Comparison

Duet Display vs OBS

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

OBS

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a high-quality webcam for OBS Studio. Connects instantly over your local network with no drivers or complex setup needed. Ideal for streamers, professionals, and presenters seeking stable video.

Highlights
  • Use iPhone/iPad as webcam for OBS
  • High quality, low latency video
  • Instant one-tap connection
  • Simple OBS integration
  • Works on macOS and Windows
  • No login or ads
Features
Read full description

Use your iPhone or iPad as a camera for OBS. Camera Studio is built for live streams, recordings, classes, and presentations when you want a stable camera source from the device you already have. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Start a live camera with one tap • Switch front and rear cameras • Adjust focus, exposure, zoom, and torch • Capture microphone audio and mute when needed • Use a grid overlay to frame your shot • Follow the built-in USB setup guide for macOS, Windows, and Linux An In-App Purchase is required before you can use the app. After purchase, connect a USB cable, tap Start Camera, and add your device in OBS as a Video Capture Device. No account and no extra computer driver required. HOW IT WORKS 1. Open Camera Studio, complete Get Started, and unlock the app with an In-App Purchase or Restore Purchases. 2. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer with a genuine Lightning or USB-C cable. 3. Tap Start Camera. Allow Camera and Microphone access when asked. 4. In OBS Studio, add a Video Capture Device source and select your device. Video and audio stay on your device and the computer you connect. This app does not upload your camera feed to a developer server. WHO IT IS FOR Creators, presenters, teachers, and anyone who uses OBS Studio to stream or record and wants a simple wired camera from iPhone or iPad. OBS Studio is independent software from the OBS Project. Camera Studio is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the OBS Project. IN-APP PURCHASES An In-App Purchase is required to use Camera Studio. The camera, USB source, and in-app controls are available only after you unlock Pro. Unlock options: • Auto-renewable weekly, monthly, or yearly subscription • One-time lifetime purchase Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage in Settings. Restore Purchases is available in the app. Refunds for App Store purchases are handled by Apple. PRIVACY POLICY https://sites.google.com/view/cam-obs-privacy TERMS OF USE https://sites.google.com/view/cam-obs-terms STANDARD EULA https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Download Camera Studio and use your iPhone or iPad as a wired camera for OBS.

Screenshots

Duet Display3 screens
OBS3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: OBS at none against Duet Display's shown. Duet Display's advantage is review sentiment (45% vs 11%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months). On price, rating, 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 OBS sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Duet Display against 4.4 for OBS. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Duet Display has 49K ratings behind it against 435, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of Duet Display's written reviews are positive against 11% of OBS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Duet Display ships an update every 3 weeks, OBS every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Duet Display versus OBS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDuet DisplayOBS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (49K ratings) — better4.4 (435 ratings)
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews — better10.7% of reviews
Number of ratings49K — better435
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 7 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDuet, Inc.DREAMEE STUDIO COMPANY LIMITED

Customer experience

Duet Display

All ratings48,726 ratings
Positive86.2%
Neutral3.1%
Negative10.7%
Written reviews2,385 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral6.7%
Negative47.9%

OBS

All ratings435 ratings
Positive84.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative14.0%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive10.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative89.3%

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

OBS

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
4 purchases

OBS

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly camera access$4.997 Days
  • Monthly camera access$9.991 Month
  • Yearly camera access$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime camera access$17.99

Questions

Is Duet Display free?
Duet Display is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OBS free?
OBS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Duet Display or OBS?
Duet Display is rated higher. Duet Display averages 4.4 out of 5 from 49K ratings, while OBS averages 4.4 from 435 ratings.
Do Duet Display or OBS have ads?
Duet Display shows ads; OBS does not.
Which is updated more often, Duet Display or OBS?
Duet Display ships an update every 3 weeks, and OBS every 7 months. Most recently, Duet Display was updated on October 20, 2026 and OBS on October 19, 2026.

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