Xboard vs CTRL Micro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Intelligent voice input
- AI writing tools
- Text rewriting and polishing
- Multilingual translation
- Grammar and spelling check
- Hands-free writing
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
Xboard ships an update daily, CTRL Micro every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Xboard | CTRL Micro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.2 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cheese Mobile, Inc. | MedHue Labs |
Customer experience
Xboard
CTRL Micro
In-app purchases
Xboard
No in-app purchases
CTRL Micro
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Xboard free?
Is CTRL Micro free?
Which has better reviews, Xboard or CTRL Micro?
Do Xboard or CTRL Micro have ads?
Which is updated more often, Xboard or CTRL Micro?
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