Mimac vs Luna Display
These two are often searched together and rarely compared fairly, because they are different things. Luna Display is a hardware dongle that turns an iPad into a display for a Mac you are sitting at. Mimac is a remote desktop that turns an iPad Pro into the display and input device for a Mac anywhere.
| Mimac | Luna Display | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A remote desktop app. Your iPad drives a Mac over the network, with its own keyboard and trackpad | A hardware dongle that plugs into the Mac and makes an iPad a second display |
| Price | Free to try, then $49.99 once ($39.99 for the first 30 days) | $89.99 one-time, hardware |
| Hosts | Macs with Apple silicon, macOS 15 or later | Macs; the dongle must be plugged into the Mac |
| Display resolution | Your iPad's exact native resolution, 2752×2064 on the 13-inch iPad Pro | Not stated |
| Motion and latency | 120 fps on your local network. Latency figure to be published once measured | "7 to 25 ms over Wi-Fi" (vendor claim) |
| Headless Mac, no monitor | Yes, with an optional start-before-login component | Yes ("Headless Mode") |
| Input | Full keyboard and trackpad, native macOS gestures, pointer lock, Option+Tab app switcher | Touch on the display; keyboard and mouse are the Mac's own |
| Audio from the Mac | Lossless 48 kHz PCM | n/a (it is a display) |
| iPad microphone on the Mac | Yes, as a Mimac Microphone input device | No |
| Screenshot to the Mac's clipboard | Yes, drag on the glass or double-tap | — |
| Works away from the Mac | Anywhere, through your own Tailscale tailnet | Same network, primarily |
| Last iPad app update | New for 2026 | June 9, 2026 |
Prices and facts as of September 1, 2026, from Astropad's Luna Display product page and the Luna Display App Store listing. The latency figure in Luna's column is Astropad's own claim; Mimac's will be published with its measurement method once it has been measured. Mimac's 120 fps figure is on a local network. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
Where Luna Display is a better choice
Pick Luna if you want your iPad as a second display next to a Mac you are already using, including over a cable, with the Mac's own keyboard and mouse doing the work. It is hardware, so it is independent of any subscription, and it works with Intel Macs. If the Mac is always within arm's reach, a display is the simpler tool.
Where Mimac is a better choice
Pick Mimac if the iPad Pro is meant to be the only display, keyboard and trackpad for the Mac, especially a Mac mini or Mac Studio in another room or another city. Nothing plugs into the Mac. The iPad's Magic Keyboard drives macOS with real gestures and every shortcut, audio flows both ways, and a dragged rectangle lands on the Mac's clipboard. It also costs less than the dongle.
Bottom line
Second display: Luna. Remote desktop: Mimac. Some people will own both, and that is fine.
Try Mimac free.
Seven days, every feature, on your own network. Then $49.99 once if it earns its place. Mimac Connect for Mac is free.
Other comparisons: Workbench · Jump Desktop · Screens 5 · Splashtop · Luna Display