Comparison
mobilerun vs mobile-use: framework plus a real fleet.
Both are open-source agent frameworks for mobile. The difference is what runs underneath: with mobile-use you bring the devices, with mobilerun they come with it.
TL;DR
mobile-use by Minitap is an Apache-2.0 multi-agent
framework. You supply the hardware, physical iOS is not supported,
and the company now leads with autonomous QA.
mobilerun ships the fleet with the framework. Real
persistent Android and physical iPhone devices. Configure their
location for any region, start on a free plan, scale to
100 concurrent phones on Scaleup and unlimited on Enterprise, keep
state across spin-down, and drive it all from your own models.
| Capability | mobilerun | mobile-use (Minitap) |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Framework + fleet, devices included | Framework, bring your own devices |
| Physical iOS | Real iPhones we own and operate | Not yet supported, simulators only |
| Android devices | Persistent hosted Android · any-region configuration | Your own emulators or handsets |
| Device identity | Real device identity, the checks real apps run & app trust checks | Whatever your hardware provides |
| Product direction | Agent infrastructure for production workloads | Autonomous mobile QA, sold against BrowserStack |
| Open source | MIT framework, 8,000+ stars | Apache-2.0 framework, ~2,700 stars |
| Interfaces | REST API, Python/TypeScript SDKs, hosted MCP | Self-hosted framework |
| Pricing | Free plan · paid from $20/mo · $0.03/min extra · real iPhone $160/mo annual, $200 monthly | Solo $510/mo to Scale $2,040/mo (annual), credit based |
| Device scale | 5 to 100 concurrent phones on paid plans, unlimited on Enterprise | Paid tiers cap at 2 to 8 devices |
| State on spin-down | Persists, resume with logins intact | Managed by you |
| Company | Droidrun GmbH (mobilerun) | Minitap (mobile-use) |
mobile-use details from github.com/minitap-ai/mobile-use and minitap.ai (homepage and pricing), July 2026. The README states verbatim: "Physical iOS devices are not yet supported." mobilerun pricing as of September 2026. Prices change, check both vendors.
Why teams choose mobilerun
- Framework plus fleet. You do not have to source, rack and babysit your own handsets.
- Real iPhones we own and operate, not simulators. Native iOS identity for app trust checks.
- Persistent Android and iOS devices with location configurable for any region.
- Genuine device signals compatible with the checks real apps run.
- A free plan to start, Developer at $20/mo with 600 device minutes. Android + dedicated IP from $64/mo, a real iPhone from $160/mo, billed annually.
- Scales on demand. Up to 100 concurrent phones and 20 seats on Scaleup. Enterprise has no limit on concurrent phones.
- State persists. Spin down, resume later with logins and session state intact.
- Your own models drive it. REST API, Python/TypeScript SDK, hosted MCP.
- Built for production agent workloads, not only CI test suites.
- Social media too, on your own and your clients' authorized accounts.
- Open-source framework, MIT licensed, 8,000+ GitHub stars.
FAQ
mobilerun vs mobile-use, common questions.
What is the main difference between mobilerun and mobile-use?+
mobile-use is an open-source multi-agent framework (Apache-2.0) that drives mobile devices you supply yourself. mobilerun is a framework plus a fleet: persistent Android and iOS devices come with it, driven by the model of your choice over REST API, Python/TypeScript SDKs and a hosted MCP server.
Does mobile-use support physical iOS devices?+
Not yet. The mobile-use README states verbatim that physical iOS devices are not yet supported, so iOS runs on simulators with a macOS host, and Minitap's paid QA product advertises iOS as simulator-backed. mobilerun runs real iPhones we own and operate, with authentic device identity for iOS apps.
Which one fits production agent workloads?+
Minitap has moved commercially toward autonomous QA and sells against BrowserStack, with credit-based seats that cap at 2 to 8 devices. mobilerun stays agent infrastructure for production: a free plan to start, 5 concurrent phones on Developer at $20/month, up to 100 on Scaleup and unlimited on Enterprise, phones that keep their apps and data when stopped, and real device identity that passes the checks real apps run.
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