Polypane vs Responsively App (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Responsively App grades higher than Polypane: 3.0 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Responsively App grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Polypane
Chromium-based browser for web developers, with synced viewports
Responsively App
Free open source browser that shows many device sizes at once
Which one is for you
Pick Polypane if
- Fits if you build websites and want to see mobile and desktop widths side by side
- Works for developers who need accessibility checks while they build
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want an everyday browser, as it's a developer tool
- Tight if you want a free plan, because after 14 days it's a paid subscription
- Watch out: Business covers 2 to 20 seats, and larger teams go through sales
- Watch out: it runs on Windows, Mac and Linux only, with no iOS or Android version
Pick Responsively App if
- Fits if you build responsive sites and want to check many screens at once
- Works for front-end developers who want a free tool, not a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a daily browser, as it is a developer tool
- Skip it if you need Safari or Firefox engines, because it previews with Chromium
- Watch out: it runs on Mac, Windows and Linux only, with no mobile version
- Too light for debugging, as it has no extra tools listed beyond an inspector and screenshots
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAPolypaneFair | 3.0GPAResponsively AppVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CIndividual is $9 a month billed yearly ($12 monthly), which is the middle of this category's price range. Business is $12 a seat. | AFree and open source, with no paid plans listed. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day trial with full access and no card needed. There's no free plan. | AThe whole app is free, with no paid plans listed on its site or GitHub page. |
| Features | CSynced viewports, device emulation and accessibility and metadata panels do the developer job fully, but it's a smaller job than a general browser. | CMany device views, mirrored interactions, device profiles and screenshots. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job than a full developer toolset. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It's a developer tool with panels and layouts to learn. | BNo store rating on record. Install it, enter a URL and see the devices. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux only, with no iOS or Android version. | CDesktop only: macOS, Windows and Linux. No mobile app and no integrations listed. |
| Best for | checking a website on many screen sizes at once | previewing a site on many screen sizes at once |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Polypane and Responsively App. How we grade
Price against what you get
Polypane starts at $9 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Responsively App has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Responsively App scores higher and starts $9 a month lower. Of the other browsers on the chart, 30 score higher than Polypane for less, and none scores higher than Responsively App for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Responsively App is open source, according to its own site.
- Polypane also covers site audit.
- Responsively App also covers screenshots.
At a glance
| Polypane | Responsively App | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $9 per month, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly) | Free |
| Free plan | None | The whole app is free; its site and GitHub page list no paid plans. |
| Free trial | 14 days with full access to every feature, no credit card needed. | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Polypane | Responsively App |
| Price read from | polypane.app | responsively.app |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Polypane
- There is no free plan; the 14-day trial is followed by a paid subscription.
- Prices on the page are shown including tax.
- It is a developer tool and has no iOS or Android version.
- Business is sold for 2 to 20 seats; larger teams go through sales.
Responsively App
- It is a developer tool, not a general-purpose daily browser.
- It is built on Electron, so it previews sites with Chromium rather than Safari or Firefox engines.
- It runs on Mac, Windows and Linux only, with no mobile version.
- A beta channel is offered next to the stable release.
Key features
Polypane
- Synced viewports
- Mobile to 5K viewports show at once, and scrolls, clicks, hovers and keystrokes sync across all of them.
- Device emulation
- Emulation covers user agent, touch events, locale and safe-area insets as well as viewport size.
- Accessibility and site checks
- Panels report on structure, metadata and accessibility while you build.
- Chromium base
- It is based on Chromium 155 and updated roughly every two months.
- Recent additions
- Polypane 31 added a Canvas layout, and version 30 added Playgrounds, which open directories as HTTPS URLs.
Responsively App
- All devices at once
- Many device previews show side by side, so there is no need to resize the dev tools window.
- Mirrored interactions
- A click, scroll or navigation in one preview is repeated in all the others in real time.
- Preview Suites
- Favorite device combinations are saved as Preview Suites and switched between while testing.
- Device profiles
- A large collection of device profiles is built in, and custom devices can be added.
- Unified Inspector and screenshots
- One inspector covers every device, and full-page screenshots of all devices are taken in one click.
- Ordinary browser features
- Cookie, local storage and session storage management, bookmarks and the usual dev tools are included.
Plans
Polypane
Individual$9
per month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)
One person, personal and commercial use, on up to 3 personal devices, with email support. $108 billed yearly.
Business$12
per seat / month, billed annually ($16 billed monthly)
2 to 20 seats on one subscription, 3 computers per user, central billing and chat support. $288 a year for 2 seats.
EnterpriseCustom
For typically 20 or more seats: single sign-on and SCIM, custom billing and onboarding. Sold through sales.
Responsively App
Free$0
The full app, free and open source. The project takes sponsorships but sells no plans.
Ways to pay less
Polypane
- Annual discount
3 months free with yearly plans
The pricing page says yearly plans include 3 months free: $9 a month billed yearly against $12 billed monthly.
Responsively App
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Polypane or Responsively App?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Responsively App is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $9 a month for Polypane. Polypane starts at $9 per month, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly), and Responsively App is free.
Which has a free plan, Polypane or Responsively App?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Responsively App has a free plan. Polypane does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.