Comparison

OpenLens vs Remote Pi

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

Remote Pi

Control AI coding agents on your machines from your phone. Securely pair devices, monitor agent activity live, and approve tool calls remotely. Your phone acts as a trusted authenticator for your development environment.

Highlights
  • Remote control for AI coding agents
  • Secure device pairing via QR code
  • Live monitoring of agent sessions
  • Approve/reject tool calls
  • Seamless machine switching
  • Open source and self-hostable
Features
Read full description

Remote Pi turns your iPhone into the control surface for the AI coding agents running on every machine you work from. Pair your phone once by scanning a QR code on your Mac. From then on your devices form a mesh: the agents on your machines talk to each other, and your phone is the trusted key that authorizes new peers and lets you step in from anywhere. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Scan a QR code to pair with a machine in seconds • See every active agent session across all your paired machines in one list • Follow the conversation live as your agent streams its work • Approve or reject tool calls with a tap — you stay in control of what runs • Move between machines without losing context YOUR PHONE IS JUST THE AUTHENTICATOR You don't run the heavy work on your phone. The agents live on your computers; your phone holds the cryptographic identity that vouches for new devices and gives you a window into what's happening. Pairing uses Ed25519 device keys over TLS. WORKS WITH THE HARNESS YOU USE Remote Pi rides alongside the coding-agent setup you already run on your machines instead of replacing it. OPEN SOURCE & SELF-HOSTABLE Remote Pi is open source. Start with the public relay, or point the app at your own self-hosted relay so the connection between your devices runs on infrastructure you control. Built for developers who want their agents within reach — on the couch, on the move, or away from the desk.

Screenshots

OpenLens4 screens
Remote Pi4 screens

Verdict

The call

OpenLens and Remote Pi both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Remote Pi's written reviews are positive against 83% of OpenLens's. Remote Pi also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). OpenLens's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 days). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for OpenLens against 5.0 for Remote Pi. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of OpenLens's written reviews are positive against 100% of Remote Pi's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpenLens ships an update every 5 days, Remote Pi every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
OpenLens versus Remote Pi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenLensRemote Pi
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#208#173 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartyn PekalaJacob Moura

Customer experience

OpenLens

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%

Remote Pi

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

OpenLens

No in-app purchases

None

Remote Pi

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OpenLens free?
OpenLens is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Remote Pi free?
Remote Pi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, OpenLens or Remote Pi?
OpenLens and Remote Pi are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do OpenLens or Remote Pi have ads?
Neither OpenLens nor Remote Pi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenLens or Remote Pi?
OpenLens ships an update every 5 days, and Remote Pi every 10 days. Most recently, OpenLens was updated on September 24, 2026 and Remote Pi on September 28, 2026.
Which is more popular, OpenLens or Remote Pi?
OpenLens currently peaks at #208 in the App Store charts, and Remote Pi at #173. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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