Duet Display vs Stage Manager
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Extra display for Mac & PC
- Lag-free performance
- Touch and gesture support
- Apple Pencil integration
- Professional drawing tools
- Portable productivity
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#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
Stage Manager
This app provides engineers with comprehensive control over video routing, processing, and control equipment via an Apple device. It allows for the creation and triggering of macros through a visual grid interface, simplifying complex operations. An audit log tracks executed macros for easy troubleshooting.
- Video equipment control
- Macro creation and triggering
- Colorful grid-view interface
- Audit log for executed macros
- Streamlined video system management
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Introducing our new app designed specifically for engineers who work with video routing, processing, and control equipment! Our powerful app puts you in complete control of your video equipment, right from your Apple device. With our app, you can create macros that can be easily triggered in a colorful grid-view interface. This makes it easy to perform complex video equipment operations with just a few taps on your iPhone or iPad. Our app's audit log feature also allows you to keep track of all macros previously executed, making it easy to track changes and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. Designed with the needs of engineers in mind, our app makes it easy to manage even the most complex video systems with minimal effort. Whether you're working in a production facility, broadcast studio, or live event setting, our app gives you the tools you need to get the job done quickly and efficiently. So if you're an engineer looking to streamline your video equipment management, look no further than our app. Download it now from the Apple App Store and experience the ultimate in video equipment control and management.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Duet Display at 45% against Stage Manager's 0%. Duet Display also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.1) and ratings volume (49K vs 7). Stage Manager's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Duet Display sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Stage Manager asks for nothing beyond the download.
Duet Display holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duet Display has 49K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Duet Display's written reviews are positive against 0% of Stage Manager's.
Duet Display ships an update every 3 weeks, Stage Manager weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Duet Display | Stage Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (49K ratings) — better | 2.1 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 45.5% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 49K — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 57 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Duet, Inc. | Fuse Technical Group, LLC |
Customer experience
Duet Display
Stage Manager
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
Stage Manager
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Duet Display
- Duet Starter (Monthly)$3.991 Month
- Duet Air (Monthly)7 Days trial$5.991 Month
- Duet Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
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- Duet Starter (Annual)$39.991 Year
- Duet Air (Annual)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Duet Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$79.991 Year
Stage Manager
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Duet Display free?
Is Stage Manager free?
Which has better reviews, Duet Display or Stage Manager?
Do Duet Display or Stage Manager have ads?
Which is updated more often, Duet Display or Stage Manager?
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