Comparison

RealVNC Viewer vs Pocket Notifier

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

Pocket Notifier

Features
Read full description

Pocket Notifier turns just about anything — a server, a script, a cron job, a home-automation rule, a CI pipeline, a webhook — into a push notification on your iPhone and iPad. No code needed on the receiving end. How it works: 1. Create a notification group and get a unique API key. 2. Have any system send an HTTP POST to /api/notify with your key. 3. The notification arrives instantly on your devices. Features: • Unlimited notification groups, each with its own API key • Full notification history, with a home-screen widget for the latest • Mute individual groups per device when you want quiet • Teams (Premium): share a group so notifications reach every member Free plan: 100 notifications per month, 3 devices, 3 notification groups. Premium: a one-time purchase that unlocks unlimited notifications, devices, and groups, plus Teams.

Screenshots

RealVNC Viewer4 screens
Pocket Notifier4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RealVNC Viewer at none against Pocket Notifier's 1. RealVNC Viewer also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Pocket Notifier's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support 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. Pocket Notifier sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RealVNC Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RealVNC Viewer ships an update every 2 months, Pocket Notifier every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
RealVNC Viewer versus Pocket Notifier: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRealVNC ViewerPocket Notifier
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (15K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings15K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRealVNCVanmo IT AB

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

Pocket Notifier

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

RealVNC Viewer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Pocket Notifier

One-time1
  • Premium$3.99

Questions

Is RealVNC Viewer free?
RealVNC Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pocket Notifier free?
Pocket Notifier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do RealVNC Viewer or Pocket Notifier have ads?
Neither RealVNC Viewer nor Pocket Notifier shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RealVNC Viewer or Pocket Notifier?
RealVNC Viewer ships an update every 2 months, and Pocket Notifier every 5 days. Most recently, RealVNC Viewer was updated on November 12, 2026 and Pocket Notifier on November 4, 2026.

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