Comparison

Duet Display vs simREF

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

simREF

This app provides quick-reference checklists and operational data for flight simulation on iPad. It features interactive normal and abnormal checklists, essential flight data, and a CG/Trim calculator for takeoff planning in a distraction-free, dark UI optimized for cockpit environments.

Highlights
  • Interactive Normal & Abnormal Checklists
  • Operational Data at a glance
  • CG/Trim calculator
  • Offline functionality
  • Dark UI for cockpit environments
  • iPad landscape optimized
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simREF is a quick-reference companion for flight simulation on iPad. Navigate realistic normal & abnormal checklists and operational data in a distraction-free UI. Features - Interactive Normal & Abnormal Checklists (A319/A320/A321/A330/A340/A350) - Operational Data at a glance (speeds, limitations, references) - CG/Trim calculator for takeoff planning (non A350) Works offline, designed for iPad in landscape Dark UI optimized for cockpit environments Who it’s for Flight-sim enthusiasts seeking a structured, QRH-style workflow on iPad. Notes For flight simulation use only. Not for real-world flight operations or training. simREF is not affiliated with or endorsed by any aircraft manufacturer or add-on developer.

Screenshots

Duet Display3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: simREF at 100% against Duet Display's 45%. simREF also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and ads (none vs shown). Duet Display's advantage is ratings volume (49K vs 3) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 simREF sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

simREF holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duet Display has 49K ratings behind it against 3, 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 100% of simREF's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Duet Display ships an update every 3 weeks, simREF every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Duet Display versus simREF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDuet DisplaysimREF
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (49K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings49K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — betteriPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB148 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDuet, Inc.Chris-Luca Fischer

Customer experience

Duet Display

All ratings48,776 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative10.7%
Written reviews2,385 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral6.7%
Negative47.9%

simREF

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

simREF

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
2 purchases

simREF

One-time2
  • IndiGo Virtual Integration$2.99
  • simREF Full Access$8.99

Questions

Is Duet Display free?
Duet Display is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is simREF free?
simREF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Duet Display or simREF?
simREF is rated higher. Duet Display averages 4.4 out of 5 from 49K ratings, while simREF averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Duet Display or simREF have ads?
Duet Display shows ads; simREF does not.
Which is updated more often, Duet Display or simREF?
Duet Display ships an update every 3 weeks, and simREF every 2 weeks. Most recently, Duet Display was updated on October 24, 2026 and simREF on October 11, 2026.

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