AirWeb vs External Display Desktop
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Web browsing on Apple TV
- iPhone/iPad as remote control
- AirPlay mirroring
- Trackpad and controls on iOS device
- Comfortable big-screen browsing
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | AirWeb | External Display Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (9 ratings) — better | 4.2 (18 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.9% of reviews | 57.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 18 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 80 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Christian Arild Strommen | Marian-Daniel Filipovici |
Customer experience
AirWeb
External Display Desktop
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 moreShow fewer
- Improved scrolling and clicking
External Display Desktop
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
AirWeb
- Weekly$1.997 Days
- Monthly$1.991 Month
- Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- 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
External Display Desktop
- Weekly7 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Yearly$14.991 Year
- Lifetime$34.99
Questions
Is AirWeb free?
Is External Display Desktop free?
Which has better reviews, AirWeb or External Display Desktop?
Do AirWeb or External Display Desktop have ads?
Which is updated more often, AirWeb or External Display Desktop?
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