Screens 5 vs Split Flap
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Screens 5
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.
- Remote computer access
- Secure connections
- Multi-display support
- Clipboard sharing
- File transfer
- Privacy masking (Curtain Mode)
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Access your computers from anywhere. Screens lets you remotely access your Mac, Windows PC, Linux PC, or Raspberry Pi from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Vision Pro. Whether you’re connecting to a remote workstation, a headless Mac mini, or helping friends and family, Screens delivers fast, secure, and reliable remote desktop access wherever you are. REMOTE ACCESS FROM ANYWHERE Remote access is built right into Screens on Mac. For older Macs and Windows PCs, install Screens Connect to easily set up remote access over the internet. Need to connect to Linux or Raspberry Pi? Screens also integrates with Tailscale for secure, hassle-free connections. FAST, SECURE REMOTE DESKTOP ACCESS Screens is optimized for responsive remote control with support for: • Curtain Mode for private remote sessions on Mac • SSH connections and SSH keys • Secure password storage and quick logins • Observe or control remote computers • Adaptive and Full display quality BUILT FOR MODERN REMOTE WORKFLOWS Use Screens to: • Access remote Macs, PCs, Linux systems, and Raspberry Pi devices • Connect to headless Mac mini setups and remote workstations • Monitor long-running tasks from anywhere • Help friends, family, or coworkers remotely • Access your computers while traveling or away from home DO MORE WITH SCREENS Take advantage of powerful system features across iPhone and iPad: • Connect using Siri, Shortcuts, and Spotlight • Quickly connect to saved computers from widgets • Use external keyboards, mice, and trackpads • Use Apple Pencil on iPad • Display your remote computer on an external display with AirPlay POWERFUL FEATURES • Multi-display support • Clipboard sharing • File transfer between iPhone, iPad, or Vision Pro and Mac • Customizable connection settings for individual computers • Dictation support for remote text input • Session selection on Mac • iCloud synchronization • Full URL Schemes support • Touch ID, Face ID, Apple Watch, and password protection COMPATIBILITY • Connect from iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro • Connect to Mac, Windows PC, Linux PC, and Raspberry Pi • Screens Connect is built into Screens for Mac on macOS 14.6 or later • Standalone Screens Connect is available for Macs running macOS 10.13 or later and PCs running Windows 10 or later • Clipboard sharing on Windows and Linux supports text only • Sound transmission is not supported due to VNC protocol limitations • Screens does not support connections to iPhone, iPad, or Vision Pro devices Screens gives you secure, reliable access to your computers anytime, anywhere. Privacy Policy: https://screens.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://screens.app/terms
Split Flap
Transform your devices into a retro message board with authentic flip animations and sound. Display custom messages, live feeds like weather and stocks, and schedule content. Offers a premium upgrade for advanced formatting and scheduling.
- Authentic split-flap flip animation
- Customizable messages with line breaks
- Live weather and stock feeds
- Multiple display themes
- Message scheduling
- Cross-platform support
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Turn any screen into a beautiful signage display. Split-Flap Board recreates the mechanical charm of airport departure boards — then goes further with LED matrices, retro marquees, glowing neon, and cinematic text crawls. Write a message, pick a style, and watch it come to life. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Type any message and watch it flip, glow, scroll, or reveal itself character by character • Build playlists that rotate through your messages automatically • Schedule messages to appear at the right time of day • Add live feeds — time, weather, news, and stock prices update themselves • Use it on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV DISPLAY STYLES • Split-Flap — the classic Solari board, in basic and sepia variants (free) • LED Dot Matrix — crisp pixel displays with animated reveals (free) • Cyberpunk Neon — glowing borders that pulse, chase, blink, and hum • Retro Marquee — warm theater bulbs in any color you like • Galaxy Crawl — cinematic perspective scrolling • Word Matrix — dramatic letter-by-letter reveals, in light or dark • Background Image — your own photos behind animated text MADE FOR REAL PLACES Shop hours and daily specials. The Wi-Fi password for guests. A welcome message by the door. A birthday surprise on the TV. A countdown to your next trip. A dashboard on a spare iPad. However you use it, it looks the part. WORKS OFFLINE, STAYS PRIVATE No account. No sign-in. No ads, no tracking, no analytics. Your messages stay on your device. Live feeds only reach the internet when you switch them on. FOR POWER USERS Turn on the built-in local REST API and drive the board from another device on your Wi-Fi — a home server, a shortcut, a script. PREMIUM — ONE PURCHASE, YOURS FOREVER The Split-Flap and LED themes — and all core editing — are free. A single one-time purchase, never a subscription, unlocks every premium theme, unlimited playlists, Fullscreen mode, and the REST API. Buy once, use it on all your devices.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Split Flap at 100% against Screens 5's 49%. Split Flap also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Screens 5's advantage is ratings volume (590 vs 1). On price, update cadence, 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. Screens 5 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Split Flap sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Split Flap holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Screens 5 has 590 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 Split Flap's.
Screens 5 ships an update fortnightly, Split Flap every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Screens 5 | Split Flap |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (590 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 49.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 590 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Edovia Inc. | Gregory Dolder |
Customer experience
Screens 5
Split Flap
Bugs and requests
Screens 5
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to delete auto-saved nearby devices
- Inconsistent behavior when editing device configurations
- Screens Connect failing to work reliably
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to block remote input while keeping remote desktop visible
- File transfer between Mac and iOS/iPadOS
- Upgrade pricing for existing users
Split Flap
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Screens 5
- Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$29.491 Year
- Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Lifetime Family UpgradeFree
- Lifetime2 variants$199.99
Split Flap
- Premium Features2 variants$0.99
Questions
Is Screens 5 free?
Is Split Flap free?
Which has better reviews, Screens 5 or Split Flap?
Do Screens 5 or Split Flap have ads?
Which is updated more often, Screens 5 or Split Flap?
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