RealVNC Viewer vs Shadow PC
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RealVNC Viewer
Access and control your Mac, Windows, or Linux computers remotely from any device. View your desktop, use your keyboard and mouse, and manage files securely with end-to-end encryption. Sync connections across all your devices for seamless access.
- Instant remote access to computers
- Control mouse and keyboard remotely
- End-to-end session encryption
- Cloud service for easy connection
- Backup and sync connections
- Virtual keyboard with advanced keys
- Bluetooth keyboard support
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RealVNC® Viewer from RealVNC® gives you instant remote access to your Mac, Windows and Linux computers from anywhere in the world. You can view your computer's desktop, and control its mouse and keyboard as though you were sitting down in front of it. Download RealVNC Connect to each computer you want to control. Then sign in to RealVNC Viewer on your device using your RealVNC account credentials. You'll see your computers automatically appear; simply tap to connect. RealVNC Connect password-protects each computer out-of-the-box. You may need to enter the same user name and password you use to log in to your computer. All sessions are then encrypted end-to-end. During a session, your device's touch screen serves as a trackpad to give you precise control. Drag your finger to move the remote mouse cursor and tap anywhere to left-click (other gestures such as right-click and scroll are explained in-app). As the original inventors of VNC remote access technology, we're confident you'll love what RealVNC Viewer has to offer. If you're still not convinced, check out our reviews! ===Key features=== - Connect with ease via our cloud service to computers running RealVNC Connect. - Backup and sync your connections between all your devices by signing in to RealVNC Viewer on each one. - A scrolling bar above the virtual keyboard includes advanced keys such as Command/Windows. - Support for Bluetooth keyboards. ===Contact=== We’d love to hear from you: iphone-support@realvnc.com twitter.com/RealVNC facebook.com/realvnc Better still, leave us a review! ===Terms of Use=== https://static.realvnc.com/media/documents/RealVNCServicesTCs.pdf ===Trademarks=== RealVNC and VNC are trademarks of RealVNC Limited and are protected by trademark registrations and/or pending trademark applications in the European Union, United States of America and other jurisdictions. Protected by UK patents 2481870, 2479756; US patent 8760366; EU patent 2652951.
Shadow PC
Access your powerful Windows 10 PC from any device, anywhere. Stream your high-end computer with all its software and connect your peripherals. Enjoy a full PC experience on your mobile, tablet, or TV.
- Access full Windows 10 PC
- Use on any device
- Low bandwidth support
- Connect peripherals
- Automatic resolution scaling
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Access your Shadow PC with all your PC software from any device at any time. The power of a high-end PC at your fingertips. Transform any iOS / iPadOS / tvOS device into a fully-featured Windows 10 PC with Shadow and use it at any time, whether you’re at home or on the go. Here’s what you’ll love about Shadow: • Get access to a full high-end Windows 10 PC from any device • Access it anywhere with our low bandwidth support • Connect all your peripherals (Mouse, keyboard, controller, display...) • Shadow supports native resolutions and scales to your device automatically. For more information about Shadow visit shadow.tech
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: RealVNC Viewer at 4.8 against Shadow PC's 3.7. RealVNC Viewer also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 45%) and ratings volume (15K vs 1.9K). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
RealVNC Viewer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RealVNC Viewer has 15K ratings behind it against 1.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of RealVNC Viewer's written reviews are positive against 45% of Shadow PC's.
RealVNC Viewer ships an update every 2 months, Shadow PC every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RealVNC Viewer | Shadow PC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (15K ratings) — better | 3.7 (1.9K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.4% of reviews — better | 45.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15K — better | 1.9K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | RealVNC Limited | Blade SAS |
Customer experience
RealVNC Viewer
Shadow PC
User reviews
RealVNC Viewer
From 15K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 🔒 Secure remote access
- 👍 Intuitive user interface
- 💡 Useful for remote work and support
- 🚀 Fast and reliable connection
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and connection issues
- 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data harvesting
- 💰 Paid subscription required for full functionality
- 🔍 Lack of mouse/trackpad support
- 🔍 Inconsistent performance on different devices
Shadow PC
From 1.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great for gaming and productivity
- 🚀 Powerful cloud PC experience
- 👍 Convenient mobile access
- 👍 Smooth streaming quality
- 💡 Allows full PC experience on mobile
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues and crashes
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable performance
- 🔋 High data consumption
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 👎 Lack of mouse/keyboard support
Bugs and requests
RealVNC Viewer
Reported bugs
4 issues- Cursor and screen synchronization issues
- Incompatibility with certain macOS and iOS versions
- Frequent disconnections and login problems
- Keyboard input not working as expected
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for audio streaming
- Improve clipboard and file transfer functionality
- Provide better multi-monitor support
- Allow customization of keyboard and mouse controls
- Implement a true touch-based interface
Shadow PC
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login issues and session expiration problems
- Compatibility problems with certain devices
- Frequent disconnections and unstable connections
- Resolution and scaling issues on mobile devices
Requested features
5 requests- Add custom layout options for virtual controller
- Improve mouse and keyboard support
- Implement better microphone and camera integration
- Add scrolling gestures for touch controls
- Provide more storage options
In-app purchases
RealVNC Viewer
No in-app purchases
Shadow PC
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is RealVNC Viewer free?
Is Shadow PC free?
Which has better reviews, RealVNC Viewer or Shadow PC?
Do RealVNC Viewer or Shadow PC have ads?
Which is updated more often, RealVNC Viewer or Shadow PC?
Other comparisons
