Comparison

RemotePC Remote Desktop vs Duet Air

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

Head to head
About

RemotePC Remote Desktop

Access your office or home computers from your iOS device with high-speed, 4K quality remote desktop access. Transfer files, control applications, and collaborate with others remotely.

Highlights
  • Instant remote computer access
  • Connect to multiple computers
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Access PCs and Macs
  • File transfer
  • Remote printing
  • Record remote sessions
Features
Read full description

Access remote computers anytime by installing the RemotePC application on your iOS devices. Connect to your office or home computers from anywhere with a speed of 60 FPS and 4K quality. Access files, folders, emails, and software applications on remote machines, whether it's after-hours or while on the go. Features: • Instant remote computer access, provided there is an active internet connection and RemotePC application installed on it •. Connect to multiple remote computers at the same time and manage each session independently. • Provides efficient team work with friends or colleagues by accessing their remote computers to work on presentations, documents, view/edit media files, etc. • Access PCs and MACs using your iOS devices. • Enhanced performance and low latency • Cross-platform compatibility • 60 FPS speed allowing 4K quality  • Faster remote streaming for gamers •. Supports Apple Pencil for precise navigation and control on compatible iPad devices. Functionalities: • Transfer files via your iOS devices and computers with/without remote session. • Enable inactivity timeout to retain remote session running in the background for the specified time. • Lock the remote system via your iOS device. • Configure the display quality and speed of the remote session. • Modify the screen resolution of the remote display • Record remote sessions while accessing via iOS devices. • Control clipboard actions (copy and paste) from your iOS devices. • Access and manage logged off and locked devices remotely. • Remote printing of documents and images using a local printer. • Chat with the recipients for effective communication. • Enable ‘Trusted Devices’ for enhanced security of your RemotePC account. • Enable ‘Blank Host Screen’ to work privately on your remote device by turning the screen blank. • View multiple monitors at the same time for Enterprise accounts. • Restart your remote system via the iOS device in a safe mode. • Collaborate effectively by using Whiteboard to draw on the remote screen. • Multiple users can simultaneously access and work on a single remote machine. • Multitask during remote sessions by opening multiple iPad apps simultaneously

About

Duet Air

Transform your iPad or iPhone into an advanced remote desktop or an extra display for your Mac or PC. Experience unparalleled performance and zero lag, with touch and gesture support. Offers professional-grade drawing capabilities with Apple Pencil integration for artists and designers.

Highlights
  • Remote desktop functionality
  • Extra display for Mac/PC
  • Touch and gesture support
  • Apple Pencil integration for drawing
  • Wireless and wired connectivity
  • Zero lag performance
Read full description

#1 best-selling iPad app in US, Japan, UK, Germany, and 17 other countries! Duet turns your iPad or iPhone into the most advanced Remote Desktop or extra display for your Mac & PC. Developed by a team of ex-Apple engineers, Duet offers unparalleled performance and display quality - all with zero lag. — DO MORE — Be twice as productive by multitasking with two screens. And for those that travel, have a portable way to stay productive. — INCREDIBLY SIMPLE — To get started, plug your iPad into your desktop using your charging cable or choose the desktop to wirelessly connect to. The Duet desktop app will automatically detect your device, and transform it into a high performance touchscreen display. — TOUCHSCREEN — Interact with Mac & PC like never before, with touch & gestures, including two-finger scrolling, pan and zoom. And with our latest release, you can even add a touch bar to any iPad with any Mac. — PERFECT FOR APPLE PENCIL — With Duet Pro, you can turn your iPad and Apple Pencil into a professional graphics tablet. We’ve re-engineered our rendering algorithms for ultra-responsive drawing, optimized specifically for designers, illustrators and artists. Duet Pro also unlocks pressure & tilt sensitivity, hover, palm rejection, and more to seamlessly draw in the most powerful programs for professionals. Get precise control in Photoshop, Corel Painter, Lightroom, ToonBoom, Illustrator, Manga Studio and more. — PRESS — TechCrunch - "Feels Like Magic" TIME - "Getting Work Done Faster and More Efficiently" The Guardian - "Lag-free" Forbes - "The simple thing to note is this...Duet Display works." The Verge - "Glorious Fluidity" Lifehacker - "It's fast, easy to use, and works great" Business Insider - "Zero lag and true retina resolution” Wall Street Journal - “It’s as easy as just plugging it in" — REVIEWS — “Awesome! My iPad Pro can be an extra monitor! Cool app” ~CEO of T-Mobile, John Legere “Very smooth and responsive indeed, plus you could use the touch screen to “click” on screen interfaces!” ~Photographer, Lok Cheung “Love the ability to use my iPad as a monitor with Duet.” ~Former Chief Evangelist of Apple, Guy Kawasaki “Just started using this app called Duet… Kinda love it so far.” ~Comedian and Youtube, Phillip DeFranco “All my mac folks look at the Duet app… GREAT!” ~Actor and Comedian, Sinbad "I really like the app, I suppose the biggest compliment I can give is that it's so easy to setup it almost seems like an Apple product.” ~Early Adopter, M. Nightingale "Amazing solution for me by the way. Works as I was hoping for and actually my main reason for getting an iPad : )” ~Early Adopter, M. Gemzoe Duet Works With: All iPhones and iPads with iOS 11.0 and later All Macs with 10.11 (Mavericks) and later All PCs with Windows 10 64-bit and later Duet Air is a $24.99 per year service built for professionals and remote workers. Price may vary by location. Duet Air subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will not be able to cancel the subscription once activated. Manage Duet Air in Account Settings after the optional upgrade. Learn more at http://www.duetdisplay.com Terms: https://help.duetdisplay.com/duet-terms-services Privacy Policy: https://help.duetdisplay.com/duet-privacy-policy

Screenshots

RemotePC Remote Desktop4 screens
Duet Air3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: RemotePC Remote Desktop at free with in-app purchases against Duet Air's subscription. RemotePC Remote Desktop also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (56% vs 24%). Duet Air's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. RemotePC Remote Desktop sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Duet Air sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RemotePC Remote Desktop holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.5K and 1.9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of RemotePC Remote Desktop's written reviews are positive against 24% of Duet Air's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RemotePC Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 weeks, Duet Air every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
RemotePC Remote Desktop versus Duet Air: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRemotePC Remote DesktopDuet Air
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.5K ratings) — better4.3 (1.9K ratings)
Positive reviews55.9% of reviews — better23.8% of reviews
Number of ratings3.5K — better1.9K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIDrive IncorporatedDuet, Inc.

Customer experience

RemotePC Remote Desktop

All ratings3,531 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral3.4%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews331 reviews
Positive55.9%
Neutral7.9%
Negative36.3%

Duet Air

All ratings1,870 ratings
Positive82.5%
Neutral4.0%
Negative13.5%
Written reviews421 reviews
Positive23.8%
Neutral6.2%
Negative70.1%

User reviews

RemotePC Remote Desktop

From 3.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 💡 Affordable pricing
  • 👍 Reliable remote access
  • 🚀 Responsive performance
  • 👍 Helpful for remote work

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent connection issues
  • 🐛 Buggy mobile app
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems
  • 🐛 Unreliable performance
  • 🐛 Poor customer support

Duet Air

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth performance
  • 👍 Easy to set up
  • 💡 Useful as a second screen
  • 🚀 Zero lag
  • 👍 Fantastic app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent connectivity
  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable
  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🐛 Laggy and low resolution
  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes

Bugs and requests

RemotePC Remote Desktop

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on startup
  • Inability to login or access remote computers
  • Freezing and lagging during remote sessions
  • Disconnections and loss of remote control

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved multi-monitor support
  • Keyboard and mouse functionality on mobile
  • Remote restart and FileVault options
  • Customizable security settings
  • Better remote session management

Duet Air

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Incompatible with Citrix
  • Breaks Windows network
  • Bricked user's PC
  • Login screen issues
  • Inconsistent performance

Requested features

5 requests
  • Support for older devices
  • Improve wireless stability
  • Add audio support
  • Better integration with drawing apps
  • Easier subscription cancellation

In-app purchases

9 purchases

RemotePC Remote Desktop

One-time9
  • RemotePC Basic Plan$6.99
  • Consumer Plan$6.99
  • Solo 1 User 1 Computer at $29.99$29.99
Show 6 more
  • Consumer 1 Computer at $29.99$29.99
  • Solo 1 User 2 Computers at $59.99$59.99
  • Consumer 2 Computer at $59.99$59.99
  • RemotePC ConsumerPlan$69.99
  • Pro 1 User 10 Computers at $99.99$99.99
  • SOHO 10 Computers at $99.99$99.99
2 purchases

Duet Air

Subscriptions2
  • Duet Air (Annual)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Duet Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$79.991 Year

Questions

Is RemotePC Remote Desktop free?
RemotePC Remote Desktop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Duet Air free?
Duet Air is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RemotePC Remote Desktop or Duet Air?
RemotePC Remote Desktop is rated higher. RemotePC Remote Desktop averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Duet Air averages 4.3 from 1.9K ratings.
Do RemotePC Remote Desktop or Duet Air have ads?
Duet Air shows ads; RemotePC Remote Desktop does not.
Which is updated more often, RemotePC Remote Desktop or Duet Air?
RemotePC Remote Desktop ships an update every 2 weeks, and Duet Air every 3 weeks. Most recently, RemotePC Remote Desktop was updated on September 22, 2026 and Duet Air on September 22, 2026.

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