Comparison

eTrackPad vs PointerDeck

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

Head to head
About

eTrackPad

Features
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Turn your iPad or iPhone into a full-featured wireless trackpad for your Mac. eTrackPad brings every gesture you know from the Magic Trackpad to your touch screen with 1-2 ms latency — plus a remote keyboard, numeric keypad, jog wheel and presentation remote. THE REAL macOS GESTURE SET • 1 finger: cursor, tap to click, tap-press-drag • 2 fingers: scrolling, right click, pinch to zoom • 3 fingers: switch between desktops, Mission Control, App Exposé, optional three-finger drag • 4 fingers: Launchpad, show desktop MORE THAN A TRACKPAD • Remote keyboard: type on your Mac from your iPad • Numeric keypad: full-size numpad with ÷ × − + operator column • Media controls: playback and volume keys at your fingertips • Jog wheel: step frame by frame in Final Cut and Premiere, with Blade (⌘B) and Marker (M) shortcuts • Presentation remote: full-screen mode with timer for Keynote and PowerPoint • Context-aware panels: the right panel opens automatically based on the frontmost Mac app FAST AND SECURE CONNECTION • Wi-Fi, USB cable or Bluetooth — your choice • Automatic discovery, one-time PIN pairing • All traffic is end-to-end encrypted; your data flows only between your devices and never touches the internet • No ads, no analytics, no account FINE-TUNING • Palm rejection, haptic feedback, natural scrolling • Adjustable cursor and scroll speed, left-handed mode, light/dark theme SETUP Download the free eTrackPad helper app on your Mac (apprip.com), open eTrackPad on your iPad and pair with a PIN — that's it. FREE AND PRO Cursor, left click, two-finger scrolling and Wi-Fi connection are completely free. A one-time eTrackPad Pro purchase (not a subscription) unlocks: • Right click and all gestures • Pinch and smart zoom • 3-4 finger gestures • Remote keyboard • USB and Bluetooth connection • Pairing with multiple Macs REQUIREMENTS • iOS/iPadOS 16 or later • macOS 13 Ventura or later + the free eTrackPad Mac helper app (apprip.com) Questions or feedback: support@apprip.com

About

PointerDeck

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PointerDeck turns your iPhone or iPad into a focused wireless trackpad for your Mac. The free PointerDeck Receiver for Mac is required, and both devices must be on the same local network. SET UP ONCE Open Add Device on the Mac and create an 8–12 digit Connection PIN. PointerDeck rejects repeated or sequential patterns; use at least five different digits. Then select that Mac on your iPhone or iPad and enter the PIN. After pairing, PointerDeck remembers the trusted connection and reconnects when both apps are open and reachable. TRACKPAD CONTROLS • Move the pointer with one finger • Scroll with two fingers • Tap or use the dedicated Left Click button • Two-finger tap or use the dedicated Right Click button • Use Drag Lock for click-and-drag TUNE THE FEEL • Adjust pointer sensitivity and scrolling speed • Choose Natural or Reversed scrolling • Turn tap-to-click on or off • Switch to a left-handed button layout DIRECT BY DESIGN PointerDeck does not stream or display your Mac screen. The release has no account, advertisements, subscription, analytics SDK, or cloud service. Controller traffic travels directly between your devices and is encrypted on the local network. REQUIREMENTS • iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 17 or later • Apple silicon or Intel Mac running macOS 14 or later • Free PointerDeck Receiver from the Mac download page • Both devices on the same local network • Accessibility permission enabled for PointerDeck Receiver on the Mac Guest, corporate, public, or client-isolated networks may prevent devices from discovering each other.

Screenshots

eTrackPad4 screens
PointerDeck4 screens

Verdict

The call

eTrackPad and PointerDeck are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
eTrackPad versus PointerDeck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametereTrackPadPointerDeck
PriceFreeFree
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBatuhan TufekciEliyahu Mechtcheriakov

In-app purchases

None

eTrackPad

No in-app purchases

None

PointerDeck

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is eTrackPad free?
eTrackPad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PointerDeck free?
PointerDeck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do eTrackPad or PointerDeck have ads?
Neither eTrackPad nor PointerDeck shows ads.

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