| Mimac | Screens 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to try, then $49.99 once ($39.99 for the first 30 days) | $3.99 per month, $29.99 per year, or $179.99 lifetime; universal purchase across Apple platforms |
| Hosts | Macs with Apple silicon, macOS 15 or later | Any VNC host, including Macs with Screens Connect |
| Clients | iPad with an M-series chip, iPadOS 26 or later | iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro |
| Display resolution on a headless Mac | Your iPad's exact native resolution, 2752×2064 on the 13-inch iPad Pro | Mirrors the Mac's own display |
| Frame rate | 120 fps on your local network | VNC-class |
| Headless Mac, no monitor | Yes, with an optional start-before-login component | Needs Screens Connect plus a display or an HDMI dummy plug |
| Trackpad gestures | Native macOS pinch, phase-correct scrolling with momentum, pointer lock | Basic |
| Audio from the Mac | Lossless 48 kHz PCM | No audio |
| 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 | — |
| Remote access away from home | Your own Tailscale tailnet; no relay, no account | Screens Connect relay |
| Last iPad app update | New for 2026 | July 30, 2026 |
Prices and facts as of September 1, 2026, from Edovia's Screens 5 pricing page and the Screens App Store listing. 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 If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.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 Screens 5 is a better choice
Pick Screens if you want the same app on your iPhone and Vision Pro as well as your iPad and Mac. Pick it if you connect to any VNC server, whatever operating system it runs, or to an Intel Mac. Screens has been refined for many years, its Screens Connect relay handles the networking for you, and $29.99 a year is a modest price for a tool you use occasionally.
Where Mimac is a better choice
Pick Mimac if the job is a Mac with Apple silicon driven from an iPad Pro for real work. VNC mirrors whatever display the Mac has, which for a headless Mac means a dummy plug and a resolution chosen for the plug rather than for your iPad. Mimac creates a display at your iPad's exact resolution and streams it as video at 120 fps, with lossless audio and your microphone going the other way. Gestures behave like a MacBook trackpad. And a lifetime of Mimac is $49.99, not $179.99.
Bottom line
Screens is the better universal remote. Mimac is the better display for a Mac mini. If you reach many machines from many devices, Screens; if you sit down at one Mac from one iPad, Mimac.
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