Happy Valley

Beam vs tta1

Beam and tta1 are both personal productivity tools. Beam is aimed at developers and creators, while tta1 is aimed at creators. tta1 costs less, from $6/mo versus $12/mo for Beam. Both have a free plan.

Beam

Open individual windows from one Mac as native windows on another

tta1

Listen to any article, in your language

PricingFreemium · $12Freemium · $6
Starting price$12/mo$6/mo
Free planYesYes
Free trial——
Built forDevelopers, Creators, Freelancers, Small businessesCreators
Platformsmacosweb
Country——
Rating——

Choose Beam if

Developers and creators with two Apple silicon Macs who want a remote app to behave like a local window instead of a full screen share.

  • Uses one remote app without taking over the whole desktop
  • Window traffic goes directly between your Macs, not through Beam's servers
  • Free plan has no card requirement and no limit on host Macs

Look elsewhere if: People who need to reach Windows or Intel machines or control a whole remote desktop across platforms (Jump Desktop, Parsec).

Choose tta1 if

Beam vs tta1 pricing

Beam

  • Free$0Host unlimited Macs, join share links, 20 minutes a day of use
  • Monthly$12/moUnlimited use on every Mac you own, send share links
  • Yearly$84/yrSame as Monthly; works out to $7/mo billed annually
  • Lifetime$199One-time payment, all future updates, direct connections
  • Team$12/seat/moOr $84/seat/yr; 20% off from 10 seats, one invoice

tta1

    Beam · Key features

    • Single windows from another Mac open as native windows with Dock and Command-Tab entries
    • Beam several windows at once or share an entire display
    • Direct typing, shortcuts, two-way resizing, app audio and clipboard sync
    • Works with headless Mac minis and Mac Studios that have no display
    • Encrypted Mac-to-Mac connection on local Wi-Fi or over Tailscale
    • Guest share links open one window in any browser, view-only by default

    Cons

    • macOS only, with Apple silicon and Sonoma or later required on both Macs
    • Free use is capped at 20 minutes a day
    • Devices without the Mac app, such as phones, only get browser links

    tta1 · Key features

      Beam vs tta1: FAQ

      Which is cheaper, Beam or tta1?

      tta1 starts at $6/mo and Beam at $12/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.

      Do Beam and tta1 have a free plan?

      Yes, both Beam and tta1 have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.

      Which is better for small businesses, Beam or tta1?

      Beam lists small businesses as a core audience, while tta1 is aimed more at creators.

      Not sure yet?