Comparison

Screens 5 vs FrameBuffer

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Remote computer access
  • Secure connections
  • Multi-display support
  • Clipboard sharing
  • File transfer
  • Privacy masking (Curtain Mode)
Features
Read full description

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

About

FrameBuffer

Features
Read full description

* Long scrolling screen recordings become a nice, coherent and readable document. * Parses screen recordings personalized for the device it was taken from * Avoids cutting off data * Includes a variety of tools to adjust the parsing so you can get it exactly the way you want. * Turns massive screenshots taken from 3rd party apps, does the work that they skipped and turns it into a useful format, such as a PDF, also includes OCR extraction. Ironically, using an automatic scroll + screenshot app could lead to you finding yourself in a different problem, giant unreadable images, you see a tiny little bar that stretches from the top of your screen to the bottom, you can zoom in, a lot, and scroll, again, or let FrameBuffer locally process and deliver multi-page pdf's or multiple images. Nevertheless, if you do want a giant image for whatever reason, set the pixel height to cover the entire image

Screenshots

Screens 54 screens
FrameBuffer3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FrameBuffer at none against Screens 5's 6. On price, ads, 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

Both are free to download. Screens 5 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. FrameBuffer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Screens 5 versus FrameBuffer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreens 5FrameBuffer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (568 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews49.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings568 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEdovia Inc.Inspirationull

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

FrameBuffer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Screens 5

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$29.491 Year
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Family UpgradeFree
  • Lifetime2 variants$199.99
None

FrameBuffer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Screens 5 free?
Screens 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FrameBuffer free?
FrameBuffer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Screens 5 or FrameBuffer have ads?
Neither Screens 5 nor FrameBuffer shows ads.

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