Comparison

LilDisplay vs OpenDisplay

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

Head to head
About

LilDisplay

Features
Read full description

LilDisplay — Turn your iPhone or iPad into a touchscreen Mac display Give your Mac a second screen you can actually touch — and control. No extra hardware, no subscriptions. Just your device, a free Mac app, and you're set. Super-fast — USB for 5–10ms latency, or Wi-Fi for wireless freedom. Touch your Mac — Tap, scroll, and drag right on screen. Take full control — Use your iPhone or iPad as a keyboard and mouse for your Mac. Even run it lid-closed, with your device as the only controller. A true external display — Extend your desktop and run fullscreen apps. Works everywhere — iPhone and iPad, back to iOS 15. FEELS LIKE A MAC TRACKPAD Swipe with three or four fingers to switch Spaces, open Mission Control or App Exposé. Download the free Mac app at lildisplay.app Requires iOS/iPadOS 15+ and macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later.

About

OpenDisplay

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a genuine second display for your Mac. This open-source solution allows you to extend your screen space, keeping essential apps visible. Connect via USB for minimal latency or Wi-Fi for easy setup.

Highlights
  • Use iPhone/iPad as a second Mac display
  • Connect via USB or Wi-Fi
  • Retina-sharp rendering
  • Touch and scroll support
  • Portrait or landscape orientation
  • Private by design, no tracking
Features
Read full description

OpenDisplay turns your iPhone or iPad into a second display for your Mac. It's the open-source way to put your spare Apple device to work as a real extended monitor — drag windows onto it, keep chat, notes, or logs in view, and gain screen space anywhere you go. It's not a mirror: it's a genuine additional display your Mac treats like any other monitor. • Real extended display — arrange it in your Mac's Display settings and drag windows across • Connect over USB for the lowest latency, or over Wi-Fi with zero setup • Retina-sharp, pixel-for-pixel rendering • Touch and scroll — tap, drag, and two-finger scroll to control your Mac • Works in portrait or landscape • Private by design — a direct connection between your own devices, with no accounts, no servers, and no tracking IMPORTANT: OpenDisplay requires the companion OpenDisplay app for Mac, running on your computer on the same cable or Wi-Fi network. Get it at opendisplay.app — without it, this app has nothing to connect to. OpenDisplay is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Read the code, report issues, or contribute at https://github.com/peetzweg/opendisplay

Screenshots

LilDisplay4 screens
OpenDisplay1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenDisplay at none against LilDisplay's 1. OpenDisplay also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. LilDisplay sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. OpenDisplay asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LilDisplay ships an update monthly, OpenDisplay every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
LilDisplay versus OpenDisplay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLilDisplayOpenDisplay
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (21 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—92.3% of reviews
Number of ratings—21 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSaeed GarmehPhilip Poloczek

In-app purchases

1 purchases

LilDisplay

One-time1
  • Full Version$2.99
None

OpenDisplay

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LilDisplay free?
LilDisplay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenDisplay free?
OpenDisplay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do LilDisplay or OpenDisplay have ads?
Neither LilDisplay nor OpenDisplay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LilDisplay or OpenDisplay?
LilDisplay ships an update monthly, and OpenDisplay every 8 days. Most recently, LilDisplay was updated on October 28, 2026 and OpenDisplay on October 29, 2026.

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