How TouchNow compares with other Mac remote and second-screen apps

If you want an iPhone, not just an iPad, as an extended display for your Mac, and also want to control the Mac and play Mac games, TouchNow does all of it for free on the same Wi-Fi. If you only need an iPad as a second screen with no remote control, the Mac’s built-in Sidecar is enough. For streaming games between Windows PCs, Parsec is the better fit.

Built into macOS. It supports iPad only, not iPhone. It can extend or mirror the Mac’s screen, but it needs to be within about 10 metres or connected by USB, and it does not work across networks.

The closest to TouchNow: it supports iPhone, works as an extended display, and can control the Mac remotely across networks. The app is a free download with subscriptions listed at US$3.99 to US$7.99 a month; see Duet’s own pages for what each plan includes. TouchNow also offers a customisable virtual game controller that maps buttons to keyboard keys.

Needs a USB-C or HDMI hardware dongle plugged into the Mac, US$89.99 one-time. It works with iPad as the display, over the same network or a wired connection.

Parsec says it does not currently support iOS or iPadOS, so you cannot connect from an iPhone or iPad. It is built for streaming games between computers and is free for personal use.

Supports iPhone and controls the Mac remotely across networks. The iOS app is a one-time US$14.99, and it has an on-screen game controller (the host needs macOS 15 or later). Its virtual display replaces the Mac’s own screens rather than adding a second one alongside them.

Lets an iPhone control a Mac remotely, across networks. It is a subscription (US$3.99 a month or US$29.99 a year), with a US$179.99 lifetime option and a 7-day free trial.

Remote Mouse turns the phone into a mouse and keyboard: it sends input only and does not show the Mac’s screen, over the same Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Chrome Remote Desktop is free and works across networks, but on iPhone you use it through the browser, and it cannot act as an extended display.

Free and open source (GPL-3.0). It turns an iPhone or iPad into a real extended display for a Mac, with a mirror mode too. It works over USB or the same Wi-Fi only; mirror mode supports tapping, dragging and two-finger scrolling, but it is not full remote control. The Mac needs macOS 14 or later.

Supports iPhone and controls the Mac with a trackpad and keyboard, but it mirrors only and cannot act as an extended display. Free on the local network; remote access over the internet is part of Premium (US$7.99 a month, US$47.99 a year, or US$99.99 lifetime). Needs macOS 14 and iOS 17 or later.

A full remote desktop for iPhone and iPad that works over the internet without port forwarding. It is a remote view, not an extended display. There is a daily free allowance; unlimited use needs a subscription. Needs macOS 15 and iOS 26 or later, and Astropad recommends an Apple silicon Mac.

Works on both iPhone and iPad, can be a real extended display, and offers three ways to control the Mac: trackpad, direct touch and a virtual game controller, with no extra hardware. Everything is free on the same Wi-Fi; a subscription is only needed to reach your Mac from outside your home network (US$2.99 a month or US$19.99 a year). The Mac needs macOS 13 or later.