Comparison

Duet Display vs Nordy

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
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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

About

Nordy

Features
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Nordy turns your day into a saga. You set the rituals. Nordy keeps the record — and when your attention starts to wander, it stands guard over the apps that take your time. THE WARD Choose the apps that break your focus and put a daily budget on them. When the budget is spent, Nordy shields them. Not a nagging banner you swipe away — the app does not open. You pick the apps, you pick the duration, and you can end it whenever you decide to. Nordy never watches what you do in them, and nothing about your usage leaves your phone. OATHS, NOT REMINDERS An Oath is a promise with a clock on it. Swear to sit with one habit for twenty minutes and Nordy holds you to it — no snooze, no silent skip. Keep it and the streak stands. Withdraw and it says so plainly, without theatre. FOCUS THAT HOLDS Timed sessions with a Live Activity on your Lock Screen, so the session is visible without unlocking anything. Pair one with a Ward and the distraction is not merely discouraged, it is gone for the duration. QUESTS AND STAGES Your habits become quests. Finish them and your saga advances through fifteen stages — a real progression you can see, not a number that only goes up. Retire a quest and it keeps its history. BUILT FOR THE WAY ATTENTION ACTUALLY WORKS Onboarding asks how your focus holds, when you are sharpest, and what usually breaks a streak — including whether you live with ADHD — and paces you accordingly. A raven brings a quiet nudge when a ritual is due, and nothing else. YOUR DAY, ON YOUR PHONE Habits, focus history, streaks, oaths, calendar entries and every Screen Time selection stay in Nordy's own container on your device. There is no analytics SDK, no crash reporter, no attribution kit, and no server that receives any of it. The only account is Sign in with Apple, handled on your device; nothing about you is transmitted or stored anywhere else. SUBSCRIPTION Nordy is a paid subscription and there is no free version. Every feature above — the Ward, Oaths, focus sessions, quests — needs an active subscription. New subscribers start with a 7-day free trial on either plan: - Nordy Premium Yearly: $29.99 per year, after a 7-day free trial. - Nordy Premium Monthly: $25.99 per month, after a 7-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when the free trial ends. Each plan renews automatically at the same price unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel the subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. If the rituals have not taken by the end of the trial, cancel and owe nothing. Terms of Use (EULA): https://spetnaz777.github.io/nordy-legal/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://spetnaz777.github.io/nordy-legal/privacy.html

Screenshots

Duet Display3 screens
Nordy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Nordy at none against Duet Display's shown. Duet Display's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, update cadence 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 Nordy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $25.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Duet Display ships an update every 3 weeks, Nordy fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Duet Display versus Nordy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDuet DisplayNordy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (49K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings49K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB69 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDuet, Inc.SIXSIDE MARKETING INC.

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

Nordy

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

Nordy

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$25.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Duet Display free?
Duet Display is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Nordy free?
Nordy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Duet Display or Nordy have ads?
Duet Display shows ads; Nordy does not.
Which is updated more often, Duet Display or Nordy?
Duet Display ships an update every 3 weeks, and Nordy fortnightly. Most recently, Duet Display was updated on November 7, 2026 and Nordy on October 31, 2026.

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