# Glassy Desk vs CTRL Micro

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CTRL Micro at none against Glassy Desk's 3. CTRL Micro also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Glassy Desk sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. CTRL Micro asks for nothing beyond the download.

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

Glassy Desk ships an update weekly, CTRL Micro every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Glassy Desk | CTRL Micro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glassy-desk/id6787767486/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ctrl-micro/id6801026497/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fernando Bunn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514075261) | [MedHue Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1851646658) |

## What reviewers say

### Glassy Desk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glassy-desk/id6787767486)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Glassy Desk Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Glassy Desk Pro Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Glassy Desk Pro Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


### CTRL Micro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ctrl-micro/id6801026497)

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a tactile control surface for your Mac and AI agents. Enjoy haptic feedback, launch apps, manage media, and interact with AI tools like Codex and Claude. Dictate text and view your Mac's screen remotely for a seamless workflow.

**Highlights:** Haptic feedback control deck, Launch Mac applications, Control Mac volume, brightness, media, windows, Monitor AI agent progress, Dictate into desktop apps, View Mac screen remotely, End-to-end encrypted connections

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Glassy Desk free?

Glassy Desk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CTRL Micro free?

CTRL Micro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Glassy Desk or CTRL Micro?

Glassy Desk and CTRL Micro are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Glassy Desk or CTRL Micro have ads?

Neither Glassy Desk nor CTRL Micro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Glassy Desk or CTRL Micro?

Glassy Desk ships an update weekly, and CTRL Micro every 2 days. Most recently, Glassy Desk was updated on October 7, 2026 and CTRL Micro on October 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*