Comparison

PXS External Screen Desktop vs NimbleDesk

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

Head to head
About

PXS External Screen Desktop

Transform your phone into a full desktop experience, accessible on AR glasses, monitors, TVs, or web browsers. Control your phone as a trackpad and keyboard, or pair external devices for a complete laptop feel.

Highlights
  • Desktop environment on external screens
  • Phone as trackpad and keyboard
  • Tabbed desktop-class browser
  • Window management
  • Spotlight-style launcher with voice input
  • Offline voice dictation
Features
Read full description

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 fold or a turn keeps your windows and pages as they are. 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 • 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 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/

About

NimbleDesk

Access your Windows PC from your iPhone or iPad with fast, responsive streaming. Control your desktop with real mice, keyboards, or custom touch controls. Use your iPad as an extra monitor or collaborate with others by sharing your desktop.

Highlights
  • Fast, responsive remote desktop streaming
  • Support for real mice, keyboards, and controllers
  • Customizable on-screen touch controls
  • Use iPad as an extra wireless monitor
  • Securely share and access desktops with others
  • High-quality video and audio streaming
Features
Read full description

NimbleDesk gives you fast, responsive access to your Windows PC from your iPhone or iPad, wherever you are. Built around ultra-low-latency peer-to-peer WebRTC streaming and hardware-accelerated video, NimbleDesk is designed to make remote desktop control feel as immediate as possible. Whether you're working remotely, playing games, checking something on your PC, or using your iPad as an extra display, NimbleDesk keeps your desktop close at hand. FAST, HIGH-QUALITY REMOTE ACCESS Stream your Windows desktop with both video and audio at up to 4K and 60 FPS. Choose between quality modes that prioritize responsiveness or smoother playback depending on what you're doing. Whenever possible, NimbleDesk connects directly to your computer using a peer-to-peer connection. When a direct connection isn't available, encrypted relay servers can keep you connected across more restrictive networks. USE REAL MICE, KEYBOARDS, AND CONTROLLERS Connect compatible Bluetooth mice, keyboards, and game controllers to your iPhone or iPad and use them to control your remote PC. NimbleDesk is built for more than basic desktop navigation, making it suitable for gaming, productivity, and applications that benefit from precise input. CREATE CUSTOM TOUCH CONTROLS Layouts let you build your own on-screen controls for the things you use most. Add push buttons, toggle buttons, joysticks, and button pads, then configure them to send: - Keyboard input and shortcuts - Mouse input - Controller input - Common macros and input combinations Create layouts for games, creative applications, productivity workflows, or anything else that benefits from quick touch access. TURN YOUR IPAD INTO AN EXTRA MONITOR View any monitor connected to your Windows PC, or create a virtual display and use your iPad as an additional wireless monitor alongside your desktop or laptop. Move your work to another screen, keep reference material nearby, or extend your desktop without adding another physical monitor. CONNECT TO DESKTOPS SHARED WITH YOU Add friends and coworkers as connections, and they can invite you to access their Windows desktop. When someone shares a desktop with you, NimbleDesk lets you securely view and control it from your iPhone or iPad, according to the permissions set by the host. Jump into a game together, collaborate on a project, or simply check out what someone's working on. FREE TO GET STARTED The free tier includes: - Remote streaming up to 720p at 30 FPS - Up to 5 GB of encrypted relay usage - Direct peer-to-peer connections when available - An automatic 30-day trial of Premium features Premium unlocks higher streaming quality and additional capabilities for users who want the best NimbleDesk experience. AVAILABLE FOR WINDOWS PCS NimbleDesk currently connects to Windows computers running the NimbleDesk desktop app. Support for additional desktop platforms is planned for the future. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://www.nimble-desk.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.nimble-desk.com/privacy

Screenshots

PXS External Screen Desktop4 screens
NimbleDesk3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PXS External Screen Desktop at every 3 days against NimbleDesk's every 2 weeks. PXS External Screen Desktop also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1). NimbleDesk's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. PXS External Screen Desktop sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and NimbleDesk sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PXS External Screen Desktop against 5.0 for NimbleDesk. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PXS External Screen Desktop ships an update every 3 days, NimbleDesk every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PXS External Screen Desktop versus NimbleDesk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPXS External Screen DesktopNimbleDesk
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size207 MB16 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperbyteNine ASGudka Ventures LLC

Customer experience

PXS External Screen Desktop

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

NimbleDesk

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PXS External Screen Desktop

Subscriptions2
  • PXS Pro — Monthly$6.991 Month
  • PXS Pro — Yearly$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • PXS Pro — Lifetime$39.99
2 purchases

NimbleDesk

Subscriptions2
  • NimbleDesk Premium Monthly$8.991 Month
  • NimbleDesk Premium Yearly$89.991 Year

Questions

Is PXS External Screen Desktop free?
PXS External Screen Desktop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NimbleDesk free?
NimbleDesk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PXS External Screen Desktop or NimbleDesk?
PXS External Screen Desktop and NimbleDesk are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do PXS External Screen Desktop or NimbleDesk have ads?
Neither PXS External Screen Desktop nor NimbleDesk shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PXS External Screen Desktop or NimbleDesk?
PXS External Screen Desktop ships an update every 3 days, and NimbleDesk every 2 weeks. Most recently, PXS External Screen Desktop was updated on October 28, 2026 and NimbleDesk on October 24, 2026.

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