Comparison

PIPin vs SideTVs

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

Head to head
About

PIPin

Control and view any Mac window directly from your iPhone or iPad. Stream your Mac's screen to your mobile device for remote access, keeping important information visible, or multitasking.

Highlights
  • Remote Mac window control
  • On-screen keyboard with modifiers
  • Real iOS Picture-in-Picture support
  • Local-only Wi-Fi streaming
  • Zero account setup
  • Multiple pinned window grid
Features
Read full description

Keep an eye on — and control — any Mac window right from your iPhone or iPad. Pin a window on your Mac with ⌥⇧X and it instantly appears on this app. Watch an AI agent work, keep a doc or dashboard visible while you do something else, or take over and drive your Mac from the couch. You'll need the free PIPin Mac app — get it at pipin.jylljy.top. • Remote control. Tap to click, long‑press to right‑click, two‑finger swipe to scroll. Switch to trackpad mode for relative cursor moves. iPad trackpad and Bluetooth mouse scroll work too. • Type from anywhere. The on‑screen keyboard ships with sticky ⌘ ⌥ ⌃ ⇧ modifiers and arrow / esc / tab / delete keys, so Cmd‑Tab, Cmd‑C, and friends just work. • Real iOS Picture‑in‑Picture. Leave the app and the stream shrinks into a system PIP window that stays on top of anything else you do on iPhone or iPad. • Local‑only. Streams over your Wi‑Fi network via MultipeerConnectivity. Nothing touches the cloud. • Zero account. Open the Mac app, open this app on the same Wi‑Fi, tap your Mac, done. • Multiple PIPs. See every pinned window in a grid, tap to zoom. • Pinch and pan on the detail view; double‑tap to fill the screen.

About

SideTVs

Transform your iPhone into a comprehensive TV control hub. Wirelessly manage smart TVs, VR headsets, and streaming devices with remote control, screen mirroring, and media casting capabilities. Offers advanced tools for app management and file transfer.

Highlights
  • Wireless remote control for smart TVs
  • Screen mirroring and casting
  • ADB control for Android TVs
  • Media and document casting
  • App management (Pro)
  • Low-latency screen mirroring (Pro)
Features
Read full description

SideTVs — Turn Your iPhone into a TV Control Hub SideTVs is a wireless control and screen-casting tool designed for TVs, smart TVs, and VR headsets. Simply connect your phone and device to the same Wi-Fi network to enable remote control, media casting, and screen mirroring—no extra hardware required. 【Device Connection】 • Supports three connection methods: manual IP entry, LAN scanning, and wireless debugging pairing codes • Automatically saves device history and reconnects upon returning to the app • Displays real-time connection status and device information 【Virtual Remote Control】 • Includes full directional keys, OK, Back, Home, Volume, Power, and media controls • Supports ADB command transmission for controlling Android TVs and TV boxes • Supports DLNA remote control and bridges ADB devices on the same IP for a complete control experience • Compatible with native remote protocols for brands like Samsung, LG, Sony, and Roku • Supports voice input for sending text to the TV for searches or data entry 【Casting Hub】 • Media Casting: Cast local videos, audio, and images to DLNA-enabled TVs or speakers; supports simultaneous playback on multiple devices • Document Casting: Import PDFs, PPTs, Word docs, etc., and cast them page-by-page to the TV; supports zooming and automatic slideshows • Web Casting: Capture and stream the full screen to a LAN-based browser; viewable on computers or tablets via the link • Receiver Mode: Turn your phone into a DLNA receiver to accept casts from other devices on the LAN 【Pro Tools】 (SideTV Pro) • App Management: View, launch, uninstall, and install APKs • Screen Mirroring: Low-latency H.264 mirroring with touch feedback; supports ultra-high-definition casting for Quest headsets • File management, terminal shell, system status, log viewing, quick text input, one-tap cleanup, and more 【More Features】 • Home Screen widgets and Dynamic Island support for quick status checks and remote control • Optimized for iPhone and iPad widescreen layouts Usage Note SideTVs requires local network permissions to discover and control devices on the same LAN. Some features rely on the device's wireless debugging (ADB) or DLNA capabilities; please ensure the corresponding options are enabled on your TV or streaming box. You can try the remote control and screen casting functions for free five times; upgrade to SideTVs Pro to unlock all professional features. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.termsfeed.com/live/c9a159bf-3dc0-4ee8-84fd-7d47f5ad3edd

Screenshots

PIPin3 screens
SideTVs4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PIPin at none against SideTVs's 2. PIPin also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SideTVs sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. PIPin asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PIPin against 5.0 for SideTVs. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PIPin ships an update weekly, SideTVs monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PIPin versus SideTVs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPIPinSideTVs
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer嘉银 李强 王

Customer experience

PIPin

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

SideTVs

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

PIPin

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

SideTVs

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Membership$7.991 Month
One-time1
  • PRO$9.99

Questions

Is PIPin free?
PIPin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SideTVs free?
SideTVs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PIPin or SideTVs?
PIPin and SideTVs are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do PIPin or SideTVs have ads?
Neither PIPin nor SideTVs shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PIPin or SideTVs?
PIPin ships an update weekly, and SideTVs monthly. Most recently, PIPin was updated on October 24, 2026 and SideTVs on October 25, 2026.

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