Comparison

RealVNC Viewer vs DeskState

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
Features
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

DeskState

Transform your iPhone into a focused external workspace. This app creates a windowed environment on a monitor with floating panels, keyboard/mouse support, and customizable layouts. Pin favorite web panels to maintain a consistent and efficient setup.

Highlights
  • External display workspace
  • Floating windows
  • Keyboard and mouse support
  • Pin favorite web panels
  • Customizable backgrounds
Features
Read full description

iOS mirrors your iPhone with black bars. DeskState gives you a desktop instead: plug into a monitor, TV or projector and get windows, a Dock, Launchpad, Spotlight and Mission Control at the display's full resolution. Your iPhone becomes the trackpad and keyboard. A REAL DESKTOP • Windows you move, resize and snap to halves or quarters of the screen • A Dock you arrange yourself, Launchpad, Spotlight with quick sums, and Mission Control • A web browser with tabs, bookmarks, history and downloads, and any site as an app in your Dock • Notes, documents, console, calculator, focus timer and more • Your desktop remembers: windows come back where you left them YOUR IPHONE IS THE TRACKPAD • Swipe, tap, two-finger scroll, double-tap and hold to drag, three fingers for all your windows • Type with the iPhone keyboard and see what you type; arrow keys, Tab and Esc above it • Works with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse too CONNECT • iPhone 15 and later: any USB-C to HDMI cable • Earlier iPhones: Lightning Digital AV Adapter • Apple TV and AirPlay displays PLANS Your first five desktop sessions are Pro, free. After that the free plan gives you 20 minutes of desktop a day. DeskState Pro removes the limit and adds quarter snapping, a desktop for each display, themes and wallpapers, Pro tools and iCloud sync, monthly, yearly or once. Streaming services with copy protection show video only over a cable, not over AirPlay. DeskState is a desktop inside the app: it runs its own apps and websites, not other iOS apps. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

RealVNC Viewer4 screens
DeskState4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RealVNC Viewer at 72% against DeskState's 0%. RealVNC Viewer also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 7). DeskState's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). On price and ads 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. DeskState sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. RealVNC Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RealVNC Viewer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RealVNC Viewer has 15K ratings behind it against 2, 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 0% of DeskState's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RealVNC Viewer ships an update every 2 months, DeskState every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
RealVNC Viewer versus DeskState: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRealVNC ViewerDeskState
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (15K ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews72.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB48 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperRealVNCAbraham Rubio

Customer experience

RealVNC Viewer

All ratings15,340 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews1,525 reviews
Positive72.3%
Neutral7.1%
Negative20.7%

DeskState

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

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

DeskState

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

RealVNC Viewer

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

DeskState

Subscriptions5
  • Monthly subscription$2.991 Month
  • Monthly subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$14.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Yearly subscription$14.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription$24.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime subscription$29.99
  • Lifetime$59.99

Questions

Is RealVNC Viewer free?
RealVNC Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DeskState free?
DeskState is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RealVNC Viewer or DeskState?
RealVNC Viewer is rated higher. RealVNC Viewer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while DeskState averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do RealVNC Viewer or DeskState have ads?
Neither RealVNC Viewer nor DeskState shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RealVNC Viewer or DeskState?
RealVNC Viewer ships an update every 2 months, and DeskState every 4 days. Most recently, RealVNC Viewer was updated on October 29, 2026 and DeskState on October 24, 2026.

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