Comparison

Handpad vs Starship VPN

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

Head to head
About

Handpad

Features
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Handpad turns your iPhone into a precision wireless trackpad and keyboard for your Mac. Whether you're presenting, watching a movie, gaming, or just working from the couch โ€” your iPhone is your remote. โ€” TRACKPAD โ€” Slide, tap, and two-finger scroll just like a real MacBook trackpad. Sub-pixel precision, instant response, multi-touch gestures. โ€” SHORTCUTS THAT FIT THE MOMENT โ€” Customizable button grids for any scenario: โ€ข Movies โ€” play, pause, mute, fullscreen โ€ข Presentations โ€” next slide, previous, blackout โ€ข Games โ€” quick keys mapped to anything Switch between layouts instantly with a swipe. โ€” TYPE WITH YOUR NATIVE KEYBOARD โ€” Use your iPhone's full iOS keyboard to type into your Mac. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, emoji, voice dictation โ€” everything syncs to your Mac in real time. No more squinting at a remote keyboard across the room. โ€” CONNECTED IN SECONDS โ€” โ€ข Bluetooth pairs the first time โ€ข WiFi auto-boosts after that for lower latency โ€ข Works on the same local network โ€ข No router or hotspot configuration needed โ€” PRIVATE BY DESIGN โ€” Everything stays between your iPhone and your Mac. AES-256 encrypted link. Zero internet dependency. No accounts. No telemetry. No data collection. Your inputs never leave your local network. โ€” REQUIREMENTS โ€” โ€ข Free Handpad companion app for macOS โ€ข macOS 13 Ventura or later โ€ข Bluetooth and WiFi enabled โ€ข Both devices on the same local network for best performance โ€” FAQ โ€” Q: Does it work without internet? A: Yes. The app works entirely on your local network. Q: Does it support multiple Macs? A: One iPhone can pair with multiple Macs, with one active connection at a time. Q: Will my keyboard work the same? A: Yes โ€” Handpad uses your iPhone's native keyboard, so all your custom inputs, dictionaries, and IMEs work normally. Made with care. No tracking. No ads. Ever.

About

Starship VPN

Features
Read full description

Starship VPN Secure is a simple VPN app for private network access. Sign in, press Start, and the app sets up your VPN connection automatically. No manual server setup, QR code scanning, or imported profile is required. Features: - One-button VPN connection - Secure sign-in - Automatic VPN profile setup - Smart routing for selected services - All mode for routing network traffic through the VPN - On-device session and profile storage - Built-in diagnostics for support - Account deletion from the app menu Starship VPN Secure does not collect browsing history, traffic contents, or personal analytics. VPN service data is used only to provide and maintain the connection.

Screenshots

Handpad4 screens
Starship VPN4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Starship VPN at 4 against Handpad's 2. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Handpad ships an update every 2 days, Starship VPN every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Handpad versus Starship VPN: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandpadStarship VPN
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days โ€” betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV โ€” better
Requires iOS16.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size3 MB142 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDLC39DEGREETime Lord

In-app purchases

None

Handpad

No in-app purchases

None

Starship VPN

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Handpad free?
Handpad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Starship VPN free?
Starship VPN is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Handpad or Starship VPN have ads?
Neither Handpad nor Starship VPN shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Handpad or Starship VPN?
Handpad ships an update every 2 days, and Starship VPN every 5 days. Most recently, Handpad was updated on October 31, 2026 and Starship VPN on October 31, 2026.

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