Comparison

Smart TV Remote Universal vs Universal TV Remote ◆

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

Head to head
About

Smart TV Remote Universal

Transform your iOS device into a universal TV remote. Control multiple brands like Samsung, LG, and Roku seamlessly over WiFi. Manage power, volume, channels, and more without the clutter of physical remotes.

Highlights
  • Universal remote control
  • Supports major TV brands
  • WiFi connectivity
  • Power, volume, and channel control
  • Ad-free premium option
  • Multiple subscription plans
Features
Read full description

Lost the remote again? Your phone is now the only remote you need. Smart TV Remote Universal turns your iPhone or iPad into a fast, reliable remote for nearly any smart TV — no infrared, no extra hardware, and no digging through couch cushions. Pair once over Wi-Fi and take control in seconds. ONE APP FOR EVERY TV IN YOUR HOME Pair multiple TVs and switch between rooms instantly — no re-pairing, no setup every time. Living room to bedroom in one tap. CONTROL EVERYTHING Power, volume, channels, inputs, playback and a full D-pad — every button from your physical remote, right on your screen, with real haptic feedback on every press. TYPE INSTEAD OF HUNTING LETTERS Stop picking letters one at a time on the TV screen. Use your phone's keyboard — or the numeric pad — to search shows, sign in to apps and enter passwords in a fraction of the time. SWIPE TO NAVIGATE A smooth trackpad lets you glide through menus with your thumb — faster and more natural than pressing arrow keys. SPEAK INSTEAD OF SCROLLING Use voice input to search and navigate on supported TVs — completely hands-free. LAUNCH YOUR APPS IN ONE TAP The apps grid takes you straight to your favorite streaming apps without hunting around the home screen. CONTROL FROM YOUR HOME SCREEN & LOCK SCREEN This is where Smart TV Remote Universal goes beyond any ordinary remote app: - Home Screen widgets: a quick D-pad + volume widget and an app-launcher grid, one tap from anywhere - Live Activity with Dynamic Island support — compact controls while you do other things - Siri & Shortcuts support through App Intents: automate your TV or ask Siri WORKS WITH YOUR TV Compatible with Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Hisense, Philips, Roku and Roku devices, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Google TV, Android TV and many more. If your smart TV is on your Wi-Fi, chances are we support it. MAKE IT YOURS Per-brand accent colors (Roku purple, Samsung blue, LG red and more), plus light, dark and system appearance. READY IN UNDER A MINUTE Connect your iPhone or iPad to the same Wi-Fi network as your TV and follow the on-screen steps. That's it — no pairing codes, no cables. GO PRO Upgrade to Pro for the complete, ad-free experience with unlimited paired devices and all widgets unlocked. Choose a yearly plan with a 3-day free trial, a monthly plan, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase, after any free trial period. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://tvremoteapp.art.blog/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Disclaimer: This app is not affiliated with, endorsed or sponsored by Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Hisense, Philips, Roku, Amazon, Google or any other TV brand mentioned. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

About

Universal TV Remote ◆

Control your smart TV using your iPhone or iPad. Connect to the same WiFi network for automatic detection and use features like a built-in keyboard, voice commands, and media casting. Offers a fully functional remote experience with motion control and Apple Watch support.

Highlights
  • Fully functional remote control
  • Built-in keyboard for searches
  • Mouse Air motion control
  • Voice commands
  • Cast photos, videos, and audios
  • Apple Watch and Widgets support
Features
Read full description

Universal TV Remote ◆ is an application that allows you to control your TV instead of using your physical remote.  Connect your iPhone / iPad to the same WiFi network as your TV device and application will automatically detect the device to control. Features: ◆ Fully functional remote control. ◆ Built-in keyboard to facilitate searches. ◆ Use navigation pad for convenient menu and quick navigation/typing on web application ◆ Automatic connection to a device. ◆ Mouse Air : Your TV are able to receive input information from the motion of your phone. ◆ Voice commands : You are able to use voice to control your TV ◆ Support Apple Watch and Widgets ◆ Cast Photos/Videos/Audios to your TV. ◆ Power off/on, or adjust volume up/down ◆ Full iOS 13 and iPhone XR / XS / XS Max / 11 / 11 Pro support ◆ Frequently update to support more new TV models Please contact us if you're having any issues in using the app. We do our best to make everyone using our app happily. You can use the feedback form in the app to send us feedback of any kind, we take every single one into consideration. UPGRADE TV REMOTE SUBSCRIPTION • You can subscribe for unlimited access to all features within Universal TV Remote ◆ . • Subscriptions are billed weekly at the rate selected depending on the subscription plan. • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. The cost depends on the selected plan • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase • Any unused portion of the free trial will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription Universal TV Remote ◆ also offers a Lifetime subscription with unlimited access to the Universal TV Remote forever. By using Universal TV Remote, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://vietphaptravelvn.com/privacy/ https://vietphaptravelvn.com/terms/

Screenshots

Smart TV Remote Universal4 screens
Universal TV Remote ◆3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Smart TV Remote Universal at free with in-app purchases against Universal TV Remote ◆'s subscription. Universal TV Remote ◆'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.1 vs 3.8). On price, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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. Smart TV Remote Universal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Universal TV Remote ◆ sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Universal TV Remote ◆ holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universal TV Remote ◆ has 8.4K ratings behind it against 890, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 18% and 17% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Smart TV Remote Universal ships an update every 6 weeks, Universal TV Remote ◆ every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Smart TV Remote Universal versus Universal TV Remote ◆: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmart TV Remote UniversalUniversal TV Remote ◆
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (890 ratings)4.1 (8.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews17.6% of reviews — better16.9% of reviews
Number of ratings8908.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS1713.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJenni ParkkonenVinh Nguyen

Customer experience

Smart TV Remote Universal

All ratings891 ratings
Positive68.6%
Neutral4.2%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews420 reviews
Positive17.6%
Neutral1.9%
Negative80.5%

Universal TV Remote ◆

All ratings8,432 ratings
Positive76.0%
Neutral3.4%
Negative20.6%
Written reviews514 reviews
Positive16.9%
Neutral0.8%
Negative82.3%

User reviews

Smart TV Remote Universal

From 890 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Great remote app
  • 💖 Love this remote
  • 👍 Works well

Room to improve

  • 🚫 Doesn't work
  • 📺 Won't connect to TV
  • 🙄 Too many ads
  • 💩 Terrible app
  • 🤬 Waste of time

Universal TV Remote ◆

From 8.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works with TVs
  • 👍 Apple Watch compatible
  • ⭐️ Great app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Doesn't work
  • 💰 Requires subscription
  • 🔍 Difficult to use
  • 🤖 Buggy
  • 🚫 Doesn't connect to TV

Bugs and requests

Smart TV Remote Universal

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on device scan
  • Volume controls not working
  • Navigation issues

Requested features

3 requests
  • Support for more TV brands
  • Improve device detection
  • Reduce ads

Universal TV Remote ◆

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Doesn't recognize subscription
  • Keeps asking to upgrade
  • Crashes frequently

Requested features

2 requests
  • Add Back and Home buttons to Apple Watch app
  • Improve TV compatibility

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Smart TV Remote Universal

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium$3.991 Month
  • Annual Premium3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time2
  • Premium Version$4.99
  • Lifetime premium$24.99
3 purchases

Universal TV Remote ◆

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Upgrade TV Remote3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Yearly3 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Smart TV Remote Universal free?
Smart TV Remote Universal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Universal TV Remote ◆ free?
Universal TV Remote ◆ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Smart TV Remote Universal or Universal TV Remote ◆?
Universal TV Remote ◆ is rated higher. Smart TV Remote Universal averages 3.8 out of 5 from 890 ratings, while Universal TV Remote ◆ averages 4.1 from 8.4K ratings.
Do Smart TV Remote Universal or Universal TV Remote ◆ have ads?
Smart TV Remote Universal shows ads; Universal TV Remote ◆ does not.
Which is updated more often, Smart TV Remote Universal or Universal TV Remote ◆?
Smart TV Remote Universal ships an update every 6 weeks, and Universal TV Remote ◆ every 2 weeks. Most recently, Smart TV Remote Universal was updated on October 29, 2026 and Universal TV Remote ◆ on October 30, 2026.

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