# NoMac Simulator vs Appetize

NoMac Simulator builds your Xcode project and runs it on a cloud iPhone for $0.90 an hour. Appetize needs a prebuilt app and a monthly plan.

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 25 October 2026 from public list prices.

## What Appetize is

Cloud iOS Simulators and Android emulators that stream uploaded apps in the browser, on monthly plans with minute allowances.

## NoMac Simulator vs Appetize at a glance

|  | NoMac Simulator | Appetize |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Building the app | Xcode 27.1 builds your project on the phone's Mac | Not offered: upload a Simulator .app built in Xcode |
| Price | $0.90 an hour, billed per minute | Plans from $59 to $449 a month, 500 minutes, then $3.60 an hour |
| Ten hours a month | $9 | About $95 on the monthly Starter plan |
| Commitment | Prepaid credit from $10 that never expires | Monthly or yearly plan |
| MCP | Hosted MCP server | None (a CLI and an agent skill) |

## Why teams choose NoMac Simulator

- ✓ Your agent builds the app in the cloud: Xcode 27.1 runs on the phone's own Mac, so no Mac of your own is needed to make the build.
- ✓ $0.90 an hour, billed per minute, with no monthly plan: ten hours a month costs $9.
- ✓ A hosted MCP server, so any agent drives the phone directly.
- ✓ The screen as text and taps by label: your agent reads the phone in under a second.

The verdict

NoMac Simulator takes your agent from source code to a running iPhone app in the cloud, at a fraction of Appetize's hourly price and with nothing to subscribe to.

## 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 Appetize 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.