# Astropad Workbench vs Deflector ◇

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Deflector ◇ at 100% against Astropad Workbench's 59%. Deflector ◇ also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astropad Workbench | Deflector ◇ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (177 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astropad-workbench/id6758788573/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **177** | — |
| Positive reviews | 58.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 41 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **26.0** | 27.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Astro HQ](https://appshunter.io/developer/934510729) | [Cizzuk Shihu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1674098361) |

## What reviewers say

### Astropad Workbench

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astropad-workbench/id6758788573)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Deflector ◇

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deflector/id6802068584)

Create custom buttons for your iPhone's Dynamic Island, Lock Screen, and Apple Watch to trigger any shortcut. On specific Japanese iPhones, utilize the Side Button for voice assistant shortcuts. Requires initial setup within the Shortcuts app.

**Highlights:** Dynamic Island shortcut buttons, Lock Screen shortcut buttons, Apple Watch shortcut buttons, Voice assistant shortcuts (Japan), Shortcuts app integration

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astropad Workbench free?

Astropad Workbench is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Deflector ◇ free?

Deflector ◇ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Astropad Workbench or Deflector ◇ have ads?

Neither Astropad Workbench nor Deflector ◇ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Astropad Workbench or Deflector ◇?

Astropad Workbench ships an update every 3 weeks, and Deflector ◇ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Astropad Workbench was updated on October 20, 2026 and Deflector ◇ on October 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*