Dataplicity vs Sofa
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dataplicity
Access your Raspberry Pi shell remotely from any network without complex configurations like dynamic DNS or port forwarding. This secure solution uses a client-initiated connection, eliminating the need for SSH or open ports on your device.
- Remote shell access
- No dynamic DNS needed
- No port forwarding required
- Works behind NAT/firewalls
- Secure websockets connection
- No SSH required
- Agent runs without root
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Dataplicity helps teams support connected Linux devices after they ship, wherever the work happens. Use the Dataplicity iOS app to find the right device, check live status, and take the next support action without going back to a laptop. With Dataplicity you can: - Search enrolled devices by name or ID - See current device status at a glance - Review service endpoint, heartbeat, user impact, and device monitor signals - Acknowledge or escalate open incidents - Confirm fixes when work is complete - Open terminal access for a selected device when shell access is the fastest path - Reach docs, help, and account settings from the app Dataplicity is built for real support work: customer sites, production floors, field visits, and incident response. Start with the easy checks, understand what is happening, and keep the work moving from your iPhone or iPad. Dataplicity access requires an active Dataplicity account and enrolled devices.
Sofa
Control your Mac or Linux computer remotely from your iPhone or iPad. Launch apps, open files, navigate menus, and manage system functions like volume and power. It offers custom controls for popular applications and websites.
- Launch and quit applications
- Open files remotely
- Navigate menus and edit text
- Control system functions (volume, brightness)
- Custom controls for popular apps/websites
- Lock, sleep, restart, and shutdown computer
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Control your Mac from your iPhone or iPad with Sofa's simple and effective user interface. - Launch apps, quit, minimise, go fullscreen - Open files on your Mac or your Linux box with the default or another associated app - Navigate through lists, press buttons and edit text - Access menu commands - Hand-crafted controls for the most popular apps and websites - Adjust volume and display brightness - Lock the screen, put to sleep, restart and shutdown your computer All this while in couch-potato mode or doing a presentation. Sofa supports interaction with the most popular applications and websites: - Apple apps: Music, TV, Books, Photos, Preview, Photo Booth, Finder, ... - Chrome, Safari, Firefox, VLC, MPV, IINA, Skype, ... - YouTube, YouTube Music, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Spotify, SoundCloud, Vimeo and more! In order to connect, you need the free Sofa Server running on your Mac. Get it at http://tordini.org/sofa
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Dataplicity at 4.6 against Sofa's 3.5. Dataplicity also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (163 vs 2). Sofa's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads 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. Sofa sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Dataplicity asks for nothing beyond the download.
Dataplicity holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dataplicity has 163 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Dataplicity's written reviews are positive against 67% of Sofa's.
Dataplicity ships an update every 3 months, Sofa every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dataplicity | Sofa |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (163 ratings) — better | 3.5 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.6% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 163 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MachineForest Ltd | Flavio Tordini |
Customer experience
Dataplicity
Sofa
In-app purchases
Dataplicity
No in-app purchases
Sofa
- 10-day TrialFree
- Sofa Pro$4.99
