Comparison

Deckboard vs DeckPilot

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

Head to head
About

Deckboard

Transform your mobile device into a custom macro keyboard for your computer. Streamline tasks, launch applications, and control streaming software with personalized shortcuts. Requires a companion desktop app.

Highlights
  • Custom macro shortcuts
  • Launch applications and websites
  • OBS Studio/Streamlabs OBS integration
  • Multimedia controls
  • Personalize buttons with images/GIFs
  • WiFi connection to PC
Features
Read full description

Create custom computer macro shortcuts and launch them through your device, with NO ADS and more buttons on PRO version! No more windows switching to open the folder or website, get Deckboard to simplify them and power up your productivity! If you are an avid streamer, enjoy OBS Studio / Streamlabs OBS integration! Switching scenes and toggling sources easily will make Deckboard your new favourite streaming companion tool! Connect your computer to your device over local WiFi connection by entering IP address or scanning QR code. And don't forget to make your macro buttons truly yours by adding image, text, or animated GIF! IMPORTANT This app required Deckboard desktop server app installed on your computer - Download Deckboard desktop app https://deckboard.app Available macros • OBS Studio and Streamlabs OBS control for streaming (OBS Websocket plugin required) • Keyboard key press combination • Opening website • Opening folder • Multimedia controls (play, next track, previous track , etc) • Run program or executable • Post Tweet Purchase the PRO version for more buttons per board.

About

DeckPilot

Transform your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch into custom button decks for your Mac. Streamline workflows with customizable buttons, macros, and gestures that adapt to your active application. Enjoy tactile feedback and dynamic visual cues for enhanced productivity.

Highlights
  • Customizable button decks for Mac apps
  • Macro builder with AppleScript and Shortcuts integration
  • Tactile feedback and customizable haptics
  • Dynamic button states and visual cues
  • Trackpad gesture emulation
  • Touch Bar functionality on mobile devices
  • MIDI support for DAWs
Features
Read full description

Made for people who care about how they work with their Mac. The keyboard, mouse, and trackpad shape how you reach into your Mac. There's another way. DeckPilot turns your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch into custom button decks that follow whichever app you're in. Logic, Xcode, Figma, Slack: the right buttons are always under your thumb. Quick to set up Install on your Mac and iPhone, connect once over Wi-Fi or USB. Auto-reconnects the way AirDrop does. No hardware to buy. Buttons for everything Tap to open Figma. Tap to mute Zoom. Tap to fire a 5-step macro. Build them from apps, files, websites, keyboard shortcuts, AppleScript, or Apple Shortcuts, and chain anything together in a visual macro builder. 300,000+ icons, or bring your own. One button, more than one move Tap for one thing, double-tap for another, hold for a third. Or hold to pop open a whole submenu of buttons from a single tile. One button can run your whole flow. Buttons you can feel Every press lands with a real mechanical click and a tactile thump. Pick the feel, from a crisp keyboard to a soft, heavy thock, with sound and haptics you tune separately. Your Mac's clipboard, on your phone Everything you copy on your Mac lands in a searchable history on your phone. Pin what you reuse, see when you copied it, and send any snippet back to your Mac with a tap. Images come through full-size. Every workflow its own look A teal gradient and big icons for your DAW. A tight grid with greyscale icons for your code editor. Pick from the community gallery or design your own. Buttons that already know A red mic pill on your Zoom button when you're muted. A live waveform on Spotify when it's playing. You stop checking your Mac, because the buttons already know. Keep your favorites close Pin the decks you live in and they stay a swipe away, whatever app you're in. Trackpad gestures you know Two fingers down to minimize, two up to maximize, three across to switch spaces. Or bind any swipe to almost anything: Apple Shortcuts, AppleScript, macros, jumping decks. Touch Bar, reborn Apple's Touch Bar is gone. DeckPilot brings it back as a floating glass strip on your phone. Volume, brightness, media, mic mute, a clock, and live Battery, CPU, and Memory readouts, colored to match each deck. Widgets on every screen Home Screen widgets put your top buttons one tap from anywhere. The Lock Screen widget shows your active deck without unlocking, and joins iOS 17+ StandBy on a charger. On your wrist, too A dedicated Apple Watch deck with multiple pages and real app icons. Digital Crown for volume and brightness. Complications for one-tap Mute and Play/Pause. Built-in MIDI for any DAW Faders, knobs, XY pads, velocity pads, and transport for Logic Pro, GarageBand, Ableton Live, FL Studio, and anything that speaks MIDI. Also good - Built-in AppleScript editor with ten dark themes - Auto-lock and OLED-safe auto-dim after a short idle - Share .deckpacks, browse community templates, try Demo Mode without pairing - Privacy-first. Commands stay on your Wi-Fi, nothing leaves your network Made for developers, designers, streamers, and musicians who want a faster way to drive their Mac. To unlock the full kit, DeckPilot offers an optional Pro subscription. Pro: $7.99/month or $39/year, auto-renewable. Lifetime: $79 one-time. Pro adds multi-page decks, larger grids, MIDI, macros, AppleScript, app-aware switching, multi-launch buttons, advanced gestures, Apple Watch, per-deck themes, and Shortcuts. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms: https://deckpilot.co/terms Privacy: https://deckpilot.co/privacy Support: https://deckpilot.co/support

Screenshots

Deckboard4 screens
DeckPilot4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DeckPilot at 100% against Deckboard's 33%. DeckPilot also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.8) and ads (none vs shown). Deckboard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, monetization model and device support 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. DeckPilot sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Deckboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DeckPilot holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Deckboard's written reviews are positive against 100% of DeckPilot's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Deckboard ships an update every 3 months, DeckPilot every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Deckboard versus DeckPilot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDeckboardDeckPilot
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (16 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings16 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRiva FarabiKeshav Kewlani

Customer experience

Deckboard

All ratings16 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral22.2%
Negative44.4%

DeckPilot

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Deckboard

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

DeckPilot

Subscriptions2
  • DeckPilot Pro$7.991 Month
  • DeckPilot Pro$39.001 Year
One-time1
  • Founding Member$79.00

Questions

Is Deckboard free?
Deckboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DeckPilot free?
DeckPilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Deckboard or DeckPilot?
DeckPilot is rated higher. Deckboard averages 2.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while DeckPilot averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do Deckboard or DeckPilot have ads?
Deckboard shows ads; DeckPilot does not.
Which is updated more often, Deckboard or DeckPilot?
Deckboard ships an update every 3 months, and DeckPilot every 4 days. Most recently, Deckboard was updated on November 3, 2026 and DeckPilot on October 31, 2026.

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