Comparison

DeskTap Stream Deck vs Macro Deck Companion

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

Macro Deck Companion

Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a wireless macro pad and control deck for your PC. Macro Deck Companion is the official native app for Macro Deck 3, the free, open source macro software for Windows, macOS and Linux. Run macros, trigger hotkeys, control OBS and your stream, switch scenes, manage audio and launch apps with one tap on customizable buttons. A NATIVE DECK, NOT A WEBSITE Macro Deck Companion draws your deck natively instead of wrapping a browser. Every button, folder, profile, icon, font and animation looks exactly like it does in Macro Deck, but responds faster, with smooth touch input and haptic feedback on every press. Tap, long press and double tap each run their own action. CONNECT IN SECONDS - Automatic discovery finds Macro Deck on your local network - Scan the QR code shown by Macro Deck to pair instantly - Add a connection manually by IP address and port - Wake your computer with Wake-on-LAN before you connect - Sign in once, your session is stored securely on the device MULTIPLE COMPUTERS, ONE APP Save several Macro Deck hosts and keep them open at the same time. Control your gaming PC, your streaming PC and your work laptop from one phone, and see at a glance which ones are online. Choose which connection opens automatically when you launch the app. FAST GESTURE NAVIGATION - Swipe with one finger to move between folders - Swipe up or down to go into a folder or back out - Swipe with two fingers to switch profiles - Swipe with three fingers to jump to another computer THE PERFECT STREAMING CONTROLLER Use your old phone or tablet as a dedicated stream controller and button box on your desk. Start and stop recording, switch scenes, mute your microphone, play sounds, post to chat, control music and media, and run multi-step automations while you stay live. Great for streamers, content creators, gamers, video editors, developers and anyone who wants a custom macro keyboard for productivity. YOUR DEVICE, PART OF YOUR SETUP Macro Deck sees your phone as a real device. It shows the battery level, charging state, orientation and brightness, so you can use them in your own macros. With your permission, your computer can also: - Set the screen brightness and orientation - Vibrate the device - Turn the screen on or off - Bring the deck to the front - Take a screenshot MADE FOR DAILY USE - Background connection keeps your decks ready - Keep the screen on while a deck is open - Built-in screensaver support - Light and dark theme - Liquid Glass that feels at home on iOS - Works on iPhone and iPad in portrait and landscape DIRECT CONNECTION TO YOUR COMPUTER Your deck talks directly to Macro Deck on your own computer, over your local network. Button presses never take a detour through a remote server, which keeps every action fast and reliable. Your sign-in is kept in iOS's keychain, and the app only asks for the access a companion device needs. TRY IT FREE Start a free 7-day trial. One license unlocks Macro Deck Companion on all your devices: buy it once on iPhone or iPad and your Macro Deck shares it with your other devices. Connection management, discovery and settings always stay free to use. HOW TO GET STARTED 1. Install Macro Deck 3 on your Windows, macOS or Linux computer 2. Open Macro Deck Companion on your phone or tablet 3. Pick your computer from the list or scan its QR code 4. Sign in and start pressing buttons Macro Deck is a community driven open source project. Need help or have an idea? Visit macro-deck.app and join the community. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

DeskTap Stream Deck4 screens
Macro Deck Companion4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DeskTap Stream Deck at none against Macro Deck Companion's 1. Macro Deck Companion's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.2). On price, ads and device support 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. Macro Deck Companion 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, Macro Deck Companion weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
DeskTap Stream Deck versus Macro Deck Companion: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDeskTap Stream DeckMacro Deck Companion
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.215.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size61 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlperen TurkerManuel Mayer

In-app purchases

None

DeskTap Stream Deck

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Macro Deck Companion

One-time1
  • Macro Deck Companion App License$7.99

Questions

Is DeskTap Stream Deck free?
DeskTap Stream Deck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Macro Deck Companion free?
Macro Deck Companion is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DeskTap Stream Deck or Macro Deck Companion have ads?
Neither DeskTap Stream Deck nor Macro Deck Companion shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DeskTap Stream Deck or Macro Deck Companion?
DeskTap Stream Deck ships an update every 5 months, and Macro Deck Companion weekly. Most recently, DeskTap Stream Deck was updated on October 9, 2026 and Macro Deck Companion on October 26, 2026.

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