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TouchDeck vs Touch Portal

Touch Portal is a flexible macro deck for Windows and Mac with plugins and its own automation. TouchDeck is a native Mac and iPhone app focused on doing the common things with almost no setup: decks built from your apps' menus, automatic switching, and dials, sliders and a jog wheel.

Try it free for 7 days Get the free Mac app

Side by side

TouchDeckTouch Portal
Needs on the computerThe free TouchDeck for Mac appThe Touch Portal desktop host
ComputersMacWindows and Mac
Phones and tabletsiPhone, iPad, iPhone DuoiPhone, iPad and Android
ControlsKeys, rotary dials, sliders, jog wheelButtons and sliders
Per-app pagesBuilt in: follows the app in frontAutomatic page switching by app, set up per page
Decks from an app's menusYes, from any Mac appNot that we could find
AutomationWorkflows: open, wait, press keys, run a macOS ShortcutEvents, variables and logic (Pro)
IntegrationsShortcuts, apps, links, media, macOS ShortcutsPlugins (Pro)
Price7-day trial, then monthly or one-time LifetimeFree with a small grid; Pro is a one-time purchase, extra devices extra

What TouchDeck does differently

  • Automatic app switching, built in: the deck follows the app in front on your Mac with no rules to write
  • Decks from native Mac menus: pick any Mac app and TouchDeck reads the shortcuts from its menu bar and builds a deck (how it works)
  • Dials, sliders and a jog wheel alongside keys, with haptic clicks on iPhone
  • Local Wi-Fi only: your device talks straight to your Mac, encrypted end to end, after a four-digit pairing code
  • No account: nothing to sign up for; decks back up to your own iCloud
  • Layouts for each screen: iPhone, both screens of iPhone Duo, and every iPad size
TouchDeck on iPhone: keys with the icons of Mac apps, and Brightness and Volume dials

When Touch Portal is the better pick

  • You need Windows or Android
  • You want plugins or advanced automation with variables and events
  • You prefer a low one-time price over a subscription
  • You enjoy building your own logic for each button

Questions

Does Touch Portal switch pages by app too?

Yes, Touch Portal can switch pages automatically when an app comes to the front, set up per page. In TouchDeck it's on by default for every app profile.

Which one is easier to set up?

TouchDeck aims for the fewest steps: pair with a four-digit code, then build a deck from an app's menus in a tap. Touch Portal offers more knobs to turn.

Does either need an account?

TouchDeck never needs one. Check Touch Portal's site for its current requirements.

What does TouchDeck cost?

Free for 7 days, then $3.99 a month or $79.99 once for Lifetime (₹199 or ₹3,999 in India). One plan covers all your iPhones and iPads. The Mac app is free.

Related

Touch Portal is a trademark of its owner. TouchDeck is not affiliated with Touch Portal. Details about other apps are from their public store listings and help pages as of November 2026 and may have changed; check their sites for current features and prices.