Desktop Mode OS vs OpenDisplay
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Desktop Mode OS
Transform your iPhone into a powerful desktop workstation, extending its capabilities to external displays like AR glasses, monitors, or TVs. Experience a high-performance desktop environment using your phone's native silicon, with innovative input modes for seamless interaction.
- Turn iPhone into a desktop workstation
- Extend to AR glasses, monitors, TVs
- Spatial productivity with AR glasses
- Multiple input modes: Air Mouse, Hand Tracking, Liquid Trackpad
- Connect to any display (USB-C, HDMI, AirPlay)
- Sync Assistant for webview issues
- Pin frequently used sessions to dock
Read full descriptionHide full description
Turn your iPhone into a pro-grade desktop workstation! ProDocktive extends your iPhone to any external display — AR Glasses, Monitors, or TVs — creating a high-performance, multi-window desktop environment powered entirely by your phone. Your iPhone becomes the engine, trackpad, air mouse, and spatial hand tracker. No Mac or PC required! THE ULTIMATE AR & XR COMPANION Unlock spatial productivity with XREAL, VITURE, Rokid, and RayNeo glasses. • Infinite Real Estate: Say goodbye to simple screen mirroring. Experience a massive virtual desktop for immersive multitasking. • Privacy by Design: Work on sensitive projects in public spaces with total confidence. • Spatial Interaction: Control your desktop with futuristic Hand Tracking or Air Mouse navigation. CONNECT TO ANY DISPLAY • AR Glasses: Instant, private cinema-sized workstation. • USB-C / HDMI: Wired, zero-latency output to any monitor or TV. • AirPlay: Wireless freedom for zero-friction browsing and casting. REVOLUTIONARY INPUT MODES • Air Mouse: Point your iPhone like a laser to move the cursor with physical precision. • Hand Tracker (BETA): Use your iPhone's camera for hands-free spatial gestures. • Liquid Trackpad: Transform your screen into a premium multi-touch trackpad (scroll, swipe, pinch-to-zoom). • Bluetooth Support: Pair your favorite keyboard and mouse for a true PC feel. PRO-GRADE FEATURES & PRIVACY • Native Desktop UI: Optimized for large-scale displays and precision input. • Pin to Dock: Save frequently used web apps for lightning-fast access. • 100% On-Device: No cloud lag, no video compression. Pixel-perfect rendering using your iPhone's GPU. Requirements: iOS 18+ and compatible USB-C/HDMI adapters or AirPlay displays. Privacy Policy: https://prodocktive.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
OpenDisplay
Transform your iPhone or iPad into a genuine second display for your Mac. This open-source solution allows you to extend your screen space for multitasking, keeping important information visible. Connect via USB for minimal latency or Wi-Fi for easy setup.
- Real extended display functionality
- USB and Wi-Fi connectivity
- Retina-sharp rendering
- Touch and scroll support
- Portrait and landscape orientation
- Private by design, no tracking
Read full descriptionHide full description
OpenDisplay turns your iPhone or iPad into a second display for your Mac. It's the open-source way to put your spare Apple device to work as a real extended monitor — drag windows onto it, keep chat, notes, or logs in view, and gain screen space anywhere you go. It's not a mirror: it's a genuine additional display your Mac treats like any other monitor. • Real extended display — arrange it in your Mac's Display settings and drag windows across • Connect over USB for the lowest latency, or over Wi-Fi with zero setup • Retina-sharp, pixel-for-pixel rendering • Touch and scroll — tap, drag, and two-finger scroll to control your Mac • Works in portrait or landscape • Private by design — a direct connection between your own devices, with no accounts, no servers, and no tracking IMPORTANT: OpenDisplay requires the companion OpenDisplay app for Mac, running on your computer on the same cable or Wi-Fi network. Get it at opendisplay.app — without it, this app has nothing to connect to. OpenDisplay is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Read the code, report issues, or contribute at https://github.com/peetzweg/opendisplay
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenDisplay at none against Desktop Mode OS's 2. OpenDisplay also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (92% vs 71%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Desktop Mode OS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. OpenDisplay asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Desktop Mode OS against 4.7 for OpenDisplay. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 23 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Desktop Mode OS's written reviews are positive against 92% of OpenDisplay's.
Desktop Mode OS ships an update every 6 days, OpenDisplay every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Desktop Mode OS | OpenDisplay |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (24 ratings) | 4.7 (23 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | 92.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 24 — better | 23 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Every 8 days |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gautam Sukhramani | Philip Poloczek |
Customer experience
Desktop Mode OS
OpenDisplay
In-app purchases
Desktop Mode OS
- Yearly subscription$14.991 Year
- Lifetime subscription$19.99
OpenDisplay
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Desktop Mode OS free?
Is OpenDisplay free?
Which has better reviews, Desktop Mode OS or OpenDisplay?
Do Desktop Mode OS or OpenDisplay have ads?
Which is updated more often, Desktop Mode OS or OpenDisplay?
Other comparisons















