Comparison

Clamshell vs Pi

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

Head to head
About

Clamshell

Monitor the status of all your Macs from your iPhone or iPad. This app allows you to track lid and system states remotely, ensuring you're always informed about your devices. It utilizes iCloud for secure data synchronization without third-party servers.

Highlights
  • Monitor Mac lid states
  • Track system statuses (Awake, Sleep, etc.)
  • Remote monitoring from iPhone/iPad
  • iCloud synchronization
  • Supports Mac desktops
Read full description

Clamshell goes to iPhone and iPad! This is an iOS version of the Clamshell app. It provides monitoring states of all your Macs from your iPhones and iPads that are signed in to the same iCloud account. Clamshell now supports sharing the laptop lid statuses and system statuses (Awake, Sleeping, Logging out, Restarting, Shutting down, Restarted, Shut Down, User Logged Out, App Terminated). More statuses will come in the year. No data is shared with third-party providers. Clamshell is not using any external servers but only Apple's iCloud servers. You're in full control of your data! Note for users of iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro: Clamshell is useful for you finally! Use it to monitor statuses of your Mac desktops remotely from iPhone/iPad. Yay!

About

Pi

Read full description

Pi-hole Companion gives you full control over your Pi-hole DNS filter -- right from your iPhone or iPad. DASHBOARD The overview dashboard shows you in real time: total queries, blocked queries, connected clients, blocking rate, and a 24-hour history graph. DNS BLOCKING CONTROL Toggle DNS blocking on or off directly from the app -- including timed disable with a countdown timer. QUERY LOG & LIVE LOG Browse every DNS query on your network. Filter by domain or client and instantly see whether a query was allowed or blocked. Enable the live log for real-time updates every 2 seconds. DOMAIN MANAGEMENT Add domains to your allow or block list, edit or remove them -- with support for exact match and regex patterns. Assign domains to groups for targeted filtering. GROUPS & CLIENT MANAGEMENT Create groups and assign clients, domains, and lists to them -- so different devices on your network get different filtering rules. BLOCK LISTS & GRAVITY Manage your subscription block lists, assign them to groups, and trigger gravity updates with live progress output. TOP CLIENTS & TOP DOMAINS See at a glance which devices make the most queries and which domains are most queried or blocked. QUERY TYPES & SYSTEM MESSAGES Analyze the distribution of DNS query types (A, AAAA, HTTPS, ...) and keep track of Pi-hole system warnings. SYSTEM INFORMATION Monitor CPU, memory, temperature, and software versions of your Pi-hole server. COMPATIBLE WITH PI-HOLE V6 Pi-hole Companion connects directly to your Pi-hole server via the official API. Just enter your server URL and app password -- done. DEMO MODE Not sure yet? Try the app in demo mode with realistic sample data -- no Pi-hole required.

Screenshots

Clamshell2 screens
Pi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pi at weekly against Clamshell's every 6 weeks. Pi also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Clamshell ships an update every 6 weeks, Pi weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Clamshell versus Pi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClamshellPi
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.416.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander Kovrazhkindevsuit GmbH

In-app purchases

None

Clamshell

No in-app purchases

None

Pi

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Clamshell free?
Clamshell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pi free?
Pi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Clamshell or Pi have ads?
Neither Clamshell nor Pi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Clamshell or Pi?
Clamshell ships an update every 6 weeks, and Pi weekly. Most recently, Clamshell was updated on November 4, 2026 and Pi on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons