It's the ASIAir app that runs on a phone or tablet that differentiates ZWO from the opposition. Stellar Mate has something similar but from what I've read, it's less reliable than ASIAir - granted I haven't actually tried it but I have run the bits underneath, Kstars, Ekos etc.
The ZWO software (firmware) running on the actual appliance, which is a custom Raspberry Pi, borrows heavily from open source projects, including INDI which is part of the Kstars/Ekos ecosystem. It also uses astrometry.net for solving and PHD2 for guiding.
You can connect to any astronomy software running on a Pi using a remote desktop - like VNC, but it's not going to be as good as an integrated app.
Ironically, it's been the ASIAir app that's given me the most hassle over the few years I've been using it. I still can't load the official app from the Play Store and getting it to connect to the Pi is a lottery.
But having said all that, I still love it.
