Encore vs Target Display Mode.
Apple's rules, side by side.
If your Mac is from 2019 or earlier on macOS Catalina or older, and your iMac is on Apple's list and still on High Sierra or earlier, use Target Display Mode. It is free and shows the signal directly. With any newer Mac, Apple's rule rules it out, and Encore is a way to use the same iMac over a cable or Wi-Fi.
Who should pick which
- Pick Target Display Mode if your setup qualifies under Apple's rules below. It is free, it is a direct signal, and it needs no apps.
- Pick Encore if your Mac is from 2020 or later, has Apple silicon, runs a newer macOS, or your iMac isn't on Apple's list, which includes every Retina 5K iMac.
Apple's rules
From Apple's support page:
- The iMac used as a display must be an iMac from 2011, 2012, 2013 or mid 2014 (Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 cable), or a 24-inch or 27-inch iMac from 2009 or 2010 (Mini DisplayPort cable), running macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 or earlier.
- The Mac that connects must be introduced in 2019 or earlier, using macOS Catalina 10.15.8 or earlier.
- Apple also notes it does not support Boot Camp or Windows, and the other Mac can't use the iMac's built-in camera or ports.
Side by side
| Encore | Target Display Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free during the public beta | Free |
| Your Mac | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel | Introduced in 2019 or earlier, macOS Catalina 10.15.8 or earlier |
| Which iMacs | Late 2009 to 2020; 2007 to Early 2009 with Encore Receiver Legacy | 24- and 27-inch 2009 and 2010, every 2011 to 2013, 21.5-inch Mid 2014 |
| iMac's macOS | macOS 10.13 or later (Legacy: 10.10 or 10.11) | High Sierra 10.13.6 or earlier |
| Connection | Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet or Thunderbolt | Mini DisplayPort, or Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 cable only |
| Picture | Sharp, lossless picture over a cable; Retina iMacs at up to 2560 x 1440 | The iMac's own panel at its native resolution |
| iMac camera and ports | Camera and microphone coming soon | Apple says no |
| iMac keyboard and mouse | Yes, over a cable | Not listed by Apple |
| With a Mac from 2020 on, or Apple silicon | Yes | No, per Apple |
Why it still matters, and where it stops
When Target Display Mode applies, it is the most direct route: the iMac simply shows the other Mac's signal. Encore can't beat a direct cable signal for a pure monitor job. But the rule on the connecting Mac is strict, and today it excludes every Mac with Apple silicon. Our Target Display Mode explainer goes through the fine print, and alternatives on Apple silicon covers what to do instead.
A note on 27-inch 2009 and 2010 iMacs
These two models take a Mini DisplayPort signal, so people have tried a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort cable from a newer Mac. The reports from when Apple silicon arrived are mixed. In a 2020 MacRumors thread, one user runs a 2010 27-inch iMac with a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter (the connecting Mac isn't named), while another's cable did nothing on a Late 2009 model, and a third with an M1 Mac mini and a 2011 iMac over Apple's Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter wrote "Nothing Happened". In an Apple Community thread from the same month, an M1 MacBook Air on a Mini DisplayPort cable made the iMac's screen go black for 3 seconds and then return. Apple's page does not include those Macs. Treat it as unsupported and don't buy cables for it.
Where Encore is weaker
A direct cable signal needs no compression, so where Target Display Mode qualifies, it is the simpler choice. For everything else, use the compatibility page and the cable guide, and the help center if something doesn't work.
Facts on this page were checked on 9 November 2026 on the linked pages. Speeds are each maker's own figures, not independent measurements. Something out of date? Tell us and we fix it.
Questions
Does Target Display Mode work with an M1, M2, M3 or M4 Mac?
Apple's page requires a Mac introduced in 2019 or earlier on macOS Catalina or older, so no Mac with Apple silicon qualifies. Forum reports of USB-C to Mini DisplayPort attempts with 2009 and 2010 27-inch iMacs are mixed and from 2020, and Apple doesn't list it, so plan on it not working.
Which iMacs support Target Display Mode?
24-inch and 27-inch iMacs from 2009 and 2010 over Mini DisplayPort, and every iMac from 2011, 2012, 2013 and the 21.5-inch Mid 2014 over Thunderbolt, all on macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 or earlier.
Does a 5K iMac support Target Display Mode?
No. No Retina 5K iMac is on Apple's list.
Is Target Display Mode better than Encore?
When your setup qualifies, it is a direct cable signal and costs nothing, so for pure monitor use it is the simpler choice. It doesn't work with a Mac from 2020 on, and it stops at the Mid 2014 iMac.