APE Viewer vs The Competition
Most remote desktop apps are built for office work and IT support. APE Viewer is built for games, fast screens and watching together.
A new picture reaches the viewer in as little as 3.0 ms, at up to 240 fps, and your friends can pick up a controller and play. Here’s how APE Viewer stacks up against other remote desktop and screen-sharing apps.
Measured Speed
- 3.0 msLatency at 144 fps1440p, H.264, picture ready to decoded
- 6.5 msLatency at 60 fps1440p, H.264
- 240 fpsHighest frame rateOn high-refresh monitors
- Up to 4Controllers at onceXbox-style, with rumble
| Video | 60 fps | 120 fps | 144 fps |
|---|---|---|---|
| H.264 | 6.5 ms | 3.7 ms | 3.0 ms |
| HEVC | 6.9 ms | 4.8 ms | 3.8 ms |
Over a network, your ping adds to it. Actual performance depends on your PCs, the game and your connection. How we measure.
Why It’s Faster
Hardware Video, Tuned For Speed
The sharing PC’s graphics card encodes H.264 or HEVC with low-latency settings and no B-frames, so no picture waits for the next one. The viewing PC decodes it in hardware too. It works with NVIDIA, AMD and Intel graphics.
Controls Built For Games
When a game hides the pointer, the stream window locks your mouse and sends raw movement. Xbox-style controllers show up on your PC as real controllers, and the game’s rumble comes back to your hands.
Sound With No Codec Delay
The PC’s sound is sent uncompressed, 48 kHz stereo, so it stays in step with the picture.
Up To Your Monitor’s Refresh Rate
Choose 30, 60, 90, 120, 144 or 240 fps. A 144 Hz monitor streams at 144 fps, and a 240 Hz one at 240.
APE Viewer vs Most Competitors
| Compared | APE Viewer | Most competitors |
|---|---|---|
| Speed and games | ||
| Latency | 3.0 to 6.9 ms, measured and published (how) | Most don’t publish a figure |
| Frame rate | Up to 240 fps on high-refresh monitors | Often 30 or 60 fps |
| Video | Hardware H.264 or HEVC, with low-latency settings and no B-frames | Usually tuned for office work and documents |
| Game controllers | Xbox-style with rumble, up to 4 at once | Usually keyboard and mouse only |
| Mouse for games | Locks on its own when a game hides the pointer, and sends raw movement | Usually missing |
| Sound | Sent uncompressed, with no audio codec delay | Usually compressed |
| Watch and play together | ||
| What friends see | Your screen at its own resolution and frame rate, up to 240 fps | Screen shares in chat apps are often 720p at 30 fps unless you pay |
| Friends can play | Yes, with their own controller, keyboard and mouse, when you allow it | Screen shares are usually watch-only |
| Movies, shows and games | Full quality, with the PC’s sound, for up to 4 people | Usually a softer, watch-only stream |
| Every monitor | ||
| Every monitor at once | Yes, each in its own window or full screen on a display you choose (Premium) | Most show one monitor at a time, or squeeze them into one window |
| Each screen’s own resolution | Yes, every window keeps its screen’s resolution | All-in-one views shrink every screen to fit |
| You stay in control | ||
| Permissions per person | Mouse, keyboard, controllers, clipboard, sound, drawing, Ctrl+Alt+Del and file transfer, one by one | Often all-or-nothing, or on business plans |
| Which screens each person sees | You choose, per person | Usually every screen |
| Share only some apps | Yes: they see and control only the apps you pick, like sharing a window on a call | Remote desktop apps usually share the whole desktop |
| Drawing on the screen | Included, to point things out | Varies by app and plan |
| File transfer | Drop files on the window. Nobody gets it until you turn it on for them | Varies by app and plan |
| Connecting and price | ||
| From anywhere | No port forwarding or router setup, end-to-end encrypted (Premium) | Many need port forwarding, a VPN or a paid plan |
| Free plan | Yes, with no time limit and no card | Often personal use only |
| Premium | $6.99/month or $49/year with a subscription trial, or $199.99 Lifetime with no trial or renewal | Often billed yearly, up front |
“Most competitors” sums up popular remote desktop, game-streaming and screen-sharing apps, from what their makers publish about their features and plans. Individual apps vary. APE Viewer’s latency is our own measurement: see how we measure.
Watch And Play Together
Movies, Shows, Videos And Games
Invite friends to your PC and everyone sees your screen at its real resolution and frame rate, with sound. It’s like sharing your screen on a call, only sharper and smoother, and your friends can join in.
Everyone Can Play
Each friend can use their own Xbox-style controller, with rumble, or their keyboard and mouse, when you allow it. Up to 4 people at once with your Premium, 1 on Free.
You Decide What They Can Do
Watch only, only the apps you pick, drawing on the screen, file transfer, and Ask first before anyone joins. Change it while they’re connected, or disconnect them.
About Streaming Services
Streaming services that protect their videos, like Netflix, can show a black picture when shared, in any screen-sharing app. Your own videos, and sites that don’t protect their videos, work as usual. Everyone watching a paid service should have their own access to it.
Try APE Viewer On Your Own PCs
Free has no time limit and needs no card. Install the same app on both Windows PCs and feel the difference on your own setup.
For Windows 10 and 11. Mac and Linux viewers are in development.