Comparison

iRdesktop vs iRemoteDesktop Lite

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

Head to head
About

iRdesktop

Access and control your Windows desktop remotely from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. This client uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to compatible Windows versions, offering features like mouse emulation and a familiar keyboard.

Highlights
  • Remote desktop control via RDP
  • Mouse emulation (click, drag, drop)
  • Familiar iPhone keyboard support
  • Zoom and pan desktop view
  • Portrait and landscape rotation
  • Multiple connection entries
  • Wi-Fi and cellular data connection
Features
Read full description

iRdesktop is a free Remote Desktop Client for Windows Terminal Services (Remote Desktop Services), capable of natively using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) in order to view and control your Windows Desktop using your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. iRdesktop supports all Windows Versions that have support for Terminal Services respectively Remote Desktop Services out of the box. You must know that Microsoft has removed Terminal Services (Remote Desktop Services) from the Windows Home and Starter editions. In order to access those Windows systems with any RDP client you can install our alternative Terminal Services (Remote Desktop Services) solution called "Thinstuff XP/VS Terminal Server" (http://www.thinstuff.com/products/xpvs-server/). The good news is that iRdesktop users will get a big discount for a single-user XP/VS Terminal Server version which allows you to have 1 Remote Desktop connection in addition to your PC's console session even on Windows Home and Starter editions! To get your discount code just follow the "Discount ..." link on the iRdesktop start screen. SUPPORTED REMOTE SYSTEMS - Windows XP Home (*) - Windows XP Professional - Windows XP Media Center 2005 - Windows Vista Home Basic and Home Premium (*) - Windows Vista Business, Ultimate and Enterprise - Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium (*) - Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, Enterprise - Windows Server 2000 - Windows Small Business Server 2003 - Windows Server 2003 - Windows Server 2008 - Windows Server 2008R2 *) only with Thinstuff XP/VS Terminal Server IRDESKTOP FEATURES - Mouse emulation: left-, right- and double-click, and drag & drop - Supports the standard, familiar iPhone keyboard for text entry - Zoom and pan the remote desktop screen as in the Safari browser - Rotate the device to switch between portrait and landscape views - Create an unlimited number of predefined connection entries - Connect through WIFI or your cellular data network (GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA etc.) - Safari-like page view for switching between multiple concurrent sessions - Compatible with the iPhone's built-in VPN (L2TP, PPTP, IPSec) for secure access to corporate and home networks - Includes a promotion discount code for Thinstuff's XP/VS Terminal Server LIMITATIONS - No support for TS Gateway (a special RDP VPN solution for Windows Server 2008) - No sound and clipboard redirection LANGUAGES: English, French and German

About

iRemoteDesktop Lite

Access your Windows PC from your iPhone or iPad. This app provides remote desktop functionality, allowing you to control your computer from anywhere. It's optimized for retina screens and supports various Windows versions.

Highlights
  • Remote Windows PC access
  • Optimized for retina screens
  • Supports various Windows versions
  • Portrait and landscape mode
  • Pinch to zoom
  • International keyboard support
Features
Read full description

Specifically designed for both iPad and iPhone!! Optimized to use the new iPad and iPhone retina screen! Great functionalities and It's FREE! Access your Windows PC from iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch at anytime! Windows 11/Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7 Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate are supported! iRemoteDesktop Free is a Windows Remote Desktop (RDP) client for iPhone/iPod Touch. Using it you can access your Windows PC from anywhere at anytime. Note: Not all Windows support remote desktop. Check below for supported platforms or download the tool from http://www.hanamobiles.com/tools/HanaEasyConfig.exe. Compared with this free version, the Pro version has more features: - Multiple connections - Trackpad to move mouse cursor (also support click) and do mouse wheel scroll - Mouse right click, hover and mouse drag - Modifier keypad including Shift, Ctrl and Alt which enables you to press almost any key combinations. - A cool functional keyboard: Cut, copy & paste and other shortcuts keypad, including HOME, END, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, Arrow keys, etc. - Easy dragging and resizing using virtual mousepad - Startup password protection - Virtual left button and right mouse button - Support video output (need iPad or iOS4 and output connector) Features: - Specifically designed for both iPad and iPhone - Take advantage of iPhone 4/4s and new iPad's HD retina screen - Portrait and landscape mode - Support various resolutions and colors - Tap to do click, double tap to double click, and all easy to use features - International keyboard support for many languages, including French, German, Korean, Russian etc. - Pinch to zoom in and out. Choose the zoom scale you like - Easy to use design Supported Platform: - Windows 11 - Windows 10 - Windows 8 - Windows XP Professional - Windows Vista Business/Enterprise/Ultimate - Windows 7 Professional/Enterprise/Ultimate - Windows Server 2000/2003/2008 Important: The following systems are NOT supported: - Windows XP Home - Windows Vista Home Basic/Premium - Windows 7 Home Starter/Basic/Premium - Others not listed in "Supported Platform" section For detailed setup instructions and more information, see http://www.hanajobs.com/mobile/forums/show/9.page Note: - Make sure Remote Desktop is enabled on your computer - IMPORTANT: For Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server, choose "Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure)" - Modify firewall settings to allow Remote Desktop. You should try to connect from another Windows computer to make sure the Remote Desktop is enabled. For more infomation on how to enable Remote Desktop, see Windows XP: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsXp/using/mobility/getstarted/Remoteintro.mspx Windows Vista/Windows 7: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/turn-on-remote-desktop-in-windows-vista/ http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Remote-Desktop-Connection-frequently-asked-questions Send your comments/suggestions to hanamobiles@gmail.com or visit our website.

Screenshots

iRdesktop4 screens
iRemoteDesktop Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: iRemoteDesktop Lite at 3.8 against iRdesktop's 3.3. iRdesktop's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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. iRemoteDesktop Lite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. iRdesktop asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iRemoteDesktop Lite holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45 and 75 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of iRdesktop's written reviews are positive against 73% of iRemoteDesktop Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iRdesktop ships an update every 2 months, iRemoteDesktop Lite every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
iRdesktop versus iRemoteDesktop Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriRdesktopiRemoteDesktop Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (45 ratings)3.8 (75 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better73.0% of reviews
Number of ratings4575 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS3.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThinstuff s.r.o.Hana Mobile

Customer experience

iRdesktop

All ratings45 ratings
Positive44.4%
Neutral20.0%
Negative35.6%
Written reviews255 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative13.3%

iRemoteDesktop Lite

All ratings75 ratings
Positive68.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative24.0%
Written reviews923 reviews
Positive73.0%
Neutral7.4%
Negative19.6%

User reviews

iRdesktop

From 45 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Excellent free RDP client
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 👍 Intuitive touch-based controls
  • 🔒 Secure remote access
  • 💡 Supports multiple simultaneous connections

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezing
  • 📱 Limited screen real estate for desktop apps
  • 🔑 Lack of keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl, Alt, etc.)
  • 🔍 Difficulty with small on-screen elements
  • 📢 Intrusive ads on setup screens

iRemoteDesktop Lite

From 75 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use and set up
  • 🚀 Responsive and fluid performance
  • 💡 Useful for remote access and management
  • 🔒 Secure with PIN/password protection
  • 🎨 Good visual quality and screen rendering

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional connection issues and crashes
  • 🔍 Confusing or lacking setup instructions
  • 🖱️ Limited mouse/keyboard functionality in free version
  • 🔋 High battery consumption on mobile devices
  • 📺 Small screen size can make it difficult to use

Bugs and requests

iRdesktop

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes on startup with iOS 3.1.x
  • Incompatibility with some Windows versions (Home editions)

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to hide top status bar for more screen space
  • Support for international keyboard layouts
  • Scrolling/panning improvements
  • Option to pay for ad-free version

iRemoteDesktop Lite

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Keyboard gets stuck in uppercase mode
  • Inability to delete previously added remote connections
  • Compatibility issues with newer Windows versions
  • Freezing or black screen issues during use

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for right-click and drag functionality
  • Improve keyboard handling and integration
  • Allow configuration of multiple remote connections
  • Implement audio support for remote playback
  • Optimize for larger tablet screens

In-app purchases

None

iRdesktop

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

iRemoteDesktop Lite

One-time1
  • iRemoteDesktop Pro$4.99

Questions

Is iRdesktop free?
iRdesktop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is iRemoteDesktop Lite free?
iRemoteDesktop Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iRdesktop or iRemoteDesktop Lite?
iRemoteDesktop Lite is rated higher. iRdesktop averages 3.3 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while iRemoteDesktop Lite averages 3.8 from 75 ratings.
Do iRdesktop or iRemoteDesktop Lite have ads?
iRemoteDesktop Lite shows ads; iRdesktop does not.
Which is updated more often, iRdesktop or iRemoteDesktop Lite?
iRdesktop ships an update every 2 months, and iRemoteDesktop Lite every 3 months. Most recently, iRdesktop was updated on October 4, 2026 and iRemoteDesktop Lite on October 1, 2026.

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