Comparison

OpenLens vs BYOT Coding Agent

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

BYOT Coding Agent

Control a coding agent running on your computer directly from your mobile device. Browse projects, send prompts with files, and monitor assistant activity in real-time. Manage permission requests and review session details.

Highlights
  • Connect to OpenCode server
  • Send prompts with photos/files
  • Live stream assistant text and tool activity
  • Inspect tool inputs, progress, and errors
  • Answer permission requests
  • Review session diffs
  • Switch between saved servers
Features
Read full description

BYOT is a native client for OpenCode, the open-source coding agent. Connect to the OpenCode server running on your own computer and drive coding sessions from your iPhone or iPad. Browse projects and sessions, send prompts with photos or files, and watch assistant text, reasoning, and tool activity stream live. Inspect tool inputs, progress, output, and errors. Answer permission requests and questions from your server, queue follow-up prompts, and choose models from your server's catalog. Review session diffs when your server supports them. Switch between saved servers, group sessions by project or browse them in one list, and find sessions by title, project, or path. Unsent text and attachments stay on this iPhone across session changes and app relaunches. Choose System, Light, or Dark appearance. With the optional BYOT companion running on your computer, get notifications for approvals, questions, completed turns, and errors. Enable the computer queue to keep accepted prompts running in order while BYOT is closed. Your computer must remain awake and the companion connected. Work that has not finished uploading needs BYOT to reconnect; uncertain delivery requires your review. BYOT supports OpenCode 1 and OpenCode 2 beta servers with automatic protocol detection. Available features depend on the server version; some OpenCode 2 beta servers do not expose per-session diffs. Your server does the work. BYOT renders its responses and sends your instructions over HTTPS. There is no BYOT account or sign-up, and no tracking. Anonymous usage data is off until you turn it on, and it never includes your prompts, code, server addresses, or project names. Server passwords are stored in the iOS Keychain. In direct mode, prompts and attachments go to your configured server and the model providers you enable there. Optional notifications and the computer queue use the BYOT relay for device registration, delivery, and encrypted queued content. See the privacy policy for storage and retention details. Requires an OpenCode server you operate, reachable over HTTPS, for example through Tailscale. Notifications and the computer queue also require the BYOT companion. BYOT is an independent client and is not affiliated with the OpenCode project.

Screenshots

OpenLens4 screens
BYOT Coding Agent4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BYOT Coding Agent at 5.0 against OpenLens's 4.7. BYOT Coding Agent also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 82%) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). OpenLens's advantage is chart position (#186 vs unranked) and ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

BYOT Coding Agent holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of OpenLens's written reviews are positive against 100% of BYOT Coding Agent's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpenLens ships an update every 5 days, BYOT Coding Agent weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
OpenLens versus BYOT Coding Agent: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenLensBYOT Coding Agent
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (6 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#186 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartyn PekalaBogeybot LLC

Customer experience

OpenLens

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral18.2%
Negative0.0%

BYOT Coding Agent

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

BYOT Coding Agent

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OpenLens free?
OpenLens is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BYOT Coding Agent free?
BYOT Coding Agent is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, OpenLens or BYOT Coding Agent?
BYOT Coding Agent is rated higher. OpenLens averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while BYOT Coding Agent averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do OpenLens or BYOT Coding Agent have ads?
Neither OpenLens nor BYOT Coding Agent shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenLens or BYOT Coding Agent?
OpenLens ships an update every 5 days, and BYOT Coding Agent weekly. Most recently, OpenLens was updated on October 31, 2026 and BYOT Coding Agent on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons