DualMac vs AnyPane
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DualMac
Access and control your Mac from your iPad or iPhone. Connects directly to your Mac's built-in screen sharing without requiring any companion software on the Mac itself. Offers features like clipboard sharing, multi-display switching, and hardware keyboard support.
- Direct Mac screen sharing connection
- No companion software needed on Mac
- Local network and secure remote access
- Save and manage multiple Macs
- Full iPad and iPhone layout support
- Clipboard sharing and file transfer (with Companion)
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DualMac is a VNC remote desktop for iPad and iPhone that shows and controls the Mac you own. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no account. Nothing to install on the Mac • Connects straight to macOS Screen Sharing, the remote desktop built into every Mac. Standard VNC (RFB) with Mac authentication. No Companion needed for VNC. • Works on your local network, through your own Tailscale network when away, or over an SSH tunnel with keys. DualMac never exposes VNC to the public Internet and never routes your screen through a relay. • Ideal for a headless Mac mini, a studio Mac or a build machine you check from the couch. All your Macs, one library • Save every Mac you own and open any of them in one tap. • Touch and hold the app icon for your recent Macs, or open any Mac by name with Siri or Spotlight. • Observe or control, per session. Built for iPad • Direct touch, pointer, hardware keyboard, trackpad and Apple Pencil. • Mac shortcuts and Mission Control in one tap, configurable toolbar. • Multi-display switching, adaptive quality, on-device dictation. • Clipboard sharing, Face ID lock, hidden previews in the App Switcher. • Shortcuts, URL schemes, Stage Manager windows, optional iCloud sync of your library (off by default). On iPhone Duo • Open iPhone Duo and DualMac switches to its iPad layout, with your Mac on the inner display. • With iPhone Duo closed, DualMac keeps the iPhone layout on the outer display. Companion for more Install DualMac Companion on the Mac, available from dualmac.app, to add: • Enhanced H.264 streaming • File transfer with pause and resume, rich clipboard • Wake the Mac through your other Mac, privacy curtain, lock and sleep • Remote display selection Enhanced requires DualMac Companion plus Tailscale on both devices. Privacy DualMac has no account, no advertising and no developer-operated cloud backend. Your Macs' names and addresses, screens, files and clipboard never reach the developer. Credentials stay in Keychain. Screen, clipboard and file traffic goes directly between your devices. DualMac is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple or Tailscale. Requirements • iPad with iPadOS 17.6 or later, or iPhone with iOS 17.6 or later, including iPhone Duo • A Mac you own or are authorized to control, with Screen Sharing enabled • For Enhanced: DualMac Companion, Tailscale on both devices, and the required macOS privacy permissions
AnyPane
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Keep each remote task organized without switching apps. AnyPane brings SSH terminals and VNC desktops into multiple workspaces on iPhone, iPad and Mac. ORGANIZE YOUR WORK Create multiple workspaces, each with up to four SSH/VNC panes. Combine terminals and desktops, adjust splits and rearrange panes on iPad and Mac. On iPhone, switch between panes with tabs. SSH terminals belong to each workspace; VNC sessions are shared across workspaces. CONNECT WITH SSH Use password authentication or an OpenSSH Ed25519 private key. Verify the server fingerprint on first connection. Reach a target through one SSH jump host and create local port forwards that listen only on your device's loopback address. KEEP A DESKTOP NEARBY Connect to a VNC desktop directly or through SSH. Direct VNC is not encrypted and TLS is not supported; prefer VNC over SSH. LOCAL CONFIGURATION Save connection settings on your device, with passwords, private keys and passphrases stored separately in the system Keychain. REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITS Requires iOS/iPadOS 17 or macOS 15 and authorized access to a compatible SSH or VNC server, with your own server credentials. AnyPane does not provide servers or service accounts. RSA keys, keyboard-interactive/OTP, SSH Agent, multi-hop jump chains, SFTP, RDP, SOCKS and remote forwarding are not supported. Reconnection is manual. Background connections on iPhone and iPad are not guaranteed. Closing a pane does not disconnect a session.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: DualMac at every 4 days against AnyPane's every 2 months. DualMac also leads on chart position (#113 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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.
DualMac ships an update every 4 days, AnyPane every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DualMac | AnyPane |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | #113 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MARIUS LABS | You Lu |
In-app purchases
DualMac
No in-app purchases
AnyPane
No in-app purchases









