Comparison

Desktop Browser vs Skyfire Browser for Web Video

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

Head to head
About

Desktop Browser

Access full desktop versions of websites on your mobile device, overcoming content limitations and enhancing productivity. Enjoy a customizable browsing experience with tabbed browsing and bookmarks, seamlessly integrated with other apps.

Highlights
  • View desktop website versions
  • Tabbed browsing
  • Bookmarks
  • Customizable settings
  • Seamless app integration
  • Enhanced productivity
Features
Read full description

Desktop Browser displays the mobile or the desktop version of a website. In their mobile version some websites hide content, display different content or event present a payable content to the user. Desktop Browser let you surf the web the way you want. Desktop Experience on Mobile: With Desktop Browser, say goodbye to limitations. Enjoy the full desktop browsing experience on your iPhone, complete with tabbed browsing and bookmarks. Whether you're researching, shopping, or simply browsing the web, you'll have all the features you need at your fingertips. Enhanced Productivity: Boost your productivity with the ability to access desktop versions of websites on your iPhone. No more struggling with mobile-optimized layouts that lack functionality. With Desktop Browser, you can work more efficiently, seamlessly switching between tabs and accessing all the tools and features you need to get things done. Customization Options: Tailor your browsing experience to suit your preferences. Desktop Browser offers customizable settings, allowing you to adjust everything from font sizes to default search engines. Make your browsing experience truly your own with personalized options that enhance usability and convenience. Seamless Integration: Desktop Browser seamlessly integrates with other apps and services on your iPhone. Whether you're sharing links with friends, saving articles for later, or accessing web-based resources within other apps, Desktop Browser ensures a smooth and cohesive user experience. Continuous Updates and Support: Rest assured that you're always getting the best experience possible. Desktop Browser is regularly updated with new features, performance enhancements, and security patches to ensure optimal performance. Plus, our dedicated support team is always available to assist you with any questions or issues you may encounter. Experience the future of mobile browsing with Desktop Browser. Download the app today and unlock a world of possibilities right from your iPhone. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Skyfire Browser for Web Video

Browse the web and watch videos simultaneously with a picture-in-picture player. Enjoy background audio playback, robust ad blocking, and enhanced privacy features for a secure and seamless mobile browsing experience.

Highlights
  • Picture-in-picture video playback
  • Background audio playback
  • Industry-leading ad blocking
  • Privacy protection and tracker blocking
  • Google Chromecast support
  • Multiple tabs and incognito mode
Features
Read full description

Ever find it annoying that you are watching a video on your mobile web browser and are forced to watch it, leaving the app or opening a new tab, or even just scrolling is not possible - Not anymore! Enjoy surfing the web while watching your video in picture-in-picture mode on your screen. Fire is a fast, secure, ads free web browsers for iOS with a built video player you enjoy picture-in-picture and background audio player. Not only that the app has built in security protection to prevent trackers and privacy filters to keep you secure. PICTURE-IN-PICTURE First browser on the iOS platform to offer PIP (picture-in-picture). Watch a video while browsing. Switch tabs and open multiple websites and the picture-in-picture video will remain in your view. Reposition the video to any part of your screen by simply dragging it. BACKGROUND AUDIO PLAYBACK Leave the app to send an email or others apps, or even lock the screen and continue to enjoy the audio playback from your web browser. Just like your desktop browser you can multi task on your iOS device. Picture-in-picture will not be available while multi-tasking outside the app (only audio playback). BEST AD BLOCKING Fire has industry standard ad blocker which is enhanced by user reported ad blocking. Report any ads the app missed and we can update it the ad blocker with 24 hours to help enhance your browsing experience. PRIVATE, FAST, SECURE No external plugins or settings to manage or configure! Brave simply provides the fastest and most secure browsing experience available for iOS. Brave is designed for both speed and security, so you can enjoy lightning fast browsing without popups, malware and other annoyances. PRIVACY PROTECTION Brave also protects users with leading privacy and security features such as HTTPS Everywhere (encrypted data traffic), script blocking, 3rd party cookie blocking, and private incognito tabs. GOOGLE CHROMECAST Cast all your favorite web videos to your Google Chromecast connected TV. Enjoy your videos on the big screen with just one click. Fire for iOS has all the features you are used to in your current browsers like: * Multiple tabs * Favorites * History * Incognito mode * Battery optimization * Ad blocking * Tracking protection * and much more... IMPORTANT NOTES, PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING: Flash video, iTunes purchased videos, Silverlight and other DRM protected videos like Amazon Instant Videos, HBO now, Hulu, Netflix are not supported! This app is not affiliated with Google or one of its products or trademarks and is developed independently.

Screenshots

Desktop Browser4 screens
Skyfire Browser for Web Video2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Desktop Browser at 52% against Skyfire Browser for Web Video's 5%. Desktop Browser also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.4 vs 3.4). Skyfire Browser for Web Video's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support 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

Desktop Browser is free to download; Skyfire Browser for Web Video costs $0.99 up front. Desktop Browser sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. Skyfire Browser for Web Video asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Desktop Browser holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Desktop Browser has 16K ratings behind it against 473, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Desktop Browser's written reviews are positive against 5% of Skyfire Browser for Web Video's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Desktop Browser ships an update fortnightly, Skyfire Browser for Web Video every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Desktop Browser versus Skyfire Browser for Web Video: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDesktop BrowserSkyfire Browser for Web Video
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.4 (16K ratings) — better3.4 (473 ratings)
Positive reviews52.3% of reviews — better4.9% of reviews
Number of ratings16K — better473
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB142 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperSpicy AppsKathleen Gallagher Mody

Customer experience

Desktop Browser

All ratings15,980 ratings
Positive85.5%
Neutral3.3%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews664 reviews
Positive52.3%
Neutral3.5%
Negative44.3%

Skyfire Browser for Web Video

All ratings473 ratings
Positive58.8%
Neutral5.7%
Negative35.5%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive4.9%
Neutral4.1%
Negative91.0%

User reviews

Desktop Browser

From 16K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Useful for desktop browsing on mobile
  • 🚀 Reliable in forcing desktop mode
  • 💡 Helpful for accessing desktop-only features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance on some websites
  • 💸 Aggressive monetization with ads and in-app purchases
  • 🔍 Cluttered interface with too many toolbars

Skyfire Browser for Web Video

From 473 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 💡 Innovative features
  • 👍 User-friendly

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🔒 Security issues
  • 💰 Waste of money

Bugs and requests

Desktop Browser

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when trying to upload images
  • Reloads pages unexpectedly when interacting with text fields
  • Fails to properly display desktop versions of certain websites

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add PDF export/download functionality
  • Improve tab management and background browsing
  • Provide more customization options

Skyfire Browser for Web Video

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Incompatible with certain devices
  • Syncing issues between devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Support for Adobe Flash Player
  • Improved stability and reliability
  • Better performance optimization

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Desktop Browser

Subscriptions3
  • weekly3 Days trial$1.497 Days
  • monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • yearly3 Days trial$7.491 Year
One-time3
  • remove ads$1.99
  • browse plus$1.99
  • all features pack$2.99
None

Skyfire Browser for Web Video

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Desktop Browser free?
Desktop Browser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Skyfire Browser for Web Video free?
Skyfire Browser for Web Video costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Desktop Browser or Skyfire Browser for Web Video?
Desktop Browser is rated higher. Desktop Browser averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16K ratings, while Skyfire Browser for Web Video averages 3.4 from 473 ratings.
Do Desktop Browser or Skyfire Browser for Web Video have ads?
Desktop Browser shows ads; Skyfire Browser for Web Video does not.
Which is updated more often, Desktop Browser or Skyfire Browser for Web Video?
Desktop Browser ships an update fortnightly, and Skyfire Browser for Web Video every 3 weeks. Most recently, Desktop Browser was updated on September 25, 2026 and Skyfire Browser for Web Video on September 23, 2026.

Other comparisons