TabDesk vs Vysor: which one should you use?
Both tools mirror a real Android phone on Mac and Windows. TabDesk adds true multi-instance, multi-user detection and zero-install bundling on top.
| TabDesk | Vysor | |
|---|---|---|
| Mirrors a real phone | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-instance on the same device | ✓ Each app in its own tab | One screen at a time |
| Multi-user Android detection | ✓ Auto | Main user only |
| Tabbed interface | ✓ Chrome-style | Single window |
| Bundled adb & server | ✓ | Bundled, but Vysor-specific agent |
| Engine | scrcpy (open source) | Vysor proprietary |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Free tier | 1 device, full feature set | Low-res, ads, watermark |
| Paid tier | €2.99/mo or €29.99/year | $40/year (Vysor Pro) |
What is Vysor?
Vysor is one of the original Android mirroring tools. It connects to your phone over USB (or Wi-Fi with Vysor Share), pushes a small agent on the device, and streams the screen back to a desktop window. It used to ship as a Chrome app, then moved to a standalone Mac/Windows/Linux client.
Vysor Free is rate-limited and shows ads and a watermark. Vysor Pro (around $40/year) unlocks full resolution, removes ads, and adds wireless mirroring and file drag-and-drop.
Vysor does one thing well: take what is on your phone screen and show it on your desktop. It does not try to run several apps in parallel, and it does not look at the user-account structure of Android.
Where TabDesk pulls ahead
- Multi-instance on a single phone. TabDesk uses the Android virtual display API to launch each selected app on its own display, then mirrors that display in its own tab. Vysor mirrors the whole device, so "two apps at once" really means switching between them on the phone.
- Multi-user Android detection. TabDesk scans every Android user space (Work Profile, Xiaomi Second Space, Samsung Secure Folder, Shelter, Island) and lists each app once per user. Vysor only sees what is rendered on the active user.
- Tabbed interface. Each session is a tab, the same way Chrome does it. With Vysor, every session is a separate window.
- Open engine. TabDesk is built on top of scrcpy, so latency, frame rate and codec are well documented and shared with the rest of the scrcpy ecosystem. Vysor is fully proprietary.
- Free tier with no watermark. TabDesk Free has no ad, no watermark, no resolution cap. Vysor Free is intentionally degraded so you upgrade.
When Vysor is still the right pick
- You are on Linux. TabDesk does not yet ship a Linux build.
- You only mirror one app or one screen at a time, and you do not need multi-instance or multi-user detection.
- You already paid for Vysor Pro and the wireless workflow works for you.
When to switch to TabDesk
- You want two or more Android apps side by side on the same phone (dual WhatsApp, gaming + Discord, two banking apps...).
- You use a Work Profile, Samsung Secure Folder, Xiaomi Second Space, Shelter or Island and want to launch apps from those user spaces too.
- You want the same engine as scrcpy, with the latency and frame rate it is known for.
- You are on Mac or Windows and the Vysor Free watermark / resolution cap is getting in the way.
Performance
- TabDesk uses scrcpy-server, hardware-encoded H.264 on the device, decoded with WebCodecs on the desktop. Sub-100 ms latency at 60 fps.
- Vysor uses its own agent over the same ADB transport. Latency is acceptable but generally a few frames behind scrcpy.
- For competitive mobile gaming or any use case where input lag matters, scrcpy-based tools (TabDesk, scrcpy CLI) tend to win.
Installation
Vysor
- Download the Mac, Windows or Linux client from vysor.io.
- Install the Vysor agent on the phone (handled automatically over USB).
- Vysor Pro license is per-account.
TabDesk
- Download the
.dmg(macOS) or.exe(Windows) from GitHub Releases and open it. - adb and scrcpy-server are bundled inside the app, no separate install.
- Free for one device, no watermark, no resolution cap.
FAQ
Is Vysor still maintained?
Vysor is still distributed as a desktop app, but its development has slowed down significantly compared to its early Chrome-app days. The wireless version (Vysor Share) is the most actively maintained part of the product today.
Can Vysor run two Android apps in parallel?
Not natively. Vysor mirrors the entire device screen, so whatever you see on the phone is what shows up on your desktop. Running two apps in parallel means jumping back and forth between them on the phone itself.
Does Vysor detect Work Profile or Xiaomi Second Space?
No. Vysor only sees what is displayed on the main user screen. Apps in Work Profile, Samsung Secure Folder or Xiaomi Second Space are visible only when you switch to that user space on the phone.
Is TabDesk free?
TabDesk is free for one connected device, including multi-instance and multi-user detection. The Pro plan (€2.99/month or €29.99/year) unlocks unlimited devices and customizable keyboard shortcuts.
Will I lose anything by switching from Vysor to TabDesk?
TabDesk does not yet ship a Linux build. If Linux mirroring is critical for you, keep Vysor (or scrcpy) for that. On macOS and Windows, TabDesk covers the same use cases plus multi-instance and multi-user.
Try TabDesk on your device.
Free for one connected device. macOS and Windows. No watermark, no ads.