Comparison

Duet Display vs Elgato Stream Deck Mobile

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

Head to head
About

Duet Display

Transform your iPad or iPhone into an advanced, lag-free extra display for your Mac or PC. Interact with your computer using touch and gestures, and unlock professional drawing capabilities with Apple Pencil support.

Highlights
  • Extra display for Mac & PC
  • Lag-free performance
  • Touch and gesture support
  • Apple Pencil integration
  • Professional drawing tools
  • Portable productivity
Read full description

#1 best-selling iPad app in US, Japan, UK, Germany, and 17 other countries! Duet turns your iPad or iPhone into the most advanced extra display for your Mac & PC. Developed by a team of ex-Apple engineers, Duet offers unparalleled performance and display quality - all with zero lag. — DO MORE — Be twice as productive by multitasking with two screens. And for those that travel, have a portable way to stay productive. — INCREDIBLY SIMPLE — To get started, plug your iPad into your desktop using your charging cable. The free Duet desktop app will automatically detect your device, and transform it into a high performance touchscreen display. There’s no need to worry about unreliable Wi-Fi, laggy performance, pixelated screens or managing network passwords. — TOUCHSCREEN — Interact with Mac & PC like never before, with touch & gestures, including two-finger scrolling, pan and zoom. And with our latest release, you can even add a touch bar to any iPad with any Mac. — PERFECT FOR APPLE PENCIL — With Duet Pro, you can turn your iPad and Apple Pencil into a professional graphics tablet. We’ve re-engineered our rendering algorithms for ultra-responsive drawing, optimized specifically for designers, illustrators and artists. Duet Pro also unlocks pressure & tilt sensitivity, hover, palm rejection, and more to seamlessly draw in the most powerful programs for professionals. Get precise control in Photoshop, Corel Painter, Lightroom, ToonBoom, Illustrator, Manga Studio and more.  — PRESS — TechCrunch - "Feels Like Magic" TIME - "Getting Work Done Faster and More Efficiently" The Guardian - "Lag-free" Forbes - "The simple thing to note is this...Duet Display works." The Verge - "Glorious Fluidity" Lifehacker - "It's fast, easy to use, and works great" Business Insider - "Zero lag and true retina resolution” Wall Street Journal - “It’s as easy as just plugging it in" — REVIEWS — “Awesome! My iPad Pro can be an extra monitor! Cool app” ~CEO of T-Mobile, John Legere “Very smooth and responsive indeed, plus you could use the touch screen to “click” on screen interfaces!” ~Photographer, Lok Cheung “Love the ability to use my iPad as a monitor with Duet.” ~Former Chief Evangelist of Apple, Guy Kawasaki “Just started using this app called Duet… Kinda love it so far.” ~Comedian and Youtube, Phillip DeFranco “All my mac folks look at the Duet app… GREAT!” ~Actor and Comedian, Sinbad  "I really like the app, I suppose the biggest compliment I can give is that it's so easy to setup it almost seems like an Apple product.” ~Early Adopter, M. Nightingale "Amazing solution for me by the way. Works as I was hoping for and actually my main reason for getting an iPad : )” ~Early Adopter, M. Gemzoe Duet Works With: All iPhones and iPads with iOS 7.0 and later All Macs with 10.9 (Mavericks) and later All PCs with Windows 7 and later Duet Pro Works With: All iPad Pros with Apple Pencil All Macs with 10.9 (Mavericks) and later All PCs with Windows 8.1 and later (64 bit) Duet Pro is an optional upgrade for additional features, and price may vary by location. Duet Pro subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will not be able to cancel the subscription once activated. Manage Duet Pro in Account Settings after the optional upgrade. Learn more at http://www.duetdisplay.com Terms: https://www.duetdisplay.com/help-center/duet-terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.duetdisplay.com/help-center/duet-privacy-policy

About

Elgato Stream Deck Mobile

Control your desktop applications and tools with customizable virtual keys on your mobile device. Streamline content creation, productivity, and more with powerful features and extensive plugin support.

Highlights
  • Virtual key press control
  • Customizable profiles and layouts
  • Extensive plugin support
  • Multi-action key triggers
  • Voice command integration
  • Personalized icons and animations
Features
Read full description

CONTROL APPS AND TOOLS WITH A VIRTUAL KEY PRESS Stream Deck Mobile is a full-fledged recreation of our iconic Stream Deck keypad. Now with an all-new design, more freedom to customize, and powerful features exclusive to iPhone and iPad. WORKS WITH WHAT YOU LOVE Stream Deck Mobile puts your setup at your fingertips, so you can control apps and tools without touching your mouse or keyboard. Perfect for content creation, productivity, video calls, conversations, lighting, audio, music, social media, and much more. ALL THE BEST OF STREAM DECK Profiles: Create specialized keypads, each with their own role Plugins: Get more actions to control your favorite apps and tools Icons: Personalize your keys with colorful images and animations Multi actions: String together a series of actions — all triggered by a single key Folders: Organize and group your actions for easy access Pages: Store even more actions on up to 10 additional pages -------------------------- STAY FREE Get 6 keys and unlimited actions — forever. OR GO PRO Get up to 64 keys — that’s double the number of our largest device, Stream Deck XL. Personalize your background — choose from our faceplate library or upload your own. Customize your layout — 5X3 or 8X8 keys? One big button? Your keypad, your choice. GETTING STARTED IS EASY Open Stream Deck on your computer, then connect wirelessly from your mobile device. Don't have the desktop app yet? Get it free for macOS or Windows. -------------------------- STREAM DECK ON IPHONE AND IPAD "Hey Siri" Hands tied? Across the room? Create custom voice commands and control your setup with a quick shoutout. Go dark or light Swap modes on the fly — or automatically. Some faceplates even change their look based on your appearance! Multitasking magic With iPad multitasking, use Stream Deck Mobile alongside your favorite apps or websites. You can even run two Stream Deck Mobile keypads at the same time! Power in numbers Pair Stream Deck Mobile with multiple computers or run Stream Deck Mobile on multiple devices — simultaneously. -------------------------- SO MUCH TO PERSONALIZE Discover community plugins, profiles, and icons you’ll love — then install them instantly. PLUGINS GALORE OBS Studio, Streamlabs, Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Discord, Spotify, VoiceMod, Philips Hue, Zoom, Teams, PowerPoint, and lots more. Thanks to Stream Deck SDK, new plugins keep coming. Stream Deck Mobile keeps getting better. And with everyone in on the action, anything is possible. -------------------------- INSTANTLY YOURS Accessing the legendary power of Stream Deck has never been easier. Go on, get started now with the device you already have!

Screenshots

Duet Display3 screens
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Elgato Stream Deck Mobile at none against Duet Display's shown. Duet Display's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (49K vs 5.9K). On price, rating, review sentiment 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. Duet Display sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Elgato Stream Deck Mobile sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Elgato Stream Deck Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duet Display has 49K ratings behind it against 5.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 45% of Duet Display's written reviews are positive against 42% of Elgato Stream Deck Mobile's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Duet Display ships an update every 3 weeks, Elgato Stream Deck Mobile every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Duet Display versus Elgato Stream Deck Mobile: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDuet DisplayElgato Stream Deck Mobile
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (49K ratings)4.6 (5.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews — better42.3% of reviews
Number of ratings49K — better5.9K
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB182 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDuet, Inc.Corsair Memory, Inc.

Customer experience

Duet Display

All ratings48,776 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative10.7%
Written reviews2,386 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral6.7%
Negative47.9%

Elgato Stream Deck Mobile

All ratings5,687 ratings
Positive90.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews523 reviews
Positive42.3%
Neutral8.2%
Negative49.5%

User reviews

Duet Display

From 49K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works seamlessly as a second screen
  • 👍 Useful for productivity and multitasking
  • 🎨 Great for artists and designers
  • 💻 Extends desktop to iPad
  • ⭐ Excellent customer support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues and crashes
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🔒 Subscription model for full functionality
  • 🔍 Confusing setup process
  • 💸 Expensive for the features provided

Elgato Stream Deck Mobile

From 5.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Workflow is smooth
  • 👍 Good for creators
  • 👍 Useful tool
  • 👍 Works great on iPad
  • 👍 Lifetime purchase available

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Constantly disconnects/loses connection
  • 🐛 Unreliable, buggy performance
  • 💰 Subscription model, not one-time purchase
  • 🔒 Requires paid subscription to unlock full functionality
  • 🔒 Limits features for non-subscribers

Bugs and requests

Duet Display

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incompatibility with certain software and drivers
  • Laggy performance and input delays
  • Unreliable connection and frequent disconnects

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved resolution and scaling options
  • Better support for older devices and Windows
  • More customization and control over settings
  • Wireless connectivity without subscription

Elgato Stream Deck Mobile

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Fails to detect/connect to computer
  • Profiles don't switch properly
  • Shortcuts don't work
  • Crashes OBS
  • Compatibility issues with older devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • More buttons/customization options
  • Native iPad app support
  • Wired connection option
  • Siri Shortcuts integration
  • Volume control for external devices
Show 1 more
  • Universal remote control support

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Duet Display

Subscriptions6
  • Duet Starter (Monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Duet Air (Monthly)7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Duet Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Duet Starter (Annual)$39.991 Year
  • Duet Air (Annual)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Duet Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$79.991 Year
5 purchases

Elgato Stream Deck Mobile

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • 1 Month$2.991 Month
  • Yearly1 Month trial$24.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • 12 Months1 Month trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Duet Display free?
Duet Display is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Elgato Stream Deck Mobile free?
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Duet Display or Elgato Stream Deck Mobile?
Elgato Stream Deck Mobile is rated higher. Duet Display averages 4.4 out of 5 from 49K ratings, while Elgato Stream Deck Mobile averages 4.6 from 5.9K ratings.
Do Duet Display or Elgato Stream Deck Mobile have ads?
Duet Display shows ads; Elgato Stream Deck Mobile does not.
Which is updated more often, Duet Display or Elgato Stream Deck Mobile?
Duet Display ships an update every 3 weeks, and Elgato Stream Deck Mobile every 2 months. Most recently, Duet Display was updated on October 27, 2026 and Elgato Stream Deck Mobile on October 26, 2026.

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