# CastOn vs The Forge

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Forge at none against CastOn's 11. The Forge also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). CastOn's advantage is chart position (#182 vs unranked). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CastOn sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. The Forge asks for nothing beyond the download.

CastOn ships an update every 3 weeks, The Forge every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | CastOn | The Forge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (5.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caston-smart-screen-share/id6572304963/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.3K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 36.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#182** | — |
| Size | 58 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [EpicScale Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1759187257) | [First Response Mental Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518087142) |

## What reviewers say

### CastOn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caston-smart-screen-share/id6572304963)

**Currently charting:** #182 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

Easily share your iPhone screen with others on a larger display. Stream photos, videos, browser content, or even use it as a live camera feed. Features a collaborative whiteboard for shared creativity.

**Highlights:** Screen mirroring for all iPhone content, Cast photos and videos to TV, Interactive whiteboard mode, Live camera streaming to TV, Browser mirroring for shared browsing

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Plan | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Plan | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Plan | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Plan | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Plan | $19.99 | per year |
| Annually Plan | $29.99 | per year |
| Annually Plan | $39.99 | per year |
| Lifetime access | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime access | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Excellent
- ⭐ Jesus

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Terrible app
- 🚫 Garbage
- 🚫 Doesn't work
- 🚫 Worst app ever
- 🚫 Waste of money

**Reported bugs**

- Doesn't cast iPhone to LG tv
- Unsuccessful screen sharing

**Requested features**

- Sound transfer to TV


### The Forge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-forge/id6752663939)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CastOn free?

CastOn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is The Forge free?

The Forge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do CastOn or The Forge have ads?

CastOn shows ads; The Forge does not.

### Which is updated more often, CastOn or The Forge?

CastOn ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Forge every 5 weeks. Most recently, CastOn was updated on October 17, 2026 and The Forge on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*