Beam vs Jump Desktop
Updated August 2026 · 4 min read
Controlling versus watching
Jump Desktop is a remote desktop client. You reach your Mac from your iPhone and drive it: click, type, open files. Beam streams your Mac's screen and audio for smooth full-frame-rate viewing, with light control on top: a media bar you design, tap-to-click and a live keyboard. Need to work on the machine? Jump. Need to watch it and poke it now and then? Beam.
Side by side
Beam vs Jump Desktop
| Beam | Jump Desktop | |
|---|---|---|
| What it's for | Watching your Mac | Operating your Mac |
| Control the Mac | Light: click, type, custom buttons | Full remote desktop |
| Streams Mac audio | Yes | Limited |
| Tuned for video and motion | Yes, hardware encoded | Tuned for desktop work |
| Setup | Pair once, no account | Account and config |
| Price model | Free tier, $7.99 one-time | Paid app |
| Works away from home | With Unlimited, via Tailscale | Yes |
| Your traffic through a third party | Never, device to device | Relay possible |
Why a remote desktop feels wrong for watching
Remote desktop protocols were designed to make a desktop usable over a slow link. They send the parts of the screen that changed, prioritise crisp static text, and drop frame rate without hesitation because a stuttering cursor is a fair trade for a readable menu.
That is exactly the wrong set of tradeoffs for video. Point a remote desktop client at a film or a livestream and you tend to get a soft, low-frame-rate picture, usually with the audio still coming out of the Mac rather than the phone in your hand.
Beam goes the other way. It captures with ScreenCaptureKit, encodes in hardware with VideoToolbox, and sends a continuous video stream with the Mac's system audio alongside it. The result is meant to look like watching a video, because that is the job.
What you give up
Beam is not a remote desktop. There is no pointer to drag, no file transfer, no clipboard sync. What it has is enough to unstick things: a Click button turns a tap on the stream into a click at that point on the Mac, a Keyboard button types what you press on the phone, and the media bar can carry any key, shortcut or recorded macro you give it in Beacon. A dialog you need to dismiss, a prompt you need to answer, a video you need to skip: fine. An afternoon of work: use a remote desktop tool. Many people end up with both.
Privacy and the network path
On your own WiFi, Beam is strictly device to device. There is no Beam account, no sign-in and no server in the middle, and your screen never leaves your network.
Away from home, Beam Unlimited connects over your own Tailscale network, which is your private mesh rather than infrastructure operated by us. There is still no Beam server relaying your screen.
Which to pick
- Watching a render, download, match, film or livestream from elsewhere in the house: Beam.
- Dismissing a dialog, answering a prompt, skipping a track: Beam, from the bar or with a tap.
- Working on the Mac while away: a remote desktop app.
- Keeping an eye on a long job without touching it: Beam, and it is cheaper.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Beam and Jump Desktop?
Jump Desktop is a full remote desktop. Beam streams your Mac to watch, with audio, plus click, typing and custom buttons for the small stuff.
Is Beam better than a remote desktop app for watching video?
For video, yes. Remote desktop is tuned for static desktop work, not smooth motion, and usually leaves audio on the Mac.
Can Beam control my Mac from my iPhone?
For the small stuff, yes: tap-to-click, live typing and a button bar you design. No pointer or file transfer.
Do either of them require a subscription?
Beam is free to start and $7.99 once. Jump Desktop is a paid app.
Just want to watch your Mac?
Full frame rate, with audio, free to download.