Comparison

Universal TV Remote Control vs Universal Smart TV Remote App

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Universal TV Remote Control

Transform your iPhone into a powerful universal TV remote. Easily control over 100 TV brands without needing your physical remote or dealing with battery issues. Enjoy fast setup and intuitive controls for all your entertainment needs.

Highlights
  • Control 100+ TV brands
  • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Automatic TV discovery
  • Power, volume, input controls
  • App access and media playback
  • Navigation and directional controls
Features
Read full description

Want to use or Turn Your iPhone Into a Universal TV Remote? Lost your TV remote or tired of battery issues? Control your TV directly from your iPhone with ease — no physical remote needed. **Fast & Simple Setup** - Connect your iPhone and TV on the same Wi-Fi network - Automatic discovery lists your TVs instantly - Start controlling immediately — no pairing codes required **Intuitive TV Controls** - Power on/off, Mute & Volume - Input selection, Home & Menu navigation - Access apps installed on your TV - Channel Up/Down, Media Playback (Play, Pause, Stop, Rewind, Fast Forward) - Directional navigation: Up, Down, Left, Right ** Works With All TV Brands** Top Brands: Samsung TV Remote, LG, Sony, TCL TV Remote, Roku, Fire TV Remote, Vizio Other Brands: RCA TV Remote, Element, Sceptre TV Remote, Insignia, Toshiba, Hisense TV, Sharp, Panasonic, Philips TV Remote, Skyworth, Onn, Sanyo TV Remote, Westinghouse and Android TV Remote. Supports TVs running Roku OS, Fire TV OS, Android TV OS, Samsung Tizen OS, Viziacast OS, Vidaa OS. No matter the brand, the Universal TV Remote app simplifies your entertainment experience. ** Continuous Updates & Support** - New brands and features added regularly - Dedicated support team ready to help with any issues ** Disclaimer** Codematics is not affiliated with Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Vizio, or any other TV brand. This app is not an official product of any brand. Download now and turn your iPhone into a Universal TV Remote for all your devices! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Universal Smart TV Remote App

Control your Samsung, Sony, Roku, or Vizio smart TV instantly without complex setup. This app eliminates the need for lost or broken physical remotes. It's compatible with Apple Watch and requires no subscription.

Highlights
  • Instant TV control
  • No settings required
  • Supports Apple Watch
  • No subscription needed
  • Control multiple brands
Read full description

Universal Smart TV Remote turns your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch into a powerful remote for your television. No more searching for lost remotes or dealing with dead batteries. This app supports most major TV brands including Sony, Samsung, Vizio, Roku, TCL, LG, Philips, Onn, and more. No advanced settings or subscription is required. Additionally, this app also supports Apple Watch, creating and executing macro shortcuts, a large and easy to use touchpad, voice commands, quick app launching, and more. Simple Setup - getting started takes seconds: 1. Turn your TV on and make sure it is connected to Wi-Fi 2. Open this app and connect your iPhone or iPad to the same Wi-Fi network 3. Start controlling your TV from this app Please see our YouTube channel for detailed setup instructions as well as walkthroughs for features: https://www.youtube.com/@universaltvremote Our intelligent scanner automatically finds your TV. No complicated configurations or confusing menus. Complete TV Control • Power on/off and input selection • Full directional pad navigation • Volume, mute, and channel controls • Media playback buttons (play, pause, rewind, forward) • Number pad for direct channel entry • Quick access to home, menu, and back functions Launch Streaming Apps Instantly - open your favorite services with a single tap! Smart Automation with Macros Create custom command sequences to automate your viewing. Save your favorite routines and execute them anytime. Full Touchpad Support Easily swipe to navigate and then simply tap to select. Voice Commands Speak commands like "volume up," "pause," or "Netflix" and your TV responds instantly. Apple Watch Integration Control your TV from your wrist. Access power, navigation, volume, channels, and media playback right on your Apple Watch. Track Your Watchlist Never forget what you want to watch. Create a personalized content library to track movies and TV shows, mark what you've viewed, and add notes about what you're watching. Recent Commands Quick access to your three most recent commands for fast control of the buttons you use most. Multi-Device Support Manage multiple TVs in your home. Switch between devices instantly from one convenient location. Download now and take control of your TV viewing experience. Contact us at easymote101@gmail.com DISCLAIMER Universal Smart TV Remote is: 1. not affiliated with Samsung Group and is not a Samsung product 2. not affiliated with Sony Corporation of America and is not a Sony product 3. not affiliated with Roku, Inc. and is not a Roku product 4. not affiliated with TCL and is not a TCL product 5. not affiliated with Hisense and is not a Hisense product 6. not affiliated with Sharp Corporation and is not a Sharp product 7. not affiliated with Best Buy Brands (Insignia TV) and is not a Best Buy product 8. not affiliated with Element Electronics and is not an Element Electronics product 9. not affiliated with Philips and is not a Philips product 10. not affiliated with Westinghouse Electric Company and is not a Westinghouse product 11. not affiliated with JVC and is not a JVC product 12. not affiliated with Pioneer Corporation and is not a Pioneer product 13. not affiliated with Target Corporation (Hiro TV) and is not a Target product 14. not affiliated with Walmart Inc. (Onn TV) and is not a Walmart product 15. not affiliated with VIZIO Inc. and is not a Vizio product 16. not affiliated with LG Electronics and is not an LG product This application creates a remote control for Samsung, Sony, LG, Roku, TCL, Hisense, Sharp, Insignia, Element, Philips, Westinghouse, JVC, Pioneer, Hiro, Onn, and Vizio Smart TVs by using the publicly available Samsung SmartView SDK, Sony Bravia TV API, LG webOS TV API, Roku ECP API, and Vizio TV SmartCast API. All terms for the APIs are adhered to and all rights, content, and trademarks are owned by their respective owners. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Universal TV Remote Control4 screens
Universal Smart TV Remote App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Universal Smart TV Remote App at 4.5 against Universal TV Remote Control's 3.6. Universal Smart TV Remote App also leads on ads (none vs shown). Universal TV Remote Control's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (4.1K vs 458). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Universal TV Remote Control sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Universal Smart TV Remote App sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Universal Smart TV Remote App holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universal TV Remote Control has 4.1K ratings behind it against 458, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Universal TV Remote Control's written reviews are positive against 68% of Universal Smart TV Remote App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Universal TV Remote Control ships an update every 2 weeks, Universal Smart TV Remote App every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Universal TV Remote Control versus Universal Smart TV Remote App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUniversal TV Remote ControlUniversal Smart TV Remote App
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (4.1K ratings)4.5 (458 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.1% of reviews68.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.1K — better458
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCodematics ServicesHemant Bhonsle

Customer experience

Universal TV Remote Control

All ratings4,129 ratings
Positive64.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative31.5%
Written reviews439 reviews
Positive65.1%
Neutral2.1%
Negative32.8%

Universal Smart TV Remote App

All ratings442 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral0.7%
Negative10.6%
Written reviews82 reviews
Positive68.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative28.0%

User reviews

Universal TV Remote Control

From 4.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works well
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 Useful for lost remotes
  • 🚀 Convenient remote alternative

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Doesn't work for some TV brands
  • 🔋 Drains battery
  • 💸 Too many ads
  • 🐛 Connectivity issues

Universal Smart TV Remote App

From 458 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Convenient remote control
  • 🚀 Responsive and fast
  • 💡 Useful for lost remotes
  • 👍 Works well with various TV brands

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent disconnections and app freezes
  • 💰 Intrusive and excessive ads
  • 🚫 Limited functionality compared to physical remote
  • 🐛 Issues with scanning and connecting to TVs

Bugs and requests

Universal TV Remote Control

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes
  • Buttons don't respond
  • Incompatible with certain TV models

Requested features

3 requests
  • Support for more TV brands
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • Ad-free version

Universal Smart TV Remote App

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes after TV scanning
  • Unable to connect to certain TV models
  • Ads not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to control TV power on/off
  • Option to customize ad frequency
  • Support for more TV brands
  • Improved stability and reliability

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Universal TV Remote Control

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Subscription3 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription$19.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$89.991 Year
One-time2
  • Remove Full Screen Ads$24.99
  • Ad Free Version$99.99
4 purchases

Universal Smart TV Remote App

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Premium$6.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium with Trial3 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Yearly Premium$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Access$44.99

Questions

Is Universal TV Remote Control free?
Universal TV Remote Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Universal Smart TV Remote App free?
Universal Smart TV Remote App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Universal TV Remote Control or Universal Smart TV Remote App?
Universal Smart TV Remote App is rated higher. Universal TV Remote Control averages 3.6 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while Universal Smart TV Remote App averages 4.5 from 458 ratings.
Do Universal TV Remote Control or Universal Smart TV Remote App have ads?
Universal TV Remote Control shows ads; Universal Smart TV Remote App does not.
Which is updated more often, Universal TV Remote Control or Universal Smart TV Remote App?
Universal TV Remote Control ships an update every 2 weeks, and Universal Smart TV Remote App every 3 months. Most recently, Universal TV Remote Control was updated on November 3, 2026 and Universal Smart TV Remote App on November 4, 2026.

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