Remolo or AnyDesk
AnyDesk is a remote desktop with a free iPhone app: you can control a Mac in touchpad mode, through AnyDesk’s servers. Free sessions have time limits, and wake-on-LAN works with Intel Macs only. Remolo is a Mac remote: a trackpad with macOS gestures, a slide clicker, a media remote and your own buttons for free, and with Pro the Mac’s screen and control from any network, end-to-end encrypted.
Updated
| Remolo | AnyDesk | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | free; Pro $2.99/mo or $14.99/yr | free for personal use; paid plans for work |
| iPhone app to control a Mac | yes, for iPhone and iPad | yes, AnyDesk |
| From any network, no router setup | yes, built-in relay with end-to-end encryption (Pro) | yes, through AnyDesk servers |
| Account needed | no | optional |
| Touch control | trackpad with gestures; 3–4 fingers in Pro | touchpad mode |
| The Mac’s screen on the phone | yes, to watch, with a magnifier; you steer with the trackpad (Pro) | full remote desktop |
| Files between iPhone and Mac | one file at a time, both ways (Pro) | yes |
| Slides, timer, notes | Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Slides, PDF; timer; notes (Pro) | not stated |
| Custom buttons and scripts | buttons; chains, AppleScript and Shell (Pro) | not stated |
| Temporary access for someone else | one-time link for 1 hour, 1 day or 7 days (Pro) | AnyDesk ID, accepted on the Mac |
| Wake a sleeping Mac | no; it keeps the Mac awake instead (“Mac always ready”) | Intel Macs only, with another device on the same network |
| Apple Watch | yes (Pro) | not listed in the App Store |
| Windows PCs | no, Mac only | yes |
Data from the official pages as of 6 October 2026; “not stated” means the official pages don’t mention it. All the alternatives side by side are on the Compare page.
When AnyDesk is the better pick
- You need a full remote desktop for an hour of work, including Windows or Linux.
- You need file transfer and session recording.
When Remolo is the better pick
- Control built for a phone: a trackpad, 3–4-finger gestures (Pro), a keyboard in any language.
- A clicker for Keynote, PowerPoint and Google Slides with a timer, notes and Apple Watch (Pro).
- Your own buttons and chains of actions: an app, a website, a shortcut, a script.
- No account, end-to-end encrypted through the Remolo relay (Pro).
Questions
Does AnyDesk’s free version have limits?
Yes: according to its official help, free sessions can time out — the advice is to reconnect or upgrade. There is also a “business user” check.
Can I wake a Mac from an iPhone?
Remolo doesn’t wake a sleeping Mac — instead “Mac always ready” keeps it from falling asleep while it is plugged in. AnyDesk wakes only Intel Macs over the network. More in the guide on waking a Mac remotely.
A month of Pro for those who wait
The iPhone and iPad app is coming soon to the App Store, and Remolo Helper for Mac is already available.