# Tether vs Simple Viewer

The clearest difference is update cadence: Tether at weekly against Simple Viewer's monthly. Simple Viewer's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Tether ships an update weekly, Simple Viewer monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tether | Simple Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tether-linux-companion/id6762097135/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 6 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zack Bartel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1069647834) | [STLink](https://appshunter.io/developer/1382605307) |

## What reviewers say

### Tether

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tether-linux-companion/id6762097135)

Seamlessly integrate your mobile device with your Linux desktop. Share clipboards, transfer files, and discover your desktop locally over Wi-Fi. All communication is secured with end-to-end encryption, with no cloud servers or accounts needed.

**Highlights:** Shared Clipboard Sync, Bi-directional File Transfers, Local Network Discovery, End-to-End Encryption, No Cloud Services Required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Simple Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-viewer/id6762638850)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tether free?

Tether is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Simple Viewer free?

Simple Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Tether or Simple Viewer have ads?

Neither Tether nor Simple Viewer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tether or Simple Viewer?

Tether ships an update weekly, and Simple Viewer monthly. Most recently, Tether was updated on October 1, 2026 and Simple Viewer on October 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*