to focus solely on content. It includes features like quick tab switching, passcode protection for privacy, and dark mode.

Highlights
  • Full-screen browsing experience
  • Intuitive tab switching
  • Buttonless interface option
  • Passcode protection for privacy
  • Dark mode support
  • Quick history clearing
Features
Read full description

Plainly is a web browser for browsing your favorite web sites full-screen. No address bars, no toolbars, no status bars – just a small button at the bottom of your screen. - Tap the Plainly button at the bottom of the screen to switch tabs and access navigation options - Two button modes: draggable mode lets you move the Plainly button to wherever you want; quick-switching mode lets you switch between tabs by swiping left and right on the Plainly button. - Buttonless full-screen: Tap and hold with two fingers to completely hide the Plainly button. - Passcode protection: Require a passcode for browsing privately. Plainly will also hide what you're looking at in the app switcher. - And more! Quickly clear browsing history; shortcuts support for launching Plainly on a given tab; pop-up support for websites that require them; and dark mode.

About

CTRL Micro

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a tactile control surface for your Mac and AI agents. Enjoy haptic feedback, launch apps, manage media, and interact with AI tools like Codex and Claude. Dictate text and view your Mac's screen remotely for a seamless workflow.

Highlights
  • Haptic feedback control deck
  • Launch Mac applications
  • Control Mac volume, brightness, media, windows
  • Monitor AI agent progress
  • Dictate into desktop apps
  • View Mac screen remotely
  • End-to-end encrypted connections
Features
Read full description

CTRL Micro turns your iPhone or iPad into a tactile control deck for your Mac and AI agents. HAPTIC CONTROL DECK • Feel responsive haptics, sounds, and visual feedback • Arrange controls where they feel right • Switch between Mac, Codex, Claude, and Cursor from one deck CONTROL YOUR MAC • Launch applications • Control volume, brightness, media, and windows • Move the pointer, scroll, click, run Shortcuts, and talk to Siri MONITOR AI AGENTS • See task progress and attention states at a glance • Open recent tasks and start new ones • Use client-specific controls for Codex, Claude, and Cursor SPEAK NATURALLY • Dictate into desktop apps from your deck • Transcription is processed locally by CTRL Micro Host on your Mac SEE YOUR MAC • Watch your Mac respond as you use the control deck, Trackpad, or Keyboard • Open Desktop View nearby or through Remote Anywhere • Keep the live screen above your controls or expand it full screen • Pinch, pan, and double-tap to inspect your Mac screen PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No CTRL Micro account required • Nearby connections stay directly between your devices • Remote Anywhere is end-to-end encrypted; the relay forwards opaque data and cannot read your screen or control content • Screen frames, keyboard input, commands, and dictation content are not recorded or stored CTRL Micro requires the separate CTRL Micro Host app for Mac, available from ctrlmicro.com. Pair your iPhone or iPad with one selected Mac and control it nearby or through Remote Anywhere.

Screenshots

Plainly4 screens
CTRL Micro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: CTRL Micro at Free against Plainly's $0.99. CTRL Micro also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 75%). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

CTRL Micro is free to download; Plainly costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plainly ships an update every 9 months, CTRL Micro every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Plainly versus CTRL Micro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlainlyCTRL Micro
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB15 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperJustin ChengMedHue Labs

Customer experience

Plainly

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

CTRL Micro

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Plainly

No in-app purchases

None

CTRL Micro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Plainly free?
Plainly costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is CTRL Micro free?
CTRL Micro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Plainly or CTRL Micro have ads?
Neither Plainly nor CTRL Micro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Plainly or CTRL Micro?
Plainly ships an update every 9 months, and CTRL Micro every 2 days. Most recently, Plainly was updated on October 10, 2026 and CTRL Micro on October 1, 2026.

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