TabletHID vs Palmote
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TabletHID
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Turn your iPhone into a high-precision virtual mouse and gamepad. No extra hardware, no dongles—just seamless Bluetooth HID control for your PC or Mac. TabletHID transforms your device into a professional-grade control surface. Whether you're presenting a slideshow, browsing from the couch, or need a backup controller for a quick game, TabletHID provides a low-latency, driver-free connection. Touch Mouse: Smooth, relative movement with dedicated left and right click zones. - Virtual Gamepad: A full Xbox-style layout including dual joysticks, D-pad, and face buttons. - HID-over-GATT: Utilizes modern Bluetooth protocols for a native connection that doesn't require "server" software on your computer. - Minimalist UI: Clean, distraction-free interface designed for one-handed or landscape use. - No Setup: Connect directly through your computer's standard Bluetooth settings. Note: TabletHID utilizes experimental Bluetooth HID-over-GATT implementations. Performance may vary depending on your host device's Bluetooth chipset and operating system compatibility.
Palmote
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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a trackpad, keyboard and customizable controller for your Mac. TRACKPAD Move the pointer, tap, scroll with two fingers and drag with a long press. Dedicated left, middle and right mouse buttons and common shortcuts stay within reach. KEYBOARD Send text and use modifier keys, arrow keys and shortcuts. Bluetooth typing uses a US keyboard layout: select the ABC input source on your Mac. Chinese, Japanese and other Unicode text are supported through the optional Mac receiver over your local network. GAME CONTROLS Use dual sticks, a directional pad, ABXY and shoulder buttons. Customize keyboard mappings, dead zone and sensitivity, and enable motion aiming on supported devices. Keyboard-and-mouse mapping works with games that accept those inputs. The controller interface sends keyboard and mouse input, including configurable mouse buttons. It does not register as a native gamepad or provide analog movement. Games continue to show keyboard and mouse prompts. TWO CONNECTION OPTIONS Bluetooth direct connection uses the Mac's built-in Bluetooth input support without a Mac receiver. Keep Palmote open in the foreground and your Mac awake. You can search for your Mac inside Palmote when the phone does not appear in macOS Bluetooth settings. Discovery and initial pairing depend on the devices and existing pairing state. Local network mode requires the Palmote Mac receiver and a six-digit pairing code. It uses an encrypted connection on your trusted local network. No account, advertising or cloud service is required. Available in English, Simplified Chinese and Japanese.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: TabletHID at daily against Palmote's every 3 days. Palmote's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
TabletHID ships an update daily, Palmote every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TabletHID | Palmote |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Max Murphy | zehao li |
In-app purchases
TabletHID
No in-app purchases
Palmote
No in-app purchases









