Hey everyone! I'm on the hunt for a cloud-hosted MacOS desktop because my 2015 MacBook Pro is struggling with installing the tools I need for deploying a PWA to the App Store, specifically Cocoapods and Xcode. I've stumbled upon MacinCloud, but I'm curious if anyone has experience with it or can suggest other reliable options. Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
3 Answers
I'm not sure if a remote desktop setup will allow you to do everything you intend. Remember that you'll need both a Mac and an Apple ID developer account. Hopefully, you won't encounter any blocks along the way!
I haven’t tried these services myself, but I’ve heard the basic plans might not give you sudo access, which could lead to some frustrating limitations. MacStadium offers solutions for cloud-based Mac builds, and I know one of my old teams set up a CI/CD pipeline using them. If this is for business use, maybe it’s worth investing in a refurbished Mac Mini with an M-chip? You’d get more control for your money.
Absolutely, cloud-based MacOS desktops can work great for iOS development. MacinCloud is often recommended for casual builds and App Store submissions, although a few users mention that it can have latency and pricing issues. For something more robust and powerful, AWS EC2 Mac instances are available, but they are on the pricier side and a bit more complex to set up. If you're just looking to complete your tasks without a hassle, MacinCloud might be your best bet. But if you plan on doing deep, frequent development, consider AWS.“
Thanks for the info! It’s a bummer that AWS is so much more expensive, but I'll definitely check out MacinCloud.

Oh wow, I hope there aren't too many barriers! I already have the Apple developer account. My main issue is the MBP unable to install Xcode and Cocoapods correctly. I’m really just trying to find enough tools to finish the install without spinning my wheels too much. I’ll check out MacStadium too!