Comparison

DeskState vs OpenDisplay

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

Head to head
About

DeskState

Transform your iPhone into a focused external workspace. This app creates a windowed environment on a monitor with floating panels, keyboard/mouse support, and customizable layouts. Pin favorite web panels to maintain a consistent and efficient setup.

Highlights
  • External display workspace
  • Floating windows
  • Keyboard and mouse support
  • Pin favorite web panels
  • Customizable backgrounds
Features
Read full description

iOS mirrors your iPhone with black bars. DeskState gives you a desktop instead: plug into a monitor, TV or projector and get windows, a Dock, Launchpad, Spotlight and Mission Control at the display's full resolution. Your iPhone becomes the trackpad and keyboard. A REAL DESKTOP • Windows you move, resize and snap to halves or quarters of the screen • A Dock you arrange yourself, Launchpad, Spotlight with quick sums, and Mission Control • A web browser with tabs, bookmarks, history and downloads, and any site as an app in your Dock • Notes, documents, console, calculator, focus timer and more • Your desktop remembers: windows come back where you left them YOUR IPHONE IS THE TRACKPAD • Swipe, tap, two-finger scroll, double-tap and hold to drag, three fingers for all your windows • Type with the iPhone keyboard and see what you type; arrow keys, Tab and Esc above it • Works with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse too CONNECT • iPhone 15 and later: any USB-C to HDMI cable • Earlier iPhones: Lightning Digital AV Adapter • Apple TV and AirPlay displays PLANS Your first five desktop sessions are Pro, free. After that the free plan gives you 20 minutes of desktop a day. DeskState Pro removes the limit and adds quarter snapping, a desktop for each display, themes and wallpapers, Pro tools and iCloud sync, monthly, yearly or once. Streaming services with copy protection show video only over a cable, not over AirPlay. DeskState is a desktop inside the app: it runs its own apps and websites, not other iOS apps. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

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 for multitasking, keeping important information visible. Connect via USB for minimal latency or Wi-Fi for easy setup.

Highlights
  • Real extended display functionality
  • USB and Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Retina-sharp rendering
  • Touch and scroll support
  • Portrait and 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

DeskState4 screens
OpenDisplay1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: OpenDisplay at 92% against DeskState's 0%. OpenDisplay also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 7). DeskState's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 days). On price and ads 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. DeskState sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. OpenDisplay asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OpenDisplay holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OpenDisplay has 21 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of DeskState's written reviews are positive against 92% of OpenDisplay's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DeskState ships an update every 4 days, OpenDisplay every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
DeskState versus OpenDisplay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDeskStateOpenDisplay
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings)4.7 (21 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews92.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings321 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB1 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAbraham RubioPhilip Poloczek

Customer experience

DeskState

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

OpenDisplay

All ratings21 ratings
Positive90.5%
Neutral4.8%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

DeskState

Subscriptions5
  • Monthly subscription$2.991 Month
  • Monthly subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$14.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Yearly subscription$14.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription$24.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime subscription$29.99
  • Lifetime$59.99
None

OpenDisplay

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DeskState free?
DeskState is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenDisplay free?
OpenDisplay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DeskState or OpenDisplay?
OpenDisplay is rated higher. DeskState averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while OpenDisplay averages 4.7 from 21 ratings.
Do DeskState or OpenDisplay have ads?
Neither DeskState nor OpenDisplay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DeskState or OpenDisplay?
DeskState ships an update every 4 days, and OpenDisplay every 8 days. Most recently, DeskState was updated on November 5, 2026 and OpenDisplay on November 1, 2026.

Other comparisons