Comparison

Astropad Workbench vs Wider

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
Read full description

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

Wider

This utility app allows users to view websites in full width on their iPhone Duo's external screen. It provides a simple toggle button within Safari to switch between normal and full-width modes for a more expansive browsing experience.

Highlights
  • Full-width website viewing
  • Safari extension
  • Toggle button for mode switching
  • Compatibility reporting
Features
Read full description

If you want to use the full width of your iPhone Duo's external screen in Safari, use Wider. It's a simple extension that lets you quickly toggle websites into full width mode. Use the Wider toggle button in the right navbar to quickly toggle between normal an Wider mode. Wider doesn't work on every website. If a website doesn't work as expected, you can report it through the app and I'll try to improve compatibility.

Screenshots

Astropad Workbench4 screens
Wider2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Astropad Workbench at 4.8 against Wider's 1.9. Astropad Workbench also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 36%) and ratings volume (210 vs 58). Wider's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks) and monetization model (free vs freemium). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Astropad Workbench holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 210 and 58 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Astropad Workbench's written reviews are positive against 36% of Wider's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Astropad Workbench ships an update every 3 weeks, Wider daily. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Astropad Workbench versus Wider: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAstropad WorkbenchWider
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (210 ratings) — better1.9 (58 ratings)
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews — better36.4% of reviews
Number of ratings210 — better58
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.0 — better27.1
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAstro HQGood Snooze

Customer experience

Astropad Workbench

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

Wider

All ratings58 ratings
Positive22.4%
Neutral1.7%
Negative75.9%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive36.4%
Neutral9.1%
Negative54.5%

In-app purchases

None

Astropad Workbench

No in-app purchases

None

Wider

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Astropad Workbench free?
Astropad Workbench is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wider free?
Wider is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Astropad Workbench or Wider?
Astropad Workbench is rated higher. Astropad Workbench averages 4.8 out of 5 from 210 ratings, while Wider averages 1.9 from 58 ratings.
Do Astropad Workbench or Wider have ads?
Neither Astropad Workbench nor Wider shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Astropad Workbench or Wider?
Astropad Workbench ships an update every 3 weeks, and Wider daily. Most recently, Astropad Workbench was updated on October 31, 2026 and Wider on November 3, 2026.

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