PXS External Screen Desktop vs ScreenCommand
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PXS External Screen Desktop
Transform your phone into a full desktop experience with windows, a dock, and a browser. Connect to AR glasses, monitors, TVs, or even a web browser. Use your phone as a trackpad and keyboard, or pair external devices for a complete laptop feel.
- Desktop environment with windows
- Desktop-class tabbed browser
- Connect to AR glasses, monitors, TVs
- Phone as trackpad/keyboard
- Install websites as apps
- Screen sharing from PC
- Voice dictation for input
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Leave the laptop at home — your phone IS the computer. PXS Desktop turns your phone into a real desktop: windows, a dock, a launcher, a desktop-class browser — on AR glasses, a monitor, a TV, or even a web browser. Your phone becomes the trackpad and keyboard. Pair a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard for the full laptop feel. FOUR WAYS TO GET A SCREEN • Cable — AR display glasses (Viture, XREAL, RayNeo, Rokid, Lenovo Legion Glasses), any USB-C monitor or portable display, HDMI via adapter • Screen Mirroring — Apple TV, a Mac, or any AirPlay 2 TV • AnyScreen — any modern browser becomes your display: a laptop, a smart TV, even the browser in your parked car • Open on this screen — the desktop right on an iPad or iPhone Duo WIRED? CHECK YOUR CABLE Charging cables carry power only — including the white one in your iPhone box. A wired screen needs a USB-C cable that supports video (DisplayPort Alt Mode): the cable that came with your glasses or monitor, a Thunderbolt cable, or Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter for HDMI. UNFOLD IT On iPhone Duo the desktop fills the big inner screen. Half folded, it stands like a laptop: the desktop on top, a touchpad or a game controller below. A REAL DESKTOP • Windows you can move, resize, snap, minimize and fullscreen • A desktop-class tabbed browser — Gmail, Google Docs, Office, video calls with camera and mic (Teams, Meet), file downloads • Reader view: any article in clean, larger text, or read aloud • Install any website as an app with its own icon • Your phone's own apps in the dock and launcher, opening on the phone • Screen Sharing: your Mac or Windows PC in a window, with sound via the free PXS Helper • Play cloud games with a controller, or with your phone as one • Spotlight-style launcher with voice input and natural-language commands • Files, Photos, Notes, Preview (PDF markup), Camera and scanner, Clock with alarms, Calculator, video, text editor, terminal, games • Daily Overview: calendar, tasks and weather • A spoken greeting when you connect, in a natural voice that runs offline • Themes and chrome styles, movable widgets, on-screen keyboard TALK INSTEAD OF TYPING Press Dictate under the trackpad, or the microphone in the menu bar, and speak into any field — a web form, an email, a search box. It all happens on your iPhone, so nothing is sent anywhere and it works with no signal. Requires iOS 26. MADE FOR AR GLASSES PXS was built for the pocket-computer dream: glasses on your face, phone in your hand, a huge desktop nobody else can see. If your glasses act as a USB-C display, they work. Switch them to 3D and the desktop gets depth, and 3D films and photos show in 3D. TRY IT FREE FIRST Your free trial starts when you first connect a screen — not when you install — so no trial time is wasted waiting for your glasses to arrive. After that, one purchase makes it yours forever: $39.99 at the launch price, down from $49.99 (or $24.99/year, cancel anytime). Your setup, your signed-in apps and your files always remain yours. THE HONEST LIST We're a small shop and we'd rather tell you up front: Apple TV+ won't play in the browser (a service choice, not an iOS limit — Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple Music and Plex all play fine); copy/paste works best with a Bluetooth keyboard (⌘C/⌘V); other apps' iOS notifications can't appear on the desktop; a Bluetooth mouse needs a one-time AssistiveTouch setup, and typing in Mouse Mode wants a Bluetooth keyboard (iOS hides the touch keyboard while a mouse is connected). The spoken greeting is English only. And in a car, AnyScreen is for passengers and parked use only — never while driving. Feature requests are voted on publicly at bytenine.com — the board genuinely drives the roadmap. No ads. No tracking. No account required. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
ScreenCommand
Transform your iPad or iPhone into a desktop browsing workstation by connecting it to an external monitor or TV. Use your device as a trackpad and keyboard to navigate a full desktop-class browser, stream content, and manage tabs.
- Desktop-class browser on external display
- iPad/iPhone as trackpad and keyboard
- Streaming support for Netflix, YouTube, etc.
- Up to 12 persistent tabs per window
- Customizable cursor styles and speed
- Full keyboard and mouse support
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Turn your iPad or iPhone and an external monitor or TV into a desktop browsing workstation, even on a non-M iPad, where iPadOS extended display isn't available. The big screen gets a full desktop-class browser. Your iPad or iPhone becomes the trackpad and keyboard: 8 cursor styles, up to 12 persistent tabs, YouTube quality up to 4K, and Netflix and other streaming over a cable. A hardware keyboard works too, and so does a mouse on iPad. Pay once, no subscription. IMPORTANT: REQUIRES AN EXTERNAL MONITOR OR TV. ScreenCommand runs the browser on an external display connected over USB-C (or a USB-C-to-HDMI/DisplayPort adapter) or via AirPlay to an Apple TV, and your iPad or iPhone becomes the trackpad and control center. Without a display connected, the app opens to a "Connect External Monitor" setup screen. There is no standalone on-device browsing mode. ScreenCommand shows websites on the TV; other apps can't run there. STREAMING ON THE BIG SCREEN: Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock and other streaming services play on the TV over a USB-C cable. YouTube, Vimeo, and other web video play over a cable or AirPlay. SEAMLESS EXTERNAL DISPLAY • Full web browsing on your external monitor • Automatic display detection - plug and play • Optimized for 1080p, 4K, and ultrawide displays ADVANCED CURSOR & CONTROLS • Eight stunning cursor styles: Default, Cyberpunk Neon, Elegant Glass, Liquid Crystal, Gaming Pro, Luxury Gold, Aurora Borealis, Minimal Dark • Smooth trackpad navigation with gesture support • Use a Bluetooth or USB mouse or trackpad on iPad • Natural scrolling with two-finger gestures • Precise click, double-click, and right-click support INTELLIGENT KEYBOARD INPUT • Full keyboard support for web forms and search • Type on a hardware keyboard, with shortcuts like ⌘L, ⌘T and ⌘R • Smart URL bar: type a web address or a search query • Automatic input field detection and focus MEDIA CONTROLS • Play/pause video with one tap • Change YouTube video quality on the fly, up to 4K (2160p), even in fullscreen • Adjust media volume with an on-screen slider • Seek through videos with intuitive progress bar • Fullscreen toggle support • Cinema mode for distraction-free viewing POWERFUL BROWSING FEATURES • Up to 4 browser windows with 12 tabs each, saved between sessions • Two windows side by side on the TV • Password AutoFill for sign-ins on the TV • Desktop mode for full website compatibility • "What Works Here" shows how your device connects • Prevents unwanted app redirects • Pop-up blocker with a per-site switch CUSTOMIZATION • Adjustable cursor size (0.2x - 5.0x) • Adjustable mouse speed for precision or speed (0.5x - 5.0x) • Configure homepage URL • Auto-launch browser on monitor connect PRIVACY FIRST • No data collection or tracking • No third-party analytics • All processing happens locally on your device • No internet connection required (except for browsing) PERFECT FOR: • Professionals who need a larger workspace • Students doing research on a bigger screen • Content creators managing social media • Anyone wanting desktop browsing from an iPad or iPhone HOW IT WORKS: 1. Connect your iPad or iPhone to an external monitor (USB-C or HDMI adapter), or AirPlay to an Apple TV 2. Launch ScreenCommand 3. Browser automatically opens on your external display 4. Use your iPad or iPhone as a trackpad and control center 5. Enjoy desktop-class browsing! REQUIREMENTS: • iPad with a USB-C port on iPadOS 17.0 or later (no M-series chip required) • Or iPhone on iOS 17.0 or later. A cable needs USB-C video out (iPhone 15 or later, except iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air); any iPhone can use AirPlay • External monitor or TV • USB-C to HDMI/DisplayPort adapter (or direct USB-C connection), or an Apple TV for wireless AirPlay (wired recommended for the lowest cursor latency) ScreenCommand brings true desktop browsing to the external display of your iPad or iPhone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: PXS External Screen Desktop at 100% against ScreenCommand's 0%. PXS External Screen Desktop also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). ScreenCommand's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
PXS External Screen Desktop is free to download; ScreenCommand costs $4.99 up front. PXS External Screen Desktop sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. ScreenCommand asks for nothing beyond the download.
ScreenCommand holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PXS External Screen Desktop has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of PXS External Screen Desktop's written reviews are positive against 0% of ScreenCommand's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
PXS External Screen Desktop ships an update every 4 days, ScreenCommand fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PXS External Screen Desktop | ScreenCommand |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.3 (6 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #178 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 213 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | byteNine AS | Simple Products Studio |
Customer experience
PXS External Screen Desktop
ScreenCommand
In-app purchases
PXS External Screen Desktop
- PXS Pro — Monthly$6.991 Month
- PXS Pro — Yearly$24.991 Year
- PXS Pro — Lifetime$39.99
ScreenCommand
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PXS External Screen Desktop free?
Is ScreenCommand free?
Which has better reviews, PXS External Screen Desktop or ScreenCommand?
Do PXS External Screen Desktop or ScreenCommand have ads?
Which is updated more often, PXS External Screen Desktop or ScreenCommand?
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