Poket PC vs AnyDesk for Mac and iPhone
As of 2026-09-26
AnyDesk and Poket PC both offer remote control of a Mac from an iPhone, but AnyDesk is a general-purpose remote desktop for many platforms and commercial teams. Poket PC focuses on your Mac, your iPhone, and optional automation on that Mac. Below is a sourced comparison as of 26 September 2026.
At a glance
| AnyDesk | Poket PC | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Cross-platform remote desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux, and more) | Mac helper plus iPhone app: screen, trackpad, keyboard, tiles, Ask |
| Controls a Mac from iPhone | Yes | Yes (Mac host only) |
| Free tier | Personal, non-commercial; sessions may time out; free account extends sessions and up to 3 managed devices | 1.0 free: no ads, no in-app purchases |
| Paid price (as listed) | Solo from $37.90/month (billed annually; 2026-09-17 archive snapshot) | Free (1.0) |
| Account required | No (optional free account for longer sessions and unattended devices) | No |
| End-to-end encryption | Unclear in cited sources (TLS/AES described; relay role not stated) | Yes (Noise IK through the relay; the relay sees metadata, not content) |
| AI agent | None found in AnyDesk’s Help Center or changelog | Ask on the Mac (Claude Code or Ollama) |
| Multi-monitor | Not listed in cited sources | Main display only |
| File transfer | Not listed in cited sources | Not available yet (planned) |
As of 2026-09-26 · sources below
When AnyDesk is the better pick
You need Windows or Linux hosts, not only a Mac. AnyDesk lists Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi OS, and other platforms as hosts. Poket PC 1.0 is Mac-only as a host.
You want unattended access to a few machines for free. A free AnyDesk account registers up to three managed devices for unattended access and extends session length.
You may need commercial licensing on the controlling side only. AnyDesk’s account docs state that only the session initiator needs a paid license for commercial use, which can matter for contractors connecting into client machines.
You want an App Store app today. AnyDesk Remote Desktop is a free download with no in-app purchases listed, described as ad-free and free for personal use. Poket PC’s iPhone app is still in TestFlight while 1.0 is in App Review.
Paid tiers with many managed devices matter. The archived pricing page lists 500 managed devices on Standard and 1,000 on Advanced, with extra concurrent connections sold as add-ons.
When Poket PC is the better pick
You want a free 1.0 with no ads and no annual remote-desktop bill for personal Mac access. Poket PC does not sell a subscription in version 1.0.
You want encryption described as end-to-end through the vendor relay. Poket PC’s model is documented under security: the relay cannot read session content. It sees only IP addresses, timing, message sizes and the random token that matches your two devices.
You want an AI agent that keeps working on the Mac. Ask uses your Claude subscription via Claude Code on the Mac or a local Ollama model. We found no AI agent in AnyDesk’s Help Center or changelog.
You like one-tap tiles and a dedicated trackpad mode alongside the live screen: media keys, Mission Control, lock and sleep are one tap each.
You accept today’s limits: main display only (30 fps), no file transfer, no multi-monitor, Mac host only. If those limits match your Mac mini or MacBook use, Poket PC has less to set up than an AnyDesk plan.
Install the Mac helper and join the public TestFlight beta for the iPhone app from the beta page.
Practical notes
AnyDesk’s public pricing page was not verified live on 26 September 2026 due to bot challenges; paid prices above come from an Internet Archive snapshot dated 2026-09-17, which also showed a 20% promotion ($30.32/month for Solo). Always confirm on anydesk.com before you buy.
AnyDesk’s Help Center says sessions use TLS 1.2, while its marketing security page cites TLS 1.3 with 256-bit AES; neither says whether AnyDesk relay servers can read session traffic.
Poket PC pairs with QR and a six-digit code bound into the Noise handshake. Wrong codes close the window after three tries; revoke on the Mac ends the live session immediately.
Sources
- AnyDesk pricing (Solo $37.90/month billed annually, archive 2026-09-17): https://web.archive.org/web/20260917170645/https://anydesk.com/en/pricing
- AnyDesk accounts and free-tier session behavior: https://support.anydesk.com/docs/creating-and-using-an-anydesk-account
- AnyDesk security tips (TLS 1.2 sessions cited): https://support.anydesk.com/docs/security-tips
- AnyDesk security page (archive 2026-07-23, TLS 1.3 and AES-256): https://web.archive.org/web/20260723230217/https://anydesk.com/en/security
- AnyDesk supported operating systems: https://support.anydesk.com/docs/supported-operating-systems
- AnyDesk changelog (no AI agent through 2026-09-23): https://download.anydesk.com/changelog.txt
- AnyDesk Remote Desktop on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anydesk-remote-desktop/id1176131273
See AnyDesk alternatives or the full compare hub.
Checked on 26 September 2026. Tell us if something changed: support@poketpc.com.
Frequently asked questions
Is AnyDesk free for personal use?
AnyDesk states its product is free for personal, non-commercial use. Free sessions can time out; a free account can extend session length and allow up to three managed devices for unattended access.
Do you need an AnyDesk account?
No account is required to start a session, but a free AnyDesk account extends session length and supports up to three managed devices on the free tier.
Does AnyDesk encrypt sessions end to end?
AnyDesk's cited Help Center and marketing materials describe TLS and AES transport encryption but do not clearly state whether relay servers are excluded from decrypting traffic. We mark this as unclear in our table.
Can Poket PC replace AnyDesk for one Mac?
If you only need your own Mac from your iPhone, with no Windows host and no file transfer yet, Poket PC can cover live screen, trackpad, keyboard, tiles, and Ask without a subscription.
Which has an AI agent on the Mac?
Poket PC includes Ask, which runs on the Mac through Claude Code or Ollama. We found no AI agent feature in AnyDesk's Help Center or changelog through 23 September 2026.