Comparison

Glassy Desk vs Remote Mac Desktop Control

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

Head to head
About

Glassy Desk

Control your Mac remotely from your iPhone or iPad using fast, direct connections. Supports standard VNC or the encrypted Glassy Stream protocol for smooth, low-latency access. Offers flexible connection options and natural touch or trackpad controls.

Highlights
  • Direct remote access to Mac
  • VNC and Glassy Stream support
  • Automatic Mac discovery
  • On-screen and hardware keyboard support
  • Direct touch or trackpad mode
  • Private iCloud sync for settings
Features
Read full description

Control your Mac from your iPhone or iPad with fast, direct remote access. Glassy Desk supports standard macOS Screen Sharing over VNC and the faster, encrypted Glassy Stream through the Glassy Host companion app. CONNECT YOUR WAY • Discover nearby Macs automatically • Add a Mac by hostname or IP address • Use VNC for standard Screen Sharing • Use Glassy Stream for smooth, low-latency video and input • Connect locally or through a trusted VPN such as Tailscale • Wake supported Macs with Wake-on-LAN • Automatically reconnect after short network interruptions NATURAL CONTROLS • Choose direct touch or trackpad mode • Tap, drag, right-click, scroll, and pinch to zoom • Type with the on-screen keyboard or a hardware keyboard • Send Command, Control, Option, Shift, arrow, function, and common shortcut keys • Select a remote display when multiple screens are available • Use an external display while your iPhone or iPad becomes the controller PRIVATE BY DESIGN Connections go directly to the computer you choose—there is no cloud relay. Saved computers and recent sessions sync through your private iCloud database. Credentials are protected with encrypted storage and used only to authenticate with your computer. COMPATIBILITY VNC is designed and tested with macOS Screen Sharing and Remote Management; other standards-based VNC servers may work. Glassy Stream requires the Glassy Host companion app on the Mac. Remote access requires a network or VPN route to the Mac. Free sessions are timed. Glassy Desk Pro removes the session limit. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Remote Mac Desktop Control

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a wireless trackpad, keyboard, and live screen viewer for your Mac. Control your Mac remotely with precise gestures, stream audio, and even view your screen in VR. It offers secure, private connections without requiring an account.

Highlights
  • Wireless trackpad with multi-touch gestures
  • Full keyboard with modifier keys
  • Live screen mirroring
  • Mac audio streaming
  • VR viewing mode with head tracking
  • Secure QR code pairing
  • Remote access via secure relay
Features
Read full description

Remote Mac turns your iPhone or iPad into a wireless trackpad, full keyboard and live screen viewer for your Mac. Pair once with a QR code and take control from anywhere in the room, or anywhere at all. CONTROL YOUR MAC • Smooth, precise trackpad with tap, scroll and drag gestures • Full keyboard with modifier keys and shortcuts • Volume, playback and now playing controls for music and video • Keep your Mac awake for downloads, presentations and long tasks SEE YOUR SCREEN • Live screen mirroring with low latency video • Stream your Mac audio straight to your phone • Immersive VR viewing mode with head tracking WORKS WHERE YOU ARE • Instant connection over your local network, discovered automatically • Optional secure relay so you can reach your Mac when you are away from home • Reconnects quickly when you move between rooms PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Pairing uses a QR code with certificate pinning, and every command is cryptographically signed • No account and no sign up required • The Mac helper app is free, notarized by Apple and fully open source, so you can verify exactly what runs on your Mac GETTING STARTED 1. Install the free Remote Mac Relay helper on your Mac 2. Scan the QR code it shows with your iPhone or iPad 3. Start controlling your Mac Perfect as a presentation clicker, a couch remote for movies on your Mac, a trackpad for a Mac mini without peripherals, or a second way in when your mouse battery dies. Privacy Policy: https://www.remotemacos.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.remotemacos.com/terms Questions or feedback? Visit remotemacos.com

Screenshots

Glassy Desk4 screens
Remote Mac Desktop Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Remote Mac Desktop Control at every 2 days against Glassy Desk's weekly. Remote Mac Desktop Control also leads on iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). 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. Glassy Desk sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Remote Mac Desktop Control sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Glassy Desk against 5.0 for Remote Mac Desktop Control. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Glassy Desk ships an update weekly, Remote Mac Desktop Control every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Glassy Desk versus Remote Mac Desktop Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGlassy DeskRemote Mac Desktop Control
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB4 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperFernando BunnAmon Chowdhury

Customer experience

Glassy Desk

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Remote Mac Desktop Control

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Glassy Desk

Subscriptions2
  • Glassy Desk Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Glassy Desk Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Glassy Desk Pro Lifetime$29.99
3 purchases

Remote Mac Desktop Control

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Premium Annual7 Days trial$47.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Glassy Desk free?
Glassy Desk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Remote Mac Desktop Control free?
Remote Mac Desktop Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Glassy Desk or Remote Mac Desktop Control?
Glassy Desk and Remote Mac Desktop Control are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Glassy Desk or Remote Mac Desktop Control have ads?
Neither Glassy Desk nor Remote Mac Desktop Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Glassy Desk or Remote Mac Desktop Control?
Glassy Desk ships an update weekly, and Remote Mac Desktop Control every 2 days. Most recently, Glassy Desk was updated on October 7, 2026 and Remote Mac Desktop Control on October 13, 2026.

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