Remote Desktop Apps for iPhone and Mac, Compared
Written by the people who make Peering, so read it knowing that. Researched September 2026 from each product's own pages.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Mac's sound | Free option | Paid, personal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peering | A Mac from an iPhone or iPad, no account | Yes | Own network, unmetered; 1 hour a day away | $2.99/mo or $19.99/yr |
| Screens 5 | Apple devices controlling anything with VNC | No | No permanent free tier | $3.99/mo, $29.99/yr, $179.99 once |
| Jump Desktop | Mac and Windows, high frame rate | Yes | No | $14.99 iOS app, one-time |
| Chrome Remote Desktop | Free and simple | Not documented | Yes, with a Google account | Free |
| TeamViewer | Supporting other people | Yes | Personal use | Business plans |
| AnyDesk | Supporting other people | Yes (macOS 13+) | Not from iOS | Business plans |
| RustDesk | Open source, self-hosted | Yes | Yes, self-hosted | Paid server for teams |
Prices change; check each vendor's site before you buy.
Peering
Built for one pairing: your Mac and your iPhone or iPad. You pair them once on your own network by confirming a six-digit code, and after that they find each other from anywhere, straight between the two devices when the network allows and through a relay that cannot read the session when it does not. There is no account on either end. Beyond the screen it has the Mac's sound, two-way files, a shared clipboard, Picture in Picture, a terminal with SSH, and alerts when a shell or a coding agent is waiting for you. It controls Macs only.
Screens 5
A long-standing, polished VNC client from Edovia that runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro and can reach Windows and Linux machines as well as Macs. It has Curtain Mode, observe-only viewing and assistance sessions. It does not carry computer sound, because VNC does not. We wrote a longer comparison with Peering.
Jump Desktop
Jump's Fluid protocol gives high frame rates, host audio and end-to-end encryption, with a mature set of iPhone gestures, Privacy Mode and virtual displays. It reaches Windows as well as Mac, and is sold as a one-time purchase per platform.
Chrome Remote Desktop
Google's free option: sign in with a Google account, set a PIN, and reach your computer from the iOS app with a virtual trackpad. It is simple and costs nothing. Google's iOS documentation does not describe sound, clipboard or file transfer.
TeamViewer and AnyDesk
Both are built for IT support and business use, with device lists, file transfer, session recording and unattended access. TeamViewer is free for personal use; AnyDesk's documentation says outgoing sessions from iOS need a paid licence. They cover a lot more ground than a personal Mac-and-iPhone setup needs.
RustDesk
Open source, with a free server you can host yourself, peer-to-peer encryption, sound, files and clipboard across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. The trade is that you run the server, or pay for the hosted Pro version with team features.
How to choose
- Only a Mac, from an iPhone, and privacy matters: Peering.
- Windows or Linux machines too: Jump Desktop, Screens or RustDesk.
- You help family or customers: TeamViewer or AnyDesk.
- Zero cost and a Google account is fine: Chrome Remote Desktop.
- You want to run the server yourself: RustDesk.