| Mimac | Splashtop Personal | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free to try, then $49.99 once ($39.99 for the first 30 days) | Free on your local network. Anywhere Access Pack $5.99 per month or $23.99 per year for remote use |
| Hosts | Macs with Apple silicon, macOS 15 or later | Macs, among other platforms (generic remote desktop) |
| Clients | iPad with an M-series chip, iPadOS 26 or later | iPad, among other platforms |
| 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 | Not stated; H.265 video |
| Headless Mac, no monitor | Yes, with an optional start-before-login component | No |
| Trackpad gestures | Native macOS pinch, phase-correct scrolling with momentum, pointer lock | Basic |
| Audio from the Mac | Lossless 48 kHz PCM | Yes; codec not stated |
| 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 | Splashtop's own relay, with the paid Anywhere Access Pack |
| Last iPad app update | New for 2026 | July 21, 2026 |
Prices and facts as of September 1, 2026, from the Splashtop Personal 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 If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.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 Splashtop Personal is a better choice
Pick Splashtop if free on your own network is the whole requirement, and a Mac with a monitor attached is fine. Pick it if you want remote access through a vendor relay rather than setting up Tailscale, and $23.99 a year suits you. It also works with Intel Macs and across many platforms, which Mimac does not attempt.
Where Mimac is a better choice
Pick Mimac for a headless Mac mini or Mac Studio: Splashtop needs the Mac to have a display, Mimac creates one at your iPad's exact resolution. Pick it for the feel: 120 fps on your network, trackpad gestures that behave like a MacBook, lossless audio, your microphone on the Mac, and a screenshot gesture that lands on the Mac's clipboard. Pick it if you would rather nothing of anyone's sit between your iPad and your Mac.
Bottom line
Splashtop is a fine free answer to "can I see my Mac from the couch". Mimac is the answer to "can I work from my iPad Pro as if I were at the Mac". Try both; the trial costs nothing either way.
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