Comparison

Astropad Workbench vs Maccess

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

Head to head
About

Astropad Workbench

Access and control your Mac remotely from your iPhone or iPad. Manage your machine, run desktop applications, and monitor tasks from anywhere with a high-performance, secure connection.

Highlights
  • Real-time Mac control
  • Voice dictation to Mac
  • Unified multi-display workspace
  • Apple Pencil cursor control
  • Hassle-free network connections
  • End-to-end encrypted sessions
Features
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Access and control your Mac from anywhere, with full remote desktop and built-in terminal. Workbench connects you to your Mac from your iPhone, iPad, or another Mac. Check in on AI agents and long-running jobs, run desktop apps, or drop into the command line without being tethered to your desk. ——— KEY FEATURES Desktop and terminal: Switch between your Mac's full desktop and a terminal right from the toolbar. Terminal sessions keep running after you disconnect, so you can pick up where you left off on another device. Unified display: Combine your Mac's displays into one screen that matches your device's resolution. Headless Mac support: Run a Mac mini with no monitor attached. Workbench gives it a virtual display and manages sleep settings so it's always reachable. Voice input: Dictate prompts and commands from your iPhone or iPad, on the desktop or in the terminal. Apple Pencil and keyboard support: Use your Apple Pencil for precise cursor control in Mac apps, and your keyboard to type and trigger shortcuts. No-hassle connections: Connect instantly without port forwarding, VPNs, or router configuration. Fast, high-fidelity streaming: Interact with your Mac in real time with responsive controls and sharp visuals. Secure by design: Sessions are protected with end-to-end AES-256 encryption, and Astropad can't see your screen or activity. Built for Apple devices: Workbench uses fully native apps built specifically for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. ——— DESIGNED FOR AI AGENT WORKFLOWS Your agents don't stop when you leave your desk. Workbench lets you monitor progress, fix issues, and restart jobs from wherever you are. It's just as useful for checking on tools and software that don't have a mobile app. ——— BUILT BY EX-APPLE ENGINEERS From the team behind Astropad Studio and Luna Display, Workbench delivers fast, responsive control with crisp visuals and reliable performance on any network. ——— PRICING Workbench includes a Free plan with 20 minutes of access per day. Upgrade to Unlimited for uninterrupted access (subscription required). ——— SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Mac: macOS 15 or later iPhone: iOS 26 or later iPad: iPadOS 26 or later

About

Maccess

Control your Mac remotely from your iPhone. Manage files, control media, and even use an AI assistant to perform tasks on your computer, all through an encrypted connection. Essential features are free locally, with advanced options available via subscription.

Highlights
  • Remote trackpad and keyboard control
  • Live screen mirroring
  • AI assistant for task execution
  • File browsing and management
  • Media and volume control
  • Send files from iPhone to Mac
  • Spotlight search on Mac
Features
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Your Mac, right there in your pocket. Pause the movie playing on your Mac without leaving the couch. Grab a file off your desktop from a coffee shop across town. Ask Mackie to open your presentation before you even sit down. Maccess turns your iPhone into a remote for everything your Mac can do — pairing takes one QR code scan, and every session is end-to-end encrypted. EVERYTHING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS • Trackpad and keyboard — smooth cursor control with multi-touch gestures, plus full text input • Live screen mirroring — watch your Mac's screen on your iPhone in real time • Works anywhere — on your home Wi-Fi, or from anywhere in the world over our cloud relay • Mackie, your AI assistant — talk or type, and Mackie sees your Mac's current state and gets it done • Spotlight search — find and launch anything on your Mac in seconds • Media and volume — play, pause, skip, and adjust volume from your phone • Send to Mac — beam photos and files from your iPhone straight to your desktop • Mac Finder — browse your Mac's files right from your phone • Screenshots — capture your Mac's screen and save it to your iPhone photo library • Apps and windows — see what's open, switch apps, and manage windows • Quick actions — screenshot, mute, keep awake, wake, sleep, and lock BUILT FOR TRUST • End-to-end encrypted with X25519 + ChaCha20-Poly1305 — your keystrokes, screen, and files are never readable by our servers, on local network or over the internet • Sign in with Apple — no passwords, no separate account • Pair in seconds by scanning a QR code REQUIRES THE FREE MACCESS HELPER Maccess works together with Maccess Helper, our free companion app for your Mac. Download it at https://maccess.io/download open it on your Mac, and scan the QR code once — local control over Wi-Fi works right away. MACCESS PRO The essentials are free on your local network. Maccess Pro unlocks remote access over the internet, the Mackie assistant, screen mirroring, Send to Mac, Spotlight search, Mac Finder, Apps & Windows, multiple Macs, advanced trackpad settings, and custom accent colors. Maccess Pro is an auto-renewable subscription: $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year, each with a 7-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://www.mymaccess.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Astropad Workbench4 screens
Maccess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Maccess at 100% against Astropad Workbench's 60%. Maccess also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Astropad Workbench's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ads, monetization model 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. Maccess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Astropad Workbench asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Astropad Workbench ships an update every 3 weeks, Maccess every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Astropad Workbench versus Maccess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAstropad WorkbenchMaccess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (210 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings210 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAstro HQMaira Akram

Customer experience

Astropad Workbench

All ratings201 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

Maccess

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Astropad Workbench

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Maccess

Subscriptions2
  • Maccess Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Maccess Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Astropad Workbench free?
Astropad Workbench is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Maccess free?
Maccess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Astropad Workbench or Maccess have ads?
Neither Astropad Workbench nor Maccess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Astropad Workbench or Maccess?
Astropad Workbench ships an update every 3 weeks, and Maccess every 2 days. Most recently, Astropad Workbench was updated on October 31, 2026 and Maccess on October 31, 2026.

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