Comparison

TapDeck vs PadLink Remote

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

Head to head
About

TapDeck

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a personalized PC gaming controller. Enjoy a fast, reliable connection and design custom layouts to match your play style. Personalize your experience with unique themes.

Highlights
  • Customizable PC gaming controller
  • Personalized layout design
  • Fast, reliable wired connection
  • Unique theme personalization
  • iPhone and iPad support
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a fully customizable PC gaming controller. Connect with a fast, reliable wired connection, design a layout that fits your play style, and personalize your controller with unique themes. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PadLink Remote

Read full description

PadLink Remote turns your phone into a wireless game controller for your computer. Play with an on-screen gamepad, a full racing cockpit, or a touchpad mouse — over your local Wi-Fi, with no cables and no account. HOW IT WORKS 1. Install the free PadLink desktop app on your computer. 2. Open PadLink Remote and pair in seconds — scan the QR code or type the pairing code. 3. Start playing. PadLink presents your phone as a standard gamepad your games already recognize (or as keyboard & mouse). CONTROL SURFACES • Gamepad — dual thumbsticks, D-pad, face buttons, shoulder buttons, analog triggers, and menu buttons, laid out like a real controller. • Car Driving cockpit — a steering wheel with tilt (gyro) steering, gas and brake pedals with cruise-lock, a sequential gear shifter, and a handbrake. Built for racing games. • Touchpad mouse — use your phone as a trackpad whenever you need a pointer. FEATURES • Low-latency input over your local network — no internet connection needed for gameplay. • Easy pairing by QR code, manual code, or one-tap reconnect to a known computer. • Customizable layout — move, resize, and set the opacity of every control to fit your hands and your screen. Free for everyone. • Haptic feedback on button presses and triggers. • Automatic reconnect if your Wi-Fi drops mid-session. • Designed for landscape play. REQUIREMENTS • The free PadLink desktop app, available for Windows and macOS. • Your phone and computer on the same Wi-Fi / local network. • No sign-in and no account — your controller input goes only to your own computer. FREE & PRO PadLink Remote is free to download and play. The Car Driving cockpit becomes available when the computer you connect to is running PadLink Pro or its free trial — it is a capability of the desktop app. While connected to a computer on the free plan, a small banner ad appears during play. PRIVACY Your controller input is sent only to your own computer over your local network. The camera is used solely to scan the pairing QR code, on your device. Turn the phone in your pocket into the controller your games have been waiting for.

Screenshots

TapDeck4 screens
PadLink Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PadLink Remote at none against TapDeck's 6. PadLink Remote also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.5). TapDeck's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. TapDeck sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. PadLink Remote asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TapDeck ships an update every 5 days, PadLink Remote every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
TapDeck versus PadLink Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTapDeckPadLink Remote
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.516.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYashua EvansSocheat Rath

In-app purchases

6 purchases

TapDeck

One-time6
  • Tier 1 Tokens Pack$0.99
  • Tier 2 Tokens Pack$1.99
  • Tier 3 Tokens Pack$4.99
Show 3 more
  • Tier 4 Tokens Pack$9.99
  • Tier 5 Tokens Pack$19.99
  • Tier 6 Tokens Pack$49.99
None

PadLink Remote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TapDeck free?
TapDeck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PadLink Remote free?
PadLink Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TapDeck or PadLink Remote have ads?
PadLink Remote shows ads; TapDeck does not.
Which is updated more often, TapDeck or PadLink Remote?
TapDeck ships an update every 5 days, and PadLink Remote every 2 weeks. Most recently, TapDeck was updated on September 23, 2026 and PadLink Remote on September 30, 2026.

Other comparisons