Comparison

DeskTap Stream Deck vs Virtual Stream Deck

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

Head to head
About

DeskTap Stream Deck

Features
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YOUR COMPUTER. AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. DeskTap turns your iPhone into a personal control panel for your computer. Launch apps, control music, run shortcuts and send files, all from your phone. Put the actions you use every day within easy reach. Whether you are working, creating or taking a gaming break, build a setup around the way you use your computer. Keep your favorite controls together and make everyday routines easier. SCAN, CONNECT, TAKE CONTROL Open DeskTap on your computer. Connect your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network and scan the QR code on your computer. Choose a previously paired computer in the app to connect again. YOUR FAVORITE APPS, ONE TAP AWAY Create shortcuts for apps on your computer. Open your browser, music app or work tools from your phone. Bring your most-used apps together so the shortcut you need is easy to find. BUILD YOUR OWN CONTROL PANEL Organize shortcuts into decks for work, games or daily routines. Mark favorites and arrange them in an order that makes sense to you. Use your phone in portrait or landscape and shape your setup around your workspace. CONTROL THE SOUND Adjust your computer’s volume, mute the sound, pause playback or skip to the next track. Keep your media controls on your phone. KEEP KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS CLOSE Save the key combinations you use most and send them to your computer with a tap. Build a shortcut panel for the commands you repeat throughout the day. ONE TAP. MULTIPLE STEPS. Combine actions such as launching apps, sending keyboard shortcuts and opening links into macros. Arrange the steps, set a delay between them and start your routine with one tap. COPY, SWITCH, PASTE Send clipboard content from your iPhone to your computer or bring it back to your phone. Use text copied on one device when you move to the other. SEND IT TO YOUR COMPUTER Open links in your computer’s default browser. Send selected files from your phone and continue on the bigger screen. MAKE IT YOURS Use DeskTap in English or Turkish. Check your connection status, give your computer a recognizable name and keep your everyday controls together. GETTING STARTED DeskTap must be installed and running on both your iPhone and a compatible computer. Both devices must be on the same local network. Camera and local network permissions may be needed for QR pairing. Some features may require DeskTap Premium. Small screen. Big control. DeskTap.

About

Virtual Stream Deck

Features
Read full description

Your iPhone or iPad becomes a wireless stream deck for your Mac: a full-screen grid of big, glowing buttons that switch OBS scenes, launch apps, fire keyboard shortcuts, run Apple Shortcuts, and more. Tap the phone β€” the Mac does it instantly, over your own Wi-Fi. PAY ONCE, OWN IT No subscription. No account. No cloud. Try it free with six buttons, and unlock everything with a single one-time purchase. BUILT FOR STREAMING β€’ Native OBS Studio integration (OBS 28 or later) β€” no plugins to install β€’ Switch scenes from your real scene list, start/stop streaming and recording, mute your mic β€’ Live state on every button: the record button glows while you're recording, your current scene stays highlighted, your mic button shows its true mute state β€’ Runs entirely on your local network β€” taps land in milliseconds CONTROL YOUR WHOLE MAC β€’ Send any keyboard shortcut to any app β€’ Launch apps, open files and websites β€’ Run any Apple Shortcut β€” if Shortcuts can do it, your deck can too β€’ System controls: volume, mute, play/pause, next/previous track β€’ Multi-actions: chain steps with delays into one button β€’ Shell scripts for power users FEELS LIKE HARDWARE β€’ Pure black, edge-to-edge button grid with crisp haptics on every press β€’ Pages you swipe between, folders that open sub-decks β€’ Custom icons, colors, and labels for every button β€’ Profiles that switch automatically when you change apps on the Mac β€’ The screen stays awake while you're connected PRIVATE BY DESIGN β€’ Pair once with a 6-digit code shown on your Mac β€” like pairing AirPods β€’ Every connection is end-to-end encrypted, and nothing ever leaves your network β€’ No account, no analytics, no data collection. Ever. GETTING STARTED On your Mac, download the free companion app, Virtual Stream Deck Hub, from our website. Open this app on your iPhone or iPad β€” your Mac appears automatically. Type the 6-digit code. That's it: you're paired for good. Design your layouts in the Mac editor β€” drag in actions, pick icons and colors β€” and watch every change appear on your device instantly. REQUIRES β€’ iOS/iPadOS 18 or later β€’ A Mac running macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later with the free Virtual Stream Deck Hub app β€’ Both devices on the same network β€’ OBS features require OBS Studio 28+ with its WebSocket server enabled

Screenshots

DeskTap Stream Deck4 screens
Virtual Stream Deck2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DeskTap Stream Deck at none against Virtual Stream Deck's 1. Virtual Stream Deck's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. Virtual Stream Deck sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DeskTap Stream Deck asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DeskTap Stream Deck ships an update every 5 months, Virtual Stream Deck every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
DeskTap Stream Deck versus Virtual Stream Deck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDeskTap Stream DeckVirtual Stream Deck
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 weeks β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.218.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size61 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlperen TurkerJoshua Vucelich

In-app purchases

None

DeskTap Stream Deck

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Virtual Stream Deck

One-time1
  • Virtual Stream Deck Pro$19.99

Questions

Is DeskTap Stream Deck free?
DeskTap Stream Deck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Virtual Stream Deck free?
Virtual Stream Deck is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DeskTap Stream Deck or Virtual Stream Deck have ads?
Neither DeskTap Stream Deck nor Virtual Stream Deck shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DeskTap Stream Deck or Virtual Stream Deck?
DeskTap Stream Deck ships an update every 5 months, and Virtual Stream Deck every 2 weeks. Most recently, DeskTap Stream Deck was updated on September 22, 2026 and Virtual Stream Deck on September 9, 2026.

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