Comparison

AirWeb vs External Display Desktop

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

Head to head
About

AirWeb

Browse the internet on your television using your iPhone or iPad as a remote. This app offers a comfortable and intuitive web surfing experience on the big screen, leveraging AirPlay mirroring.

Highlights
  • Web browsing on Apple TV
  • iPhone/iPad as remote control
  • AirPlay mirroring
  • Trackpad and controls on iOS device
  • Comfortable big-screen browsing
Features
Read full description

AirWeb is the first web browser for your Apple TV. "Insanely impressed with how clever the implementation of @AirWebApp is. One of those "Um...DUH" type experiences :)" - Senior UI Designer at Apple This is the first TV browsing experience that is actually pleasant to use! Using your iPhone/iPad as an input device you can now finally take advantage of that big beautiful HDTV to browse the web. Share webpages with friends or colleagues, or just surf on your own, either way BIGGER is BETTER. AirWeb runs on any iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad that support AirPlay Mirroring and uses AirPlay to show the webpages directly on your Apple TV connected TV, while creating a trackpad and controls on your touchscreen iOS device. It takes full advantage of the width and height of your HDTV, and allows you to browse comfortably without having to look down at your iOS device. Note that you need an Apple TV to use this app wirelessly.

About

External Display Desktop

Browse the web, watch videos, and work on an external display using your iPhone. Enjoy full-resolution browsing, file management, and even video calls with camera and microphone support. It offers a desktop-like experience with mouse and keyboard compatibility, and a privacy-focused design with an integrated ad-blocker.

Highlights
  • Full-resolution browsing on external displays
  • Full-screen video playback
  • PDF and file opening in tabs
  • Camera and microphone support for calls
  • Mouse and keyboard support
  • Floating, resizable tabs
  • Integrated ad-blocker
Read full description

XeOS is the leading and most acclaimed desktop mode experience for iPhone, iPad, and the new iPhone Duo. Browse the web on a second screen, watch videos full-screen, work or study on your external monitor, TV, or projector powered only by your iPhone/iPad. Browse at full resolution, remove black bars, open PDFs and files in tabs, join calls with camera and microphone support, and enjoy a better iPhone/iPad extended display experience. • Full-resolution browsing on your external display from iPhone/iPad • Remove black bars for a cleaner full-screen view • Open PDFs and files in browser tabs • Download files directly from the browser • Watch YouTube and online video in full screen • Camera and microphone support for calls and meetings • Mouse and keyboard support for a desktop-like setup • Multitask with floating tabs - resize and reposition them anywhere on the screen • Use the on-screen trackpad when you don't have a mouse with you • Use the on-screen keyboard when you don't have a keyboard with you • More flexible iPhone/iPad external monitor to use anywhere • Enjoy a better iPhone/iPad to external monitor experience • Use iPhone/iPad extend display for work, travel, and entertainment • Privacy-focused by design, with no server account or remote processing; your browsing session, files, and activity stay on your device • Integrated ad-blocker disables many known intrusive trackers and ads • Built on Safari and iOS security standards, with proper system permissions IMPORTANT: This app works only with iPhone/iPads supporting video output when connecting via cable or adapter! Most iPhone/iPads support it, except the Air and E models, but check your iPhone/iPad's compatibility! The app works with some iPads but we advise you to use the free trial to test it with your model first! If wired connection doesn't work for your model try the wireless mode via AirPlay. The app's onboarding guides your through connecting all peripherals and your external monitor. If you encounter any issues or need help please contact support in the app. IMPORTANT: Note that the app has a few minor limitations. Due to browser engine security restrictions, users may be unable to interact with remote iframes in certain situations. When this happens, the app provides a button to temporarily switch to the phone layout, allowing you to complete the required action. Afterward, you can return to the fullscreen, black-bar-free experience. By using this app, you agree to Apple's Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

AirWeb4 screens
External Display Desktop4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: AirWeb at 5.0 against External Display Desktop's 4.2. External Display Desktop's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 weeks) and review sentiment (58% vs 41%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. AirWeb sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and External Display Desktop sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AirWeb holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 18 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of AirWeb's written reviews are positive against 58% of External Display Desktop's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AirWeb ships an update every 5 weeks, External Display Desktop every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
AirWeb versus External Display Desktop: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAirWebExternal Display Desktop
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (9 ratings) — better4.2 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews40.9% of reviews57.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings918 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB80 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperChristian Arild StrommenMarian-Daniel Filipovici

Customer experience

AirWeb

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews254 reviews
Positive40.9%
Neutral7.1%
Negative52.0%

External Display Desktop

All ratings18 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive57.7%
Neutral7.7%
Negative34.6%

Bugs and requests

AirWeb

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Doesn't work with Apple TV
  • Doesn't work with iPhone 4
  • Doesn't work with secure websites
  • Doesn't work with video playback
  • Doesn't work with certain websites

Requested features

6 requests
  • Bookmarks support
  • Landscape mode
  • Full-screen mode
  • Desktop site mode
  • Video playback support
Show 1 more
  • Improved scrolling and clicking

External Display Desktop

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

AirWeb

Subscriptions9
  • Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Quarterly subscription$2.993 Months
  • Quarterly3 Days trial$2.993 Months
  • Yearly subscription$5.991 Year
  • Yearly3 Days trial$5.991 Year
  • Yearly subscription$9.991 Year
3 purchases

External Display Desktop

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Yearly$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$34.99

Questions

Is AirWeb free?
AirWeb is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is External Display Desktop free?
External Display Desktop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AirWeb or External Display Desktop?
AirWeb is rated higher. AirWeb averages 5.0 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while External Display Desktop averages 4.2 from 18 ratings.
Do AirWeb or External Display Desktop have ads?
Neither AirWeb nor External Display Desktop shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AirWeb or External Display Desktop?
AirWeb ships an update every 5 weeks, and External Display Desktop every 2 days. Most recently, AirWeb was updated on October 23, 2026 and External Display Desktop on October 24, 2026.

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