# NoMac Simulator vs agent-device

A cloud iPhone your agent starts in seconds, with your Xcode project built on the phone's own Mac, at $0.90 an hour. agent-device needs a Mac you host or a device cloud you sign up for.

An iOS Simulator for your agent, ready in seconds.

$0.90/hour · billed per minute · Xcode build included

7-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase. Prices checked 31 October 2026 from public list prices.

## What agent-device is

Callstack's open-source (MIT) CLI, local MCP server and Node.js API that let coding agents drive iOS and Android simulators, emulators and devices. iOS needs Xcode on a Mac; from Linux or a cloud agent it runs through a proxy on a Mac you host, or on a device cloud such as BrowserStack, AWS Device Farm or Limrun.

## NoMac Simulator vs agent-device at a glance

|  | NoMac Simulator | Agent-device |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The device | A cloud iPhone or iPad Simulator, ready in seconds | Your own, or a device cloud's, with its own account |
| Building the app | Xcode 27.1 builds your project on the phone's Mac | Not included: install a .app or .ipa built elsewhere |
| From Linux or a cloud agent | npx simulator-use cloud start, or the hosted MCP | A proxy on a Mac you run, behind a tunnel such as cloudflared or ngrok |
| MCP | Hosted MCP server, plus the CLI, REST and a TypeScript SDK | Local stdio server |
| Price | $0.90 an hour, billed per minute, build included | Free tool, plus the Mac or device cloud it drives |

## Why teams choose NoMac Simulator

- ✓The iPhone comes with it: a cloud Simulator ready in seconds, with no Mac to host, no proxy and no tunnel.
- ✓Your Xcode project builds on the phone's own Mac. agent-device installs a .app or .ipa built somewhere else.
- ✓One account and one bill: $0.90 an hour, billed per minute, from prepaid credit that never expires.
- ✓A hosted MCP server, so agents in cloud sandboxes connect over HTTPS. agent-device's MCP server runs locally over stdio.
- ✓Every session can be replayed, with the video beside each step your agent took.

The verdict

agent-device leaves the iPhone to you. NoMac Simulator gives your agent the iPhone too, builds the app on it and bills per minute, for any agent, anywhere.

## Switch in two minutes

Give your agent an iPhone now, from Claude Code or any terminal:

```
# Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or any MCP client
claude mcp add --transport http nomac-simulator https://mcp.nomac.app/simulator

# or any terminal
npx simulator-use cloud start
```

Platforms: `npm install @nomac/simulator` and [the API](/content/docs/simulator/index.html).

## Questions

What is the best agent-device alternative for AI agents?＋

NoMac Simulator: a cloud iPhone or iPad Simulator ready in seconds, with the Xcode build on the same Mac, the screen as text and taps by label, at $0.90 an hour, billed per minute. Your agent connects over MCP, the CLI or the REST API.

How much does NoMac Simulator cost?＋

$0.90 an hour, billed per minute, with a one-minute minimum, from prepaid credit that starts at $10 and never expires. Xcode builds are included and waiting for a phone is free. No subscription and no plan to outgrow. 7-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase.

Which agents can use it?＋

Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and every MCP client connect in one line: https://mcp.nomac.app/simulator. Already connected to NoMac at https://mcp.nomac.app/mcp? The phone is there too. From a terminal or CI it is npx simulator-use cloud start, and platforms use the REST API or the TypeScript SDK, @nomac/simulator.

Can it build my app?＋

Yes. Send a git link or upload the project: Xcode 27.1 builds it on the same Mac as the phone, and a rebuild and run takes about 7 seconds.

Can a person watch the phone?＋

Yes. Share a link to watch or control it live, embed it in your own page, or replay any session with the video beside every step your agent took.

Can my agent get a whole Mac too?＋

Yes, from the same account and credit: NoMac Session gives your agent a full Mac with admin rights for everything beyond the phone, from signing to App Store releases.

Give your agent an iPhone in seconds.

A cloud iOS Simulator with the Xcode build included, over MCP, the CLI or the API. $0.90 an hour, billed per minute. $10 of credit is 11.1 hours.