Comparison

GridBar vs PC Controller

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

Head to head
About

GridBar

Features
Read full description

Your Mac project board, ready when you leave your desk. GridBar for iPhone and iPad is the companion to your Mac workspace. Turn on iCloud Sync on each device and bring your first board across for free. Your project links, people and useful information stay close, so you can act on them right away. FROM BOARD TO ACTION Open a client portal. Call a contact. Copy a reference number from an info key. Start an email or run an Apple Shortcut. Each portable key puts a useful next step one tap away. BUILD HERE, CONTINUE ON MAC Create link, call, email and info keys on iPhone or iPad. With iCloud Sync enabled, eligible boards and keys stay in step with your Mac. The free plan syncs your first board; Pro brings additional boards and the Stash. KNOW WHAT TRAVELS Mac app launches, local file paths, window layouts and simulated keystrokes cannot run on iPhone or iPad. GridBar keeps those keys visible with a Mac badge. A Mac routine can run only its first supported step here. STASH FOR THE HANDOFF With Pro and iCloud Sync, move eligible text, links and images through the Stash across your devices. Unpinned items are temporary and are removed after 30 minutes. A sample board in the first-run guide shows how the companion works. You can then sync your Mac board or make a board on this device. Questions or feedback? support@balane.tech

About

PC Controller

Features
Read full description

PC Controller turns your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch into a remote control for your Windows PC or Mac. Move the mouse, type, change the volume, switch monitors, move files and put the computer to sleep, all over your own Wi-Fi, with no cloud, no account and nothing to sign up for. Install the free agent on your computer, scan the QR code it shows, and you're paired. The app also lists the computers it finds on your network, so there's nothing to type. TRACKPAD AND KEYBOARD • A full-screen trackpad: move, tap, two-finger right-click, scroll, drag and pinch to zoom • Type with the iPhone keyboard, emoji and dictation included • An extended keypad with the keys a phone doesn't have: arrows, Esc, Tab, Home, End, Delete, Ctrl, Alt and Win • Build your own shortcuts and fire any key combination with one tap • On Windows it all works on the login screen too, before anyone has signed in POWER • Lock, sleep, wake, shut down, restart or log off • Wake a sleeping PC over Wake-on-LAN, and let the app set up the PC so it wakes from a full shutdown too • Schedule it: "Sleep in 30 minutes" keeps counting down on the computer after you've left, with a live countdown on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island • Set your home once and the phone can wake the PC as you arrive and lock it as you leave, decided entirely on the device SOUND AND MEDIA • Master volume and mute, plus a mixer with its own slider for every app and every output device • Switch the default speaker, and mute the microphone for every app at once • See what's playing, with album art, a scrubber and transport controls that drive Spotify, browsers and any other player SCREENS • Turn each monitor on or off, choose the primary, and set brightness, resolution and refresh rate • Save a display arrangement and bring it back with one tap • Grab a screenshot of any display and save it to Photos or share it FILES AND CLIPBOARD • Browse the computer's folders and drives, download files with live progress, then preview, share or save them • Send photos, videos and files to the computer, from the app or straight from the share sheet in any other app • Push the phone's clipboard to the PC or pull the PC's to the phone, text or image • Send a link and it opens in the computer's browser AND MORE • Bluetooth: see what's paired and connected, then connect, disconnect, scan and pair • Vitals: CPU, memory, disk, battery, uptime and the processes using the most memory, with a swipe to end one • Apps: see what's open on the computer, bring one forward, minimize or close it • Siri: "Hey Siri, lock my PC", plus Home Screen, Lock Screen and Control Center buttons for Lock, Wake, Mute and Mute Mic • Apple Watch: trackpad, media, power, monitors, mixer, shortcuts and clipboard on your wrist, and it finds the PC on its own when the phone isn't around • iPad: a dashboard that puts the whole machine on one screen • Available in 15 languages PRIVATE BY DESIGN There is no server. The phone and watch talk directly to the agent on your computer over your Wi-Fi, VPN or Bluetooth, and the pairing token lives in your Keychain. PC Controller collects nothing: no analytics, no telemetry, no account. WHAT YOU NEED The free PC Controller agent, for Windows 11 or macOS 13 and later, from https://pccontroller.rymanit.com. The phone and the computer must be on the same network, or connected through a VPN or Bluetooth. PRICING Every feature is free for 7 days, with no card up front. After that, choose PC Controller Pro — Monthly (USD 0.99 per month), PC Controller Pro — Yearly (USD 8.99 per year) or PC Controller Pro — Lifetime, a one-time purchase (USD 19.99). Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and can be managed in your App Store account settings. Privacy policy: https://pccontroller.rymanit.com/privacy.html Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

GridBar2 screens
PC Controller4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PC Controller at every 6 days against GridBar's every 3 weeks. PC Controller also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. GridBar sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PC Controller sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GridBar ships an update every 3 weeks, PC Controller every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
GridBar versus PC Controller: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGridBarPC Controller
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonas HoettlerMalkane

In-app purchases

1 purchases

GridBar

One-time1
  • GridBar Pro$8.99
3 purchases

PC Controller

Subscriptions2
  • PC Controller Pro — Monthly$0.991 Month
  • PC Controller Pro — Yearly$8.991 Year
One-time1
  • PC Controller Pro — Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is GridBar free?
GridBar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PC Controller free?
PC Controller is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GridBar or PC Controller have ads?
Neither GridBar nor PC Controller shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GridBar or PC Controller?
GridBar ships an update every 3 weeks, and PC Controller every 6 days. Most recently, GridBar was updated on November 5, 2026 and PC Controller on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons