01
The screen in your drawer.
Make that spare tablet useful again. Give your notes, references, or inbox a space of their own.
BetterCastGet BetterCast ↗ MORE ROOM FOR WHAT YOU DO
Your next display.
Already yours.
BetterCast is a free, open-source second monitor app.
Extend your Mac or Windows desktop to a compatible phone, tablet, or spare computer. Windows sending is in beta.
Mac → Windows1 / 8
More room. Across platforms.
LESS HARDWARE. MORE POSSIBILITY.
A bigger workspace.
A lighter way to work.
02
A connection that stays close.
Stream directly between your devices. Apple devices can connect peer-to-peer, without a Wi-Fi router.
03
Open by design.
Free software. Open source. No account required. A little more freedom for the devices you already own.
CORE FEATURES
Everything your screens
need to work together.
CROSS-PLATFORM
One app. Almost every screen.
Send from Mac or Windows, then receive on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, Linux, or another Mac.
PERFORMANCE
Up to 60 FPS
Hardware-accelerated HEVC and H.264 keep motion smooth while adaptive quality matches the connection.
DIRECT
Peer-to-peer on Apple
Supported Apple devices can discover and connect directly over AWDL, without relying on a Wi-Fi router.
WORKSPACE
More than one display
Connect multiple receivers at once, each with its own virtual display and resolution.
INPUT + AUDIO
The whole experience
Send optional audio and pass mouse or keyboard input from a receiver back to your computer.
IN THEIR WORDS
From people giving
their screens a second life.
“As a former Luna and Astropad user I’m very happy to see BetterCast!”
FIND YOUR FLOW
Less setup.
More space.
Start with your main computer.
Bring another screen along.
01
Install on your devices
Use your Mac as the sender. Windows sending is available in beta. Add the receiver app to your second device.
02
Make the connection
Connect over your local network, or use direct peer-to-peer between supported Apple devices.
03
Make room for your work
Choose your receiver, extend your desktop, and move a window onto your new display.
WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE BETTERCAST
There’s BetterCast.
Then there’s the rest.
One open-source app for the mix of screens you actually own.
Swipe or scroll the table to compare →
Capability
Apple Sidecar
Duet Display
spacedesk
OUR PICKBetterCast
Send from Mac
Yes
Yes
Yes
Send from Windows
Yes
Yes
Beta
iPhone & iPad receiver
iPad only
Yes
Yes
Yes
Android receiver
Yes
Yes
Yes
Windows, Linux & Mac receiver
Mac + Windows
Viewer options
Yes
Direct Apple-to-Apple connection
Yes
Yes
Account required
Same Apple Account
Yes
No
No
Price
Included
Paid plans
Free private use
Free · Open source
FIND YOUR SETUP
A little guidance.
A lot more screen.
Extend your MacBook screen
Set up an extra display, arrange your screens, and troubleshoot discovery.
Read the setup guide ↗BetterCast or Duet?
Compare local second-screen use with Duet’s wider product offering.
Compare with Duet Display ↗BetterCast or OpenDisplay?
Two free, open-source options. Choose based on the devices you own.
Compare with OpenDisplay ↗BRING YOUR DEVICES TOGETHER
Find your download.
Start with your main computer. Then install the receiver on your extra screen.
macOS
Download the .dmg for sender or receiver.
Download for macOS ↗Sends over Wi-Fi, Thunderbolt or a USB cable. Also shows a plugged-in iPhone or iPad on your Mac, with nothing to install on the phoneiPhone & iPad
Receiver app — free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.
Open App Store ↗Best experience — low latency. Opens the App StoreAndroid
Download the receiver APK. Connect to your Mac from the phone, with audio and six languages. Also supports Android screen mirroring to Mac.
Download for Android ↗Real-time over USB, H.265 over Wi-Fi. Installs straight over 1.1 and 1.2 — only the old v7 build needs uninstalling firstWindows
Download the Windows installer — now a sender as well as a receiver. Extend or mirror your Windows desktop to another device, or use the PC as an extra screen.
Download for Windows ↗Sender is beta. Installs a virtual display driver, so use the installer rather than a portable build. SmartScreen will warn on first run — not code-signed yetLinux
Download the Linux receiver (beta). Receiver only — sender coming soon.
Download for Linux ↗Beta — receiver only, not yet optimized. Expect higher latency than Mac/iOSFREE SOFTWARE. COMMUNITY SUPPORTED.
Help keep BetterCast growing.
If BetterCast gives your screens a second life, consider supporting its development. Every donation is optional.
A FEW THINGS TO KNOW
Got questions?
From your first connection to your next setup.
Yes. You can currently mirror your Android or iOS device’s screen to a Mac. This is screen mirroring, rather than extending your mobile device’s desktop. Support for mirroring to Windows is planned.
macOS can send and receive. Windows can also send and receive, with sending currently in beta. Use the Windows installer so its virtual display driver is installed. Linux is currently a receiver only.
An iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, Windows PC, Linux machine, or another Mac. Install BetterCast on your main computer and the receiver app on the device you want to use as an extra screen.
For most wireless setups, connect both devices to the same local network. Supported Apple devices can also connect directly using peer-to-peer discovery, without a Wi-Fi router. Wired options depend on the device and connection method.
BetterCast is free and open source under GPLv3. No account or subscription is required. Donations are optional and help support development.
Mac and iOS are currently the most polished. Windows sending and the Linux receiver are in beta. Performance varies with your devices and connection; Android supports a wired ADB connection as well as Wi-Fi.
Yes. Your Mac can connect to multiple receivers at once, with an independent virtual display for each receiver and optional audio streaming.
Yes. BetterCast can use another compatible Mac as a receiver, including an old 5K iMac. Check the release notes for the requirements of your chosen build.
Allow Screen Recording to capture your display. Accessibility permission is used to pass mouse and keyboard input back from a receiver. Grant these in macOS System Settings when prompted.
Use the GitHub issue tracker linked below. Include your sender and receiver platforms, app versions, connection method, and steps to reproduce the problem.
A SECOND LIFE FOR YOUR SCREENS
Make room
for your next idea.
Get BetterCast free Free & open source · No account needed