MagicConnect Viewer vs Duet Air
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MagicConnect Viewer
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MagicConnect is a remote access service that allows remote control of the desktop screen of the PC in the office, safely and easily from the iPhone/iPad at hand. By using MagicConnect, you can perform PC tasks just like when you're at office wherever you are whenever you want. It is effective for business continuation at the time of commuting difficulty, and also effective for business efficiency through telecommuting and mobile work. * This service is for use by corporate customers only. * "MagicConnect" service contract is required for use. * Please check MagicConnect product website for more and latest information. https://www.magicconnect.net/english/ == Features == - Robust authentication using digital certificate and terminal-specific information. - Leaving no information file to iPhone/iPad at hand. - Introduction completes by only installing apps on the office PC and the iPhone/iPad. - Intuitive operability developed exclusively for touch panel. == OS supported == - Support OS of the target device (the device operated such as the office PC, shared server, virtual desktop, etc.) are as follows. * Windows 11 Enterprise, Pro * Windows 10 Enterprise, Pro * Windows Server 2016 / 2019 / 2022 / 2025
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.
- Remote desktop functionality
- Extra display for Mac/PC
- Touch and gesture support
- Apple Pencil integration for drawing
- Wireless and wired connectivity
- Zero lag performance
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#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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MagicConnect Viewer at none against Duet Air's 2. MagicConnect Viewer also leads on ads (none vs shown). Duet Air's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price 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
Both are free to download. Duet Air sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year. MagicConnect Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.
MagicConnect Viewer ships an update every 3 months, Duet Air every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MagicConnect Viewer | Duet Air |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.3 (1.9K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 23.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 50 MB | 67 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NTT TechnoCross Corporation | Duet, Inc. |
Bugs and requests
MagicConnect Viewer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
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
MagicConnect Viewer
No in-app purchases
Duet Air
- Duet Air (Annual)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Duet Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$79.991 Year
Questions
Is MagicConnect Viewer free?
Is Duet Air free?
Do MagicConnect Viewer or Duet Air have ads?
Which is updated more often, MagicConnect Viewer or Duet Air?
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