Screens review (2026): is it worth $4.99 a month?
Remote desktop client for Apple devices
Black Friday: is there a Screens sale?
Screens report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for controlling Macs, PCs and Linux from Apple devices
Screens is a VNC remote desktop app for Mac and iPhone that connects to Macs, Windows and Linux machines, with a 4.5 rating from 623 ratings on the App Store. It's $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year, with a 7-day trial and a $249.99 lifetime option. The controlling side is Apple devices only.
Who Screens is for
- Fits if you control other Macs and PCs from your own Mac or iPhone
- Works for people on Apple devices who already use Tailscale
Who Screens is not for
- Skip it if you use Windows or Android as your controlling device
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as there's only a 7-day trial
- Tight if you need file transfer to a Windows or Linux machine, because it's described for remote Macs only
- Watch out: the US listing shows two yearly prices, $29.99 and $29.49, and no billing basis for Lifetime
Why Screens gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for money$29.99 a year works out to about $2.50 a month, the cheaper-quarter line for remote access tools. Monthly is $4.99, and lifetime is $249.99.
- DFree plan and trialA 7-day trial through the App Store and no free plan, so you give a payment method to try it.
- CFeaturesConnects to many systems, with Screens Connect, clipboard and file transfer. High Performance mode needs an Apple silicon Mac on macOS 14, and file transfer is described for remote Macs only.
- BEase of use4.5 from 623 App Store ratings. Install it, add a computer and connect.
- CPlatforms and integrationsMac and iPhone as the controlling side, with Tailscale, Siri Shortcuts and iCloud. The app doesn't connect to iPhone, iPad or Vision Pro, and there's no Windows or Android client.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Edovia's own pages on 12 November 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/screens#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/screens.svg" alt="Screens: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Screens stands among remote desktop apps
Screens's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 2 of the 35 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 24 of 35) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $2.50 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $8.33 for the category: 5 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 5 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 36 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Screens’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 24 of 35, level with 1
- DFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 35
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 35, level with 24
- BEase of useAbove 22 of 35, level with 12
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 6 of 35, level with 1
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 29 remote desktop apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Screens, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Screens you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 25 of the 35 other remote desktop apps grade higher. It costs $29.99 a year.
What you could not
- A fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- A native app living in the menu bar.
- Apps for macOS and iOS that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Tailscale, Siri Shortcuts and iCloud among them.
What this rests on. Screens’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Screens?
Screens, from Edovia, is a remote desktop app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro that controls Macs, Windows PCs, Linux PCs and Raspberry Pi computers. It connects over a local network or the Internet, with Screens Connect for setup, SSH tunnels, and Tailscale support. It is sold as a subscription or a lifetime purchase with a 7-day free trial.
Worth knowing
- Apple devices only as the controlling side; the app does not connect to iPhone, iPad or Vision Pro.
- Prices come from the US App Store listing, which also shows two yearly options ($29.99 and $29.49) and no billing basis for Lifetime.
- High Performance mode needs an Apple silicon Mac on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, and audio is unavailable over SSH.
- File transfer is described for remote Macs only, and Linux and Windows clipboards share plain text.
Key features
- Connects to many systems
- Screens reaches Macs, Windows PCs, Linux PCs and Raspberry Pi from iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro.
- Screens Connect
- Screens Connect sets up remote access over the Internet without complicated network configuration; the Mac app has it built in.
- High Performance Screen Sharing
- For Apple silicon Macs on macOS 14 or later, the listing describes dynamic resizing, HEVC video, remote audio and display privacy.
- Secure connections
- Built-in SSH tunnelling and custom SSH keys are supported, and the app can be locked with Face ID or Touch ID.
- Clipboard and file transfer
- Clipboard sharing works with Macs, Windows and Linux (text only on the latter two); file transfer is described for remote Macs.
Screens pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Screens is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year.
- Starts at
- $4.99 per month, or $29.99 per year
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial on all your devices.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $4.99per month | In-app subscription on the App Store; the vendor says a plan covers all your Apple devices. |
| Yearly | $29.99per year | In-app yearly subscription; the US listing also shows a second yearly option at $29.49. |
| Lifetime | $249.99one-time | One-time in-app purchase; the listing also shows a $0.00 Lifetime Family Upgrade item. |
Read from apps.apple.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Screens before you buy.
Works with
- Tailscale
- Siri Shortcuts
- iCloud
- Apple Pencil
- Spotlight
Screens alternatives
- Screens vs Jump Desktop
Free plan · from $14.99 one-time
- Screens vs RealVNC Connect
Free plan
- Screens vs Splashtop
Free plan · from $23.99/yr
- Screens vs TeamViewer
Free plan · from $619.99/yr
- Screens vs AnyDesk
Free plan
Common questions
Does Screens have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Screens is listed for iOS and macOS.
Does Screens have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Screens is listed for iOS and macOS.
Is Screens open source?
Screens is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.