Comparison

Xboard vs CTRL Micro

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

Head to head
About

Xboard

This keyboard app offers advanced voice-to-text, AI writing assistance, translation, and grammar checking. It streamlines communication by allowing users to speak their messages, generate text based on topics, and refine existing content directly from their keyboard.

Highlights
  • Intelligent voice input
  • AI writing tools
  • Text rewriting and polishing
  • Multilingual translation
  • Grammar and spelling check
  • Hands-free writing
Read full description

Xboard brings smart voice typing, AI writing tools, translation, grammar checking and multilingual input into one clean keyboard. Xboard includes intelligent voice input that turns your speech into clean, readable text. Talk naturally and let Xboard help convert your thoughts into messages that are easier to send. ● Voice to text input ● Natural speech recognition ● Cleaner text from spoken words ● Faster replies without manual typing ● Hands free writing in everyday apps Xboard is more than a keyboard. It gives you AI writing tools directly from the keyboard. ● Write text based on a topic ● Rewrite a message in a better way ● Polish rough drafts ● Make text sound more natural ● Translate between languages ● Check grammar and spelling ● Improve clarity and tone Xboard is designed for people who communicate across languages every day. ● Bilingual and multilingual users ● International students ● Remote workers, global teams ● Creators writing for different audiences ● Anyone who chats across languages Use Xboard across your favorite apps. Write, speak, translate, and improve text directly from the keyboard. ● Messaging apps ● Email apps ● Notes ● Social media ● Browsers ● Productivity tools ● AI chat apps ● Work collaboration apps Xboard helps you move from thought to text faster — with voice, AI, and multilingual typing in one keyboard.

About

CTRL Micro

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
Read full description

CTRL Micro turns your iPhone or iPad into a tactile control deck for your Mac and AI agents. HAPTIC CONTROL DECK • Feel responsive haptics, sounds, and visual feedback • Arrange controls where they feel right • Switch between Mac, Codex, Claude, and Cursor from one deck CONTROL YOUR MAC • Launch applications • Control volume, brightness, media, and windows • Move the pointer, scroll, click, run Shortcuts, and talk to Siri MONITOR AI AGENTS • See task progress and attention states at a glance • Open recent tasks and start new ones • Use client-specific controls for Codex, Claude, and Cursor SPEAK NATURALLY • Dictate into desktop apps from your deck • Transcription is processed locally by CTRL Micro Host on your Mac SEE YOUR MAC • Watch your Mac respond as you use the control deck, Trackpad, or Keyboard • Open Desktop View nearby or through Remote Anywhere • Keep the live screen above your controls or expand it full screen • Pinch, pan, and double-tap to inspect your Mac screen PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No CTRL Micro account required • Nearby connections stay directly between your devices • Remote Anywhere is end-to-end encrypted; the relay forwards opaque data and cannot read your screen or control content • Screen frames, keyboard input, commands, and dictation content are not recorded or stored CTRL Micro requires the separate CTRL Micro Host app for Mac, available from ctrlmicro.com. Pair your iPhone or iPad with one selected Mac and control it nearby or through Remote Anywhere.

Screenshots

Xboard4 screens
CTRL Micro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Xboard at daily against CTRL Micro's every 3 days. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Xboard against 5.0 for CTRL Micro. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Xboard ships an update daily, CTRL Micro every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Xboard versus CTRL Micro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterXboardCTRL Micro
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.2 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCheese Mobile, Inc.MedHue Labs

Customer experience

Xboard

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

CTRL Micro

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

In-app purchases

None

Xboard

No in-app purchases

None

CTRL Micro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Xboard free?
Xboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CTRL Micro free?
CTRL Micro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Xboard or CTRL Micro?
Xboard and CTRL Micro are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Xboard or CTRL Micro have ads?
Neither Xboard nor CTRL Micro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Xboard or CTRL Micro?
Xboard ships an update daily, and CTRL Micro every 3 days. Most recently, Xboard was updated on October 21, 2026 and CTRL Micro on October 16, 2026.

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