Comparison

RealVNC Viewer vs Mouse · Keyboard

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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.

About

Mouse · Keyboard

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a precise trackpad and full-featured keyboard for your Mac or PC. Control your computer remotely for presentations, browsing, or messaging with a natural, intuitive interface. Enjoy seamless connectivity and privacy on your local network.

Highlights
  • Precise multi-touch trackpad gestures
  • Full-screen keyboard with shortcuts
  • Works with Mac and PC
  • Local network privacy
  • Landscape and portrait modes
  • Quick setup
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a powerful trackpad and keyboard for your Mac or PC. Present with confidence, browse from the couch, or answer messages without reaching for your computer. Why You’ll Love Input - Feels instantly natural. Smooth, precise multi-touch tracking with scrolling, swipes, and gestures that behave just like a real trackpad. - Type comfortably anywhere. Enjoy a full-screen keyboard with text shortcuts, emoji, and function keys—perfect for long messages or quick replies. - Works with all your computers. Install the free helper on any Mac or PC and switch between devices with a single tap. - Built for privacy. Everything stays on your local network. Connections use HTTPS and require on-device approval before pairing. - Made for every moment. Landscape or portrait, light or dark mode—Input adapts beautifully to any iPhone or iPad screen. Quick Setup 1. Download the free helper for Mac or PC at rs.ltd/get 2. Make sure your devices share the same Wi-Fi or Personal Hotspot 3. Open Input, select your computer, and you’re ready to go Requirements - Mac with macOS 10.10+ or PC running Windows 7 SP1+ - Latest helper app from rs.ltd/get - Shared network connection (Wi-Fi or Personal Hotspot); details at rs.ltd/connect Input turns any spot—sofa, stage, or bedside—into the perfect place to control your computer with ease and precision.

Screenshots

RealVNC Viewer4 screens
Mouse · Keyboard3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RealVNC Viewer at Free against Mouse · Keyboard's $7.99. RealVNC Viewer also leads on ratings volume (15K vs 2.5K) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). Mouse · Keyboard's advantage is review sentiment (94% vs 72%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

RealVNC Viewer is free to download; Mouse · Keyboard costs $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for RealVNC Viewer against 4.7 for Mouse · Keyboard. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RealVNC Viewer has 15K ratings behind it against 2.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of RealVNC Viewer's written reviews are positive against 94% of Mouse · Keyboard's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RealVNC Viewer ships an update every 2 months, Mouse · Keyboard fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
RealVNC Viewer versus Mouse · Keyboard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRealVNC ViewerMouse · Keyboard
PriceFree — better$7.99
Rating4.8 (15K ratings) — better4.7 (2.5K ratings)
Positive reviews72.3% of reviews94.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15K — better2.5K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#134 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB102 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRealVNC LimitedRemote Sunrise LTD

Customer experience

RealVNC Viewer

All ratings14,634 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews1,525 reviews
Positive72.3%
Neutral7.1%
Negative20.7%

Mouse · Keyboard

All ratings2,478 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews943 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral1.3%
Negative4.7%

User reviews

RealVNC Viewer

From 15K App Store ratings

What 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

Mouse · Keyboard

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Responsive and fast
  • 💡 Useful remote control features
  • 🔒 Secure and reliable
  • 🎨 Clean and intuitive interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional lag or connectivity issues
  • 🔋 Drains device battery faster
  • 📚 Unclear instructions or documentation

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

Mouse · Keyboard

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Cursor disappears or becomes unresponsive
  • Keyboard input not registering correctly

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add volume and brightness controls
  • Improve scrolling and zooming gestures
  • Provide more keyboard customization options

In-app purchases

None

RealVNC Viewer

No in-app purchases

None

Mouse · Keyboard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RealVNC Viewer free?
RealVNC Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mouse · Keyboard free?
Mouse · Keyboard costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, RealVNC Viewer or Mouse · Keyboard?
RealVNC Viewer is rated higher. RealVNC Viewer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Mouse · Keyboard averages 4.7 from 2.5K ratings.
Do RealVNC Viewer or Mouse · Keyboard have ads?
Neither RealVNC Viewer nor Mouse · Keyboard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RealVNC Viewer or Mouse · Keyboard?
RealVNC Viewer ships an update every 2 months, and Mouse · Keyboard fortnightly. Most recently, RealVNC Viewer was updated on October 26, 2026 and Mouse · Keyboard on October 25, 2026.

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