Comparison

PastReads vs Reachbeam

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

Head to head
About

PastReads

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PastReads is your all-in-one library for everything you read, see, and hear. Your free library helps you save, organize, and rediscover the best ideas. Whether you are reading books, browsing the web, listening to podcasts, or visiting museums, PastReads helps you capture what matters and find it again when you need it. ORGANIZE YOUR LIBRARY ā–  Capture highlights and notes in one place ā–  Add quick notes and thoughts ā–  Organize your content with collections, tags, and favorites ā–  Filter & search your entire library with full-text search IMPORT YOUR CONTENT ā–  Import highlights from Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Readwise, KOReader, and more ā–  Save content with details like author, location, and date ā–  Keep your reading history connected in one timeline YOUR (E)BOOKS IN ONE PLACE ā–  Keep track of everything you read ā–  Search millions of books and add them to your library ā–  Turn passages from physical books into digital highlights using the camera book highlighter SAVE IDEAS BEYOND BOOKS ā–  Capture highlights from articles, museum visits, and more ā–  Use your camera to capture and select text from the real world REMEMBER YOUR HIGHLIGHTS ā–  Get a daily recap of highlights so you don't forget what you read ā–  Complete streaks to stay motivated ACCESS FROM ANYWHERE ā–  Use PastReads on your phone or via web ā–  Synchronize ebook highlights using the desktop app BUILT FOR IOS Add PastReads widgets to your Home Screen, view highlights of the day, save content while browsing, and get customizable push notifications to revisit key ideas. JOIN NOW Join thousands of readers and start remembering your highlights. PastReads is free to use. You can upgrade to PastReads Pro for: ā–  more and better recaps with custom schedules and spaced repetition ā–  unlimited tags and collections ā–  advanced filtering ā–  monthly book summaries ā–  exports to Notion, PDF, and Markdown ā–  and much more -- Terms of use: https://www.pastreads.com/terms Apple EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Reachbeam

Features
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Reachbeam puts your computers within reach. Most remote-desktop apps just shrink a mouse-and-keyboard screen onto glass. Reachbeam is built for touch from the ground up — a purpose-built gesture engine turns natural taps, drags, and pinches into precise remote control. Reach any machine • RDP — control a Windows PC's full desktop, with Network Level Authentication (NLA) • VNC / RFB — connect to TigerVNC, x11vnc, RealVNC, UltraVNC, and more • macOS Screen Sharing — connects to any Mac out of the box (Apple Remote Desktop auth) • SSH terminal — a real shell with the native keyboard, password or private-key login, TOFU host-key verification, and local port-forwarding • VNC-over-SSH — route a VNC session through an SSH host in one tap Touch that feels right • Three input modes: Trackpad (relative cursor), Touchscreen (tap where you touch), Stylus • Pinch-to-zoom anchored to your fingers, two-finger pan, edge auto-pan • Scroll anywhere with iOS-style flick momentum • Quick-actions menu from the screen edge: Copy, Paste, Esc, Tab, Ctrl+Alt+Del, and more • Tap = click, long-press = right-click — no fumbling A keyboard that actually works • Your native iOS keyboard, plus a special-keys bar: Esc, Tab, Ctrl/Alt/Cmd/AltGr, arrows, F1–F12, Home/End/PgUp/PgDn, one-tap Ctrl+Alt+Del and Alt+Tab • Real X11 keysyms — the modifiers and function keys other clients get wrong Live Text on the remote screen (Pro) • Copy any text on the remote screen — error dialogs, images, locked pages • Tap a link, number, or address to open it; translate the screen in place • "Type on PC" sends text back where clipboard sync is blocked — all on-device Draw on your PC (Pro) • iPad and Apple Pencil become a pressure-sensitive drawing tablet over RDP — nothing to install on the PC • Photoshop & Krita shortcut keys, two-finger undo, three-finger redo, Pencil double-tap eraser Apple Pencil • Hover support for true remote mouse-hover — tooltips and menus without clicking • Squeeze to open the edge quick-actions menu (Pro) • Auto-switches to stylus mode the moment you touch with a Pencil Built for real use • Saved connections with folders, per-connection quality and input settings • Credentials stored in the device Keychain/Keystore, optional Face ID / Touch ID unlock • Auto-reconnect, clipboard sync, adaptive quality • LAN device discovery — scans your network and fills the connection form in one tap Reachbeam Pro • Open several remote machines at once and switch between live tabs — sessions stay connected in the background • Jump between individual monitors on the remote machine in one tap • Custom keyboard shortcuts and macros — define your own key combos and text snippets, fired from the quick-actions menu • Apple Pencil Pro squeeze → edge quick-actions menu (Pro only) $4.99/month or $49.99/year — cancel any time. No accounts. No tracking. Your credentials stay on your device. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft, Apple, or RealVNC. RDP, Windows, VNC, and Screen Sharing are trademarks of their respective owners. Reachbeam Pro is an auto-renewable subscription that renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel any time in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://dividedbits.com/apps/reachbeam/privacy

Screenshots

PastReads4 screens
Reachbeam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Reachbeam at every 2 days against PastReads's every 10 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. PastReads sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Reachbeam sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PastReads ships an update every 10 days, Reachbeam every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
PastReads versus Reachbeam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPastReadsReachbeam
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB29 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPastReadsSelim Saygi

In-app purchases

2 purchases

PastReads

Subscriptions2
  • PastReads Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • PastReads Pro (Annual)$49.991 Year
2 purchases

Reachbeam

Subscriptions2
  • Reachbeam Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Reachbeam Pro (Yearly)$49.991 Year

Questions

Is PastReads free?
PastReads is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Reachbeam free?
Reachbeam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PastReads or Reachbeam have ads?
Neither PastReads nor Reachbeam shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PastReads or Reachbeam?
PastReads ships an update every 10 days, and Reachbeam every 2 days. Most recently, PastReads was updated on November 9, 2026 and Reachbeam on November 6, 2026.

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