# Screens 5 vs Total Remote Control

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Total Remote Control at 100% against Screens 5's 49%. Total Remote Control also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Screens 5's advantage is ratings volume (584 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Screens 5 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Total Remote Control asks for nothing beyond the download.

Total Remote Control holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Screens 5 has 584 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Screens 5's written reviews are positive against 100% of Total Remote Control's.

Screens 5 ships an update every 2 weeks, Total Remote Control every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Screens 5 | Total Remote Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (584 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/screens-5-vnc-remote-desktop/id1663047912/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/total-remote-control/id6745529093/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **584** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 48.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 70 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Edovia Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284606519) | [David Barral](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812737604) |

## What reviewers say

### Screens 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/screens-5-vnc-remote-desktop/id1663047912)

Access and control your Mac, Windows, Linux, or Raspberry Pi computers remotely from any device. Enjoy fast, secure connections with features like privacy masking, multi-display support, and file transfer.

**Highlights:** Remote computer access, Secure connections, Multi-display support, Clipboard sharing, File transfer, Privacy masking (Curtain Mode)

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.49 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Family Upgrade | Free | one-time |
| Lifetime | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent remote access
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🔒 Secure SSH-based remote control
- 👍 Native to Apple ecosystem
- 🚀 High-quality remote desktop rendering

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable connection and frequent disconnections
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Requires complex networking setup (port forwarding, Tailscale)
- 🐛 Issues with full-screen mode and window management
- 🐛 Telemetry and analytics cannot be disabled

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to delete auto-saved nearby devices
- Inconsistent behavior when editing device configurations
- Screens Connect failing to work reliably

**Requested features**

- Ability to block remote input while keeping remote desktop visible
- File transfer between Mac and iOS/iPadOS
- Upgrade pricing for existing users


### Total Remote Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/total-remote-control/id6745529093)

Transform your iPad into a wireless control surface and extended display for your Mac. Ideal for professionals, it offers low-latency screen mirroring and precise multitouch remote control over Wi-Fi.

**Highlights:** Wireless control surface, Second display functionality, Low-latency screen mirroring, Multitouch gesture control, Wi-Fi connectivity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Screens 5 free?

Screens 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Total Remote Control free?

Total Remote Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Screens 5 or Total Remote Control?

Total Remote Control is rated higher. Screens 5 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 584 ratings, while Total Remote Control averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Screens 5 or Total Remote Control have ads?

Neither Screens 5 nor Total Remote Control shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Screens 5 or Total Remote Control?

Screens 5 ships an update every 2 weeks, and Total Remote Control every 3 weeks. Most recently, Screens 5 was updated on October 27, 2026 and Total Remote Control on October 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*