Comparison

Remio vs Headroom

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

Head to head
About

Remio

Control your Mac, Windows, or Linux computer from your iPhone or iPad with a high-performance remote desktop experience. Enjoy seamless connectivity, intuitive touch controls, and the ability to use your device as a second screen for your computer. It offers secure, end-to-end encrypted connections for remote access and support.

Highlights
  • Remote PC, Mac, and Linux control
  • High-performance streaming (6K, 120 FPS)
  • Intuitive touch and trackpad modes
  • Use device as a second screen
  • Secure end-to-end encryption
  • Remote support capabilities
Features
Read full description

Remio is a free remote desktop app for iPhone and iPad: control your Mac, Windows PC or Linux computer from your phone or tablet, at home or over the internet, up to 6K at 120 FPS. Every touch lands right away and text stays crisp — it feels like you're sitting at your computer. Free at home or at work: no time limit, no ads, no card to enter. ▸ CONNECT IN SECONDS Install the free Remio Host on your computer, then scan its QR code or type its Device ID and PIN. No account, no router setup — on the same Wi‑Fi or from anywhere. ▸ REMOTE SUPPORT WITH AN INVITATION Help a friend or family member with their computer, or get help on yours. Invite someone to a computer on your account for 1, 8 or 24 hours, choose what they can do — control, clipboard, files, sound — and revoke it any time. Nobody gets in until you say yes on the computer. Got a code? Join with it from Pair. ▸ FEELS LIKE YOUR MACHINE • The remote desktop reshapes itself to your screen, pixel-perfect, and follows when you rotate • A dedicated virtual display sized exactly to your device, not a squeezed copy of the host's monitor • Up to 6K at 120 FPS with hardware H.265, and about 8 ms of processing latency on your local network • HDR from a Mac with Apple silicon or a Windows PC, on an iPhone or iPad with an HDR screen • Close the MacBook lid and keep working — no dummy HDMI dongle ▸ TOUCH THAT MAKES SENSE • Trackpad mode turns your screen into a precision trackpad — a remote mouse and keyboard for your computer. Direct Touch lets you tap exactly where you see it. • Tap to click, two-finger tap to right-click, scroll, pinch to zoom, press and hold to drag, three-finger swipes between desktops and into Mission Control • The on-screen keyboard never covers what you type, and shortcuts carry through — with a real Windows key • Apple Pencil, a keyboard and trackpad on iPad, or your controller to play PC games ▸ A SECOND SCREEN FOR YOUR COMPUTER Make your iPhone or iPad an extra display for your Mac, Windows PC or Linux computer and move windows over to it. It extends your desktop instead of copying it, straight between your devices — never through a relay or Remio's servers. On Linux it needs GNOME or X11; away from your own network, the latest Remio Host. ▸ BUILT FOR IPHONE DUO Fold it halfway and it's a mini laptop — your computer on top, the keyboard below the hinge. ▸ EVERYTHING WITHIN REACH One board holds the keyboard, zoom, volume, files, apps, displays and settings, arranged your way. Hear your computer's sound, copy on one device and paste on the other, send files to your computer, type your clipboard into sign-in screens that block paste, pick which screen to view, and blank or lock the computer's screen. Picture in Picture keeps your computer in view, and your session stays on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. ▸ PRIVATE BY DESIGN Video, audio, input, clipboard and files are encrypted end to end. A direct peer-to-peer connection by default; an encrypted relay only when your network needs it. No ads, no data brokers, nothing on your screen is logged. ▸ QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK Can I control my Mac from my iPhone? Yes — or a Windows 11 or 10 PC (Home included) or a Linux computer, from any iPhone or iPad. Does it work on a different network? Yes — at home, at work or on cellular, without opening ports on your router. Is Remio really free? Yes — free to use, with no time limit and no ads. Do I need an account? No — pair with a QR code, or the Device ID and PIN. Can I use my iPad as a second monitor for Windows? Yes — for a Windows PC, a Mac or a Linux computer. Is it safe? Yes — everything is encrypted end to end, and only devices you've paired, or a guest you let in, can connect. ▸ WORKS WITH YOUR COMPUTERS Remio Host — free at remio.net — runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. Remio also runs on Mac, Windows PCs, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro. Terms of Use: https://remio.net/terms Privacy Policy: https://remio.net/privacy

About

Headroom

Control your Mac from your iPad or iPhone without installing any software on the Mac. It leverages macOS's built-in Screen Sharing for a seamless remote desktop experience.

Highlights
  • Zero install on host Mac
  • Automatic Mac discovery
  • Fast, smooth screen rendering
  • Intuitive touch controls
  • Full keyboard and voice input
  • Private by design
Features
Read full description

Headroom is a remote desktop for controlling a Mac from your iPad, iPhone, or another Mac. The big idea: nothing to install on the Mac. Turn on macOS's built-in Screen Sharing — that's the whole setup. WHEN YOU WANT IT • Drive the Mac in the next room from the couch • Manage a headless Mac mini — no monitor, no keyboard • Peek at your dev machine or build server from wherever you are • Reach your home Mac from anywhere over a VPN such as Tailscale WHY HEADROOM • Zero install on the Mac Connects straight to macOS's built-in Screen Sharing (VNC). No server app, no agent, no menu-bar daemon. • Finds your Macs automatically Macs on the same Wi-Fi appear instantly via Bonjour. Manual IP connections work too. • Fast, smooth screen Metal rendering plus ZRLE compression — feels real-time on a LAN and stays usable on thin connections. • Touch that makes sense on iPad and iPhone Tap to click, one-finger scroll, long-press to drag and select text, two-finger wheel scrolling, pinch to zoom. • Real mouse behavior on the Mac On a Mac (same app), clicks, drags, and right-clicks pass through 1:1. Option-scroll pans; Command-scroll zooms. • Full keyboard, and your voice Software and hardware keyboards both work. Modifier keys (⌘⌥⌃⇧) tap once for the next keystroke or double-tap to lock — every shortcut is reachable. Tap the mic on the keyboard and what you say is typed straight into the Mac. • Private by design Credentials live only in your device's Keychain, and passwords are encrypted in transit using Apple's standard Screen Sharing authentication. • Made for iPhone Duo Half open like a laptop, your Mac sits on the upper screen and the keyboard on the lower one. Fully open or held like a book, the Mac spans the inner screen; closed, the outer screen works on its own. Nothing is drawn across the fold. WHAT THE CONTROL BAR DOES • Trackpad: put one under the bar — slide to move, tap to click, tap then touch again and slide to drag. Two fingers scroll, a pinch zooms, a two-finger tap right-clicks • Displays: with several on the Mac, show them one at a time, full screen • Circle to zoom: draw around what you want to see • Open an app: type the first letters and the app opens on the Mac • Screenshots: the whole screen, an area or the panel, taken on the Mac • Picture in Picture: keep an eye on the Mac in a small window while you use other apps • Key button: types your saved password into the Mac's login screen AND ALSO • Apple Pencil works as a mouse: hover to move, touch to click and drag • A widget and a Control Center control reach your last Mac in one tap • Lock the app with Face ID, and hide your Mac's screen in the app switcher • Siri and Shortcuts connect, zoom and type for you CONNECTED IN THREE STEPS 1. On the Mac: System Settings > General > Sharing > turn on Screen Sharing 2. Open Headroom — your Macs appear automatically 3. Sign in with the Mac's username and password. Done. HEADROOM PRO • Unlimited connection time • Every future Pro feature included REQUIREMENTS • Client: iPad / iPhone (iOS 17+, verified on iOS 27 and iPadOS 27), Apple Silicon Mac • Host: any Mac with Screen Sharing enabled (no extra software) • Same network; for internet access we recommend a VPN such as Tailscale — Headroom is built by MusicFlow ("music × engineering") — the tool we made to run our own headless Mac minis, polished into something we use every day.

Screenshots

Remio4 screens
Headroom3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Remio at 4.8 against Headroom's 4.0. Remio also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 60%) and ratings volume (27 vs 4). Headroom's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Remio sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month and Headroom sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Remio holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Remio has 27 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Remio's written reviews are positive against 60% of Headroom's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Remio ships an update every 3 days, Headroom daily. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Remio versus Headroom: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRemioHeadroom
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (27 ratings) — better4.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings27 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLong Ngo HuynhHaruhiko Kishi

Customer experience

Remio

All ratings27 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Headroom

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral40.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Remio

Subscriptions1
  • Remio Pro7 Days trial$1.991 Month
1 purchases

Headroom

One-time1
  • Headroom Pro$14.99

Questions

Is Remio free?
Remio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Headroom free?
Headroom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Remio or Headroom?
Remio is rated higher. Remio averages 4.8 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Headroom averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Remio or Headroom have ads?
Neither Remio nor Headroom shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Remio or Headroom?
Remio ships an update every 3 days, and Headroom daily. Most recently, Remio was updated on November 5, 2026 and Headroom on November 6, 2026.

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