Comparison

AI Usage vs Astropad Workbench

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

Head to head
About

AI Usage

Monitor your usage across various AI services to avoid exceeding your limits. This app provides a centralized view of your consumption, showing how much you've used and when your quotas reset. Avoid unexpected service interruptions with this simple, visual tracking tool.

Highlights
  • Track AI service usage
  • Monitor remaining quotas
  • View reset times
  • Centralized dashboard
  • Visual usage indicators
  • Supports multiple AI services
Features
Read full description

Track your AI service usage and stay within your limits. THE PROBLEM AI services have usage quotas. You lose track. Limits hit at the worst time. WHY CHECKING MANUALLY ISN'T ENOUGH Each service has its own settings page — but nobody opens five different apps to check usage one by one until it's too late. THE SOLUTION AIUsage tracks your AI service quotas — Claude, Cursor, Antigravity, and more. See exactly how much you've used, how much is left, and when it resets. Simple. Visual. No more surprise limits. Support: steve_ham@icloud.com

About

Astropad Workbench

Access and control your Mac remotely from your iPhone or iPad. Manage your machine, run desktop applications, and monitor tasks from anywhere with a high-performance, secure connection.

Highlights
  • Real-time Mac control
  • Voice dictation to Mac
  • Unified multi-display workspace
  • Apple Pencil cursor control
  • Hassle-free network connections
  • End-to-end encrypted sessions
Features
Read full description

Access and control your Mac from anywhere, with full remote desktop and built-in terminal. Workbench connects you to your Mac from your iPhone, iPad, or another Mac. Check in on AI agents and long-running jobs, run desktop apps, or drop into the command line without being tethered to your desk. ——— KEY FEATURES Desktop and terminal: Switch between your Mac's full desktop and a terminal right from the toolbar. Terminal sessions keep running after you disconnect, so you can pick up where you left off on another device. Unified display: Combine your Mac's displays into one screen that matches your device's resolution. Headless Mac support: Run a Mac mini with no monitor attached. Workbench gives it a virtual display and manages sleep settings so it's always reachable. Voice input: Dictate prompts and commands from your iPhone or iPad, on the desktop or in the terminal. Apple Pencil and keyboard support: Use your Apple Pencil for precise cursor control in Mac apps, and your keyboard to type and trigger shortcuts. No-hassle connections: Connect instantly without port forwarding, VPNs, or router configuration. Fast, high-fidelity streaming: Interact with your Mac in real time with responsive controls and sharp visuals. Secure by design: Sessions are protected with end-to-end AES-256 encryption, and Astropad can't see your screen or activity. Built for Apple devices: Workbench uses fully native apps built specifically for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. ——— DESIGNED FOR AI AGENT WORKFLOWS Your agents don't stop when you leave your desk. Workbench lets you monitor progress, fix issues, and restart jobs from wherever you are. It's just as useful for checking on tools and software that don't have a mobile app. ——— BUILT BY EX-APPLE ENGINEERS From the team behind Astropad Studio and Luna Display, Workbench delivers fast, responsive control with crisp visuals and reliable performance on any network. ——— PRICING Workbench includes a Free plan with 20 minutes of access per day. Upgrade to Unlimited for uninterrupted access (subscription required). ——— SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Mac: macOS 15 or later iPhone: iOS 26 or later iPad: iPadOS 26 or later

Screenshots

AI Usage3 screens
Astropad Workbench4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Astropad Workbench at 60% against AI Usage's 0%. Astropad Workbench also leads on ads (none vs shown). AI Usage's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

AI Usage ships an update fortnightly, Astropad Workbench every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 9, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AI Usage versus Astropad Workbench: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAI UsageAstropad Workbench
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (221 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—221 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSeung-Un HamAstro HQ

Customer experience

AI Usage

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Astropad Workbench

All ratings201 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

None

AI Usage

No in-app purchases

None

Astropad Workbench

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AI Usage free?
AI Usage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Astropad Workbench free?
Astropad Workbench is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do AI Usage or Astropad Workbench have ads?
AI Usage shows ads; Astropad Workbench does not.
Which is updated more often, AI Usage or Astropad Workbench?
AI Usage ships an update fortnightly, and Astropad Workbench every 3 weeks. Most recently, AI Usage was updated on November 9, 2026 and Astropad Workbench on November 9, 2026.

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