PatchDoc vs OpenDisplay
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PatchDoc
A versatile document editor and viewer for iPhone and iPad. Quickly edit text, code, and CSV files, preview PDFs and Office documents, and extract archives. Streamline your mobile file management.
- Text and code editing with syntax highlighting
- CSV table browsing and editing
- HTML source editing with live preview
- PDF viewing with annotations
- Preview for Office documents and images
- Archive browsing and extraction
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Patchdoc is a local file tool for iPhone and iPad, designed to open, edit, preview, save and organize all common documents. Core Features - Edit TXT, Markdown, JSON, YAML, CSV, XML, HTML, SVG, LaTeX, source code and configuration files - Create new files including TXT, Markdown, Python, C++ and other code documents - Markdown: toggle between source code and preview modes; export as HTML or PDF - HTML: toggle between source code and preview modes; export to PDF - PDF tools: reading, annotation, signature, image/text stickers, page management, cropping, compression and format conversion - Archive support: preview directories and inner files inside ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR archives, plus decompression - Image editor: crop, rotate, color adjustment, text overlay, brush drawing and mosaic blur - Video toolkit: playback, frame capture, rotation, mute audio, compressed export and SRT subtitle preview - Built-in local storage: create folders, import files, search, move, rename, delete, compress, pin items, add notes, and transfer files over LAN - WebDAV / FTP access: read-only browsing with file import; mount external folders or single files - Home screen widgets for quick shortcuts
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
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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 PatchDoc's 1. OpenDisplay also leads on ratings volume (23 vs 6) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). PatchDoc's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 days). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support 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. PatchDoc sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. OpenDisplay asks for nothing beyond the download.
PatchDoc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 23 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of PatchDoc's written reviews are positive against 92% of OpenDisplay's.
PatchDoc ships an update every 4 days, OpenDisplay every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PatchDoc | OpenDisplay |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better | 4.7 (23 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 92.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 23 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 8 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 99 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 夏骏 倪 | Philip Poloczek |
Customer experience
PatchDoc
OpenDisplay
In-app purchases
PatchDoc
- lifetime$0.99
OpenDisplay
No in-app purchases









