Comparison

OpenLens vs Zedra

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

Head to head
About

OpenLens

This application allows you to remotely control and monitor AI coding sessions from your iPhone. Continue your work seamlessly from your mobile device, manage sessions, and receive real-time updates.

Highlights
  • Remote AI coding session control
  • Real-time chat with streaming responses
  • Session management (create, delete)
  • Switch AI providers and models
  • Live progress on Lock Screen/Dynamic Island
  • Bonjour/mDNS server discovery
  • Save multiple server connections
Features
Read full description

OpenLens is a fast, focused iPhone client for OpenCode. Run OpenCode on your computer, then continue the same AI coding session from your phone. Use OpenLens to monitor progress, reply quickly, and stay in control when you are away from your desk. What you can do with OpenLens: - Connect instantly to nearby OpenCode servers with Bonjour/mDNS discovery - Save multiple server connections and reconnect automatically - Chat in real time with streaming responses - View and manage sessions, including creating and deleting sessions - Switch AI providers and models directly from the app - Review agent activity steps while work is in progress - Respond to permission prompts and interactive questions from the server - See live progress on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island with Live Activities Built for real workflows: - One session across terminal, web, and iPhone - Reliable reconnect behavior when network conditions change - Optional password-protected server access

About

Zedra

Read full description

Your coding agents run on your own machine. Zedra puts them in your pocket. Start a task on your laptop, walk away, and keep working from your phone. Zedra connects straight to your development machine, so you can watch agents work, answer their questions, review the diff, and start the next task from anywhere. WORKS WITH THE AGENTS YOU ALREADY USE Claude Code, Codex, opencode, and any other CLI agent or shell command. Zedra runs a real terminal, not a chat mirror, so nothing about your setup has to change. RUN A SWARM, NOT A SESSION Most work is several agents at once. Zedra shows every session on one screen with live status, so you can see which agent is thinking, which one finished, and which one is blocked waiting on you. NEVER MISS AN APPROVAL Agents stop and ask before they touch anything important. Zedra sends a push notification the moment one needs you, so a waiting agent is never a surprise you find twenty minutes later. A REAL TERMINAL Full terminal emulation with color, mouse reporting, and TUI support. A keyboard row built for code gives you arrows, tab, escape, and control without fighting the on-screen keyboard. Paste screenshots straight into a prompt. READ THE DIFF BEFORE YOU MERGE Syntax-highlighted diffs, file trees, and git status. Select code in the editor or a file preview and send it straight to an agent with Add to Chat, without switching apps. CONNECTS DIRECTLY, NOT THROUGH US Pair by scanning a QR code once. Zedra builds an encrypted peer-to-peer connection between your phone and your machine, and falls back to a relay only when your network blocks a direct route. Relays forward encrypted packets they cannot read, so Zedra never sees your code. Agents still talk to whichever provider you configured them with. OPEN HOST The host daemon is open source and runs on macOS and Linux. Install it with one command, keep it running in the background, and pair as many devices as you want. Requires a Mac or Linux machine running the Zedra host.

Screenshots

OpenLens4 screens
Zedra4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: OpenLens at every 5 days against Zedra's fortnightly. Zedra's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpenLens ships an update every 5 days, Zedra fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
OpenLens versus Zedra: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenLensZedra
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB90 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartyn PekalaTan Le

In-app purchases

None

OpenLens

No in-app purchases

None

Zedra

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OpenLens free?
OpenLens is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Zedra free?
Zedra is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do OpenLens or Zedra have ads?
Neither OpenLens nor Zedra shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenLens or Zedra?
OpenLens ships an update every 5 days, and Zedra fortnightly. Most recently, OpenLens was updated on September 24, 2026 and Zedra on September 20, 2026.

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