Comparison

Screens 5 vs Narby

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
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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

About

Narby

Features
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At the end of an evening a bill lands on the table, and then it starts: who had the second bottle, who only ate a starter, and who is going to work it all out. Narby turns that into something that belongs at the table. The devices sitting there connect straight to each other, and for as long as you are together there is one thing you share. HOW YOU GET TO THE TABLE One person opens a table and shows a code. Whoever can see the screen scans it and is in — no account, no invitation link, no phone numbers. The next table stays out even when it is close enough, because the code is the door, not the distance. Up to eight devices sit at one table; at the ninth Narby says the table is full instead of quietly failing. Everyone gets a colour when they join, and it holds everywhere: on the band across the top of their own screen, on the ring that shows who is there, on the lines they take on the bill, on their side of the board. A first name stands next to it, so the colour is never the only signal. THE BILL, TO THE CENT Photograph the bill or type the lines. Then everybody takes what they had, on their own device — two people taking the same line means shared, not overwritten. The split adds up to the cent: a remainder gets distributed, never rounded away. If the lines and the printed total do not agree, Narby says so instead of quietly correcting it. And when nobody else has the app, you split it alone and send the amounts out. That path is the whole app, not a fallback. THE AI READS THE BILL, YOU CONFIRM IT On a device that supports Apple Intelligence, an on-device model reads the photo and fills the lines and amounts into a form. Every value it read is marked as an AI suggestion until you confirm or change it, because a model reading a creased receipt in restaurant light gets things wrong. Nothing goes to the table before you release it. Without Apple Intelligence you type the lines in, and that is the same full path, not a lesser one. WHAT ELSE CAN BE ON THE TABLE - Who pays? A wheel over everybody at the table, stopping on the same name on every screen at the same moment. - Tic-tac-toe. Two people take a side, the rest watch. - Impostor. Everyone gets the same word, one gets its partner word, and nobody knows who has which. - Lists, brainstorming and mind maps — everybody writing into the same list at once. - Snake across the seam. Two to four devices in a row, a snake each, and they run across all the screens. - Pong across that same seam. Two paddles, one ball, a set to seven. THE TABLE DOES NOT GO THROUGH THE INTERNET No account, no server, no cloud. What you share goes straight from device to device, encrypted, and only to the people who scanned the code. Turn on airplane mode and all of it still works. There is no sign-in, no analytics, no ads and no sync. The photo of the bill stays on the device that took it and does not outlive the table. The games save nothing at all. Only purchases and "More apps" talk to Apple. WHAT NARBY IS NOT Not a household ledger and not a debt book: it splits one bill at one table, it does not carry balances between people over weeks. Not a payment service — it moves no money and wants no bank details. Not a social network: no profiles, no friend lists, nothing to follow. WHAT IT COSTS Nothing. All seven tools are free. No subscription, no advertising and nothing held back behind a payment — a round at the table must never fail because one person did not pay. If you want to, you can buy us a coffee, a tapa or a dinner. That unlocks nothing beyond a supporter badge and a second app icon. REQUIREMENTS iPhone or iPad with iOS 26. The photo shortcut additionally needs Apple Intelligence; without it you type the lines. Snake and Pong need at least two devices lying edge to edge; where one of them cannot measure the distance, you tap the seam together instead. Questions or problems: support@freshlab.es. We answer in English, Spanish and German.

Screenshots

Screens 54 screens
Narby4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Screens 5 at 4 against Narby's 2. Screens 5 also leads on iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Screens 5 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Narby sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Screens 5 ships an update every 2 weeks, Narby fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Screens 5 versus Narby: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreens 5Narby
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (572 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews49.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings572 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEdovia Inc.FRESHLAB IBERIA SLU

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

Narby

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Screens 5

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$29.491 Year
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Family UpgradeFree
  • Lifetime2 variants$199.99
3 purchases

Narby

One-time3
  • Buy us a coffee$1.99
  • Buy us a tapa$3.99
  • Buy us dinner$8.99

Questions

Is Screens 5 free?
Screens 5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Narby free?
Narby is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Screens 5 or Narby have ads?
Neither Screens 5 nor Narby shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Screens 5 or Narby?
Screens 5 ships an update every 2 weeks, and Narby fortnightly. Most recently, Screens 5 was updated on October 21, 2026 and Narby on October 4, 2026.

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