XV vs Apperture
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
XV
Access every Xcode release, from the latest betas to historical versions. View detailed SDK and compiler information, filter by release type, and download directly from Apple. Works offline and supports accessibility features.
- Browse all Xcode releases
- View detailed SDK versions
- Check compiler versions
- Filter by release type
- Download Xcode directly
- View release notes
- Works offline
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XV: Release Radar gives you instant access to every Xcode release Apple has ever shipped — from the latest betas to the very first version. Key Features: • Browse all Xcode releases, betas, release candidates, and developer previews in one place • Compare any two releases side by side to see what changed — SDKs, compilers, and requirements • Release Timeline — follow each version's journey from first beta to final release, and filter by completion status to view active or completed cycles • Toolchain History — discover when each Swift and platform SDK version first shipped • Cadence Chart — visualize the days between consecutive Swift and SDK releases to spot release velocity trends • Watching — pin the releases you track and see at a glance when a newer version is available • Opt-in release notifications by type: betas, release candidates, stable releases, and developer previews • View detailed SDK versions for iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS • Check Swift and Clang compiler versions included in each release • Copy a CI Matrix snippet — the exact Swift, Clang, SDK, and macOS requirement versions, ready to paste into CI config • Filter by release type and search by version number, SDK, or compiler • Download Xcode directly from Apple with one tap • Share a release as text or a rendered image card, and copy download links instantly • Verify downloads with SHA-1 checksums • Ask Siri or use the Shortcuts app to get the latest Xcode, identify a build number, find the first Xcode to ship a given Swift or SDK version, or check which Xcode runs on your macOS — and find any release from Spotlight • On Mac, a menu bar extra puts the latest releases, notifications, and download links one click away • Home Screen and desktop widgets for at-a-glance release info • Works offline with cached data • Native app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac — no web browser needed • Localized in dozens of languages • Full VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, and Reduce Motion support Built for developers who need to quickly look up which SDK ships with which Xcode, find download links, or check compiler versions. Whether you're maintaining an older project or staying on the cutting edge with the latest beta, XV has you covered. Accessibility is a priority — XV is designed to work great with VoiceOver, supports Dynamic Type for comfortable reading at any text size, and respects Reduce Motion preferences. Data provided by xcodereleases.com — the trusted community resource for Xcode release information.
Apperture
Control a single Mac application on your iPhone with a full-screen, low-latency view. This app translates touch input naturally, allowing you to interact with Mac menus, type text, and transfer clipboard content securely. It prioritizes privacy with no accounts or cloud relay, operating solely over private networks.
- Mirror single Mac apps full-screen
- Natural touch input translation
- Full Mac menu bar control
- Secure clipboard sharing
- Private network connections
- No account or cloud required
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Apperture lets you see and control one Mac app right from your iPhone — not your whole desktop. Apperture mirrors just the app that matters, full-screen on your phone, so it feels like the app is running in your hand. Traditional screen sharing puts a 27-inch desktop on a 6-inch screen and makes you pan, zoom, and hunt for windows. Apperture takes the opposite approach: pick a single running Mac app and it fills your iPhone with a sharp, low-latency live view sized for the screen you're actually holding. BUILT FOR DEVELOPERS • Mirror the iOS Simulator and it feels native: touches map directly, and rotating your phone rotates the simulated app. • Keep working while your Mac builds and runs. Perfect for agent-assisted coding — let Claude Code or your favorite agent build and launch the app on your Mac, then review and interact with the result from anywhere in the house. • Stream any Xcode-launched Mac app with its real window chrome intact. FULL CONTROL, NOT JUST A VIEW • Tap, drag, long-press for right-click, two-finger scroll — touch input translated naturally to the Mac. • Type with the iPhone keyboard, including full Unicode text entry. • Browse and run the Mac app's real menu bar commands from a searchable, touch-friendly palette. • Send clipboard text securely between devices. • Fit-width, fit-height, and readable-zoom layout modes in portrait and landscape. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No accounts. No cloud relay. Your screen never touches our servers. • Pairing starts with a short-lived QR code on your Mac, and the Mac owner must explicitly approve every phone. • Connections work only over private networks — your Wi-Fi or your own VPN such as Tailscale. Public endpoints are rejected by design. • Every session is encrypted. Pairing trust is stored in the device Keychain and never synced to the cloud. • Review or revoke paired devices anytime. The Mac keeps a local 30-day session history — device, time, and app names only, never keystrokes or screen contents. GOOD TO KNOW • Apperture requires the free companion Mac app from runapperture.com. It's notarized by Apple and distributed directly because it uses Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions the Mac App Store doesn't allow. • Away from home, you'll need a VPN to reach your Mac — Tailscale takes about five minutes to set up, works beautifully, and is free for personal use. • Your Mac does all the work, so it needs to be on, awake, and logged in. Apperture is a viewer and controller for your own Mac, not a way to run Mac apps on iPhone. • Apperture streams one selected window at a time — that focus is the point. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Apperture at monthly against XV's every 4 months. Apperture also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.5). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. XV sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Apperture sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for XV against 5.0 for Apperture. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
XV ships an update every 4 months, Apperture monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | XV | Apperture |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jeffrey Jackson | LAND MK 1 |
Customer experience
XV
Apperture
In-app purchases
XV
- Tip$0.99
- Handshake$4.99
- Hug$19.99
Apperture
- Early Adopter$24.99









