Telkino, Screens and Jump Desktop compared
Checked on 5 October 2026 · App Store and the developers’ own documentation
Three apps that put a Mac’s screen on your iPhone or iPad. They follow different ideas. Telkino stays with the Screen Sharing built into macOS. Screens adds its own tools around VNC. Jump Desktop brings its own protocol and a helper app for the Mac. Here is what each one does, including where the others are ahead.
In short
- Telkino: free for one computer, Pro is a one-time purchase. No account, nothing to install on the Mac, and Apple High Performance with HEVC video.
- Screens 5: a subscription or a lifetime purchase. The most tools for Macs: file transfer, picking a single display, its own way to reach a Mac from away.
- Jump Desktop: a paid app with a one-time price. RDP for Windows, its own Fluid protocol with sound, and a relay server for difficult networks.
Side by side
| Feature | Telkino | Screens 5 | Jump Desktop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price model | Free for one computer; Pro is a one-time in-app purchase | Subscription (monthly or yearly) or lifetime purchase, after a 7-day trial | Paid app, one-time purchase |
| What the Mac needs | Screen Sharing turned on | Screen Sharing on the local network; Screens Connect for access from away | Screen Sharing for VNC; Jump Desktop Connect and a Jump account for Fluid |
| Protocols | VNC, macOS Screen Sharing | VNC, SSH tunnels | RDP, VNC, Fluid |
| Apple High Performance (HEVC) | Yes, with automatic fallback | Not mentioned | Not mentioned; Fluid is its own video protocol |
| Away from home | Your own VPN, with a Tailscale guide | Screens Connect or the Tailscale integration | Built in: direct, with a relay server as fallback |
| Several Mac displays | All side by side in one picture | Pick one, switch, or show all | Switch or show all (with Fluid) |
| Clipboard | Text, both ways (Pro) | Text, images and links | Text |
| Siri, Shortcuts, widget | Yes | Yes | Not mentioned |
| File transfer | No | Yes, with Macs | Not mentioned for Macs |
| Sound | No | No | Yes, with Fluid |
| App privacy (developer’s statement) | Data Not Collected | Data Not Linked to You | Data Not Linked to You |
| Requires | iOS and iPadOS 26 | iOS 17.6 | iOS 16 |
“Not mentioned” means that the App Store text and the developer’s documentation say nothing about it. It does not mean the feature is missing. App privacy details are the developers’ own statements on the App Store.
Where Screens and Jump Desktop are ahead
- Screens transfers files between iPhone, iPad and Mac, lets you pick or switch a single display, helps with the password at the Mac’s login window, and has its own way to reach a Mac from away. One purchase covers iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro.
- Jump Desktop speaks RDP for Windows, plays the Mac’s sound over Fluid, offers virtual displays and up to 120 frames per second, and gets through difficult networks with its relay server. On iPad it runs several sessions at once.
- Both run on older iOS versions. Telkino needs iOS 26.
When Telkino fits
- You want the Screen Sharing that is already built into your Mac, with nothing to install and no account.
- One computer is enough, or you would rather pay once than subscribe.
- You care about privacy: no tracking, and no Telkino server between you and your computer.
- Your Mac supports Apple High Performance, and you want its HEVC video on iPhone and iPad.
Sources
Checked on 5 October 2026 on the App Store pages (United States and Germany) and in the developers’ documentation: Screens App Store and Help Center, Jump Desktop App Store and documentation. If something has changed, please write to support@telkino.app so this page can be corrected.
Screens is a product of Edovia, Jump Desktop a product of Phase Five Systems. Telkino is not affiliated with either.