# Screens review (2026): is it worth $4.99 a month? > Remote desktop client for Apple devices Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. 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. - **Category:** Remote Desktop - **Made by:** Edovia Inc. - **Website:** https://edovia.com/en/screens - **Runs on:** iOS, macOS - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you use Windows or Android as your controlling device. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## 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. - **Pricing model:** Free trial - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** 7-day free trial on all your devices. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly | $4.99 per month | In-app subscription on the App Store; the vendor says a plan covers all your Apple devices. | | Yearly | $29.99 per year | In-app yearly subscription; the US listing also shows a second yearly option at $29.49. | | Lifetime | $249.99 one-time | One-time in-app purchase; the listing also shows a $0.00 Lifetime Family Upgrade item. | Read from https://apps.apple.com/us/app/screens-5-vnc-remote-desktop/id1663047912 on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Screens before buying. ## 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. ## Good for - Mac and iPad users reaching a home or office Mac - Helping family or clients on a Mac through Screens Assist - People who prefer a one-time lifetime purchase ## 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.2 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. 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. - **Value for money: B.** $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. - **Free plan and trial: D.** A 7-day trial through the App Store and no free plan, so you give a payment method to try it. - **Features: C.** Connects 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. - **Ease of use: B.** 4.5 from 623 App Store ratings. Install it, add a computer and connect. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Mac 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. These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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. ## Where it 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. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/remote-access ## Keep it, 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. - You could not: A fast, secure link to another computer through any network. - You could not: Storing and serving files for other people. - You could not: A native app living in the menu bar. - You could not: Apps for macOS and iOS that stay in step with each other. - You could not: It plugs into other products, Tailscale, Siri Shortcuts and iCloud among them. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Tailscale, Siri Shortcuts, iCloud, Apple Pencil, Spotlight **Tags:** Remote desktop, File sharing, Menu bar app ## Alternatives - [Jump Desktop](https://toolgpa.com/tools/jump-desktop): Remote desktop with one-time app licences and a per-user team plan. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/jump-desktop-vs-screens) - [RealVNC Connect](https://toolgpa.com/tools/realvnc-connect): Remote access from the makers of VNC, with end-to-end encryption. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/realvnc-connect-vs-screens) - [Splashtop](https://toolgpa.com/tools/splashtop): Remote access to your own computers, plus separate IT support plans. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/screens-vs-splashtop) - [TeamViewer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/teamviewer): Remote access and IT support, free for personal use only. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/screens-vs-teamviewer) - [AnyDesk](https://toolgpa.com/tools/anydesk): Remote desktop app, free for personal use, licensed for business. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/anydesk-vs-screens) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/screens-5-vnc-remote-desktop/id1663047912 - https://edovia.com/en/screens Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/screens Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).