# Universal TV Remote® vs RDS

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RDS at none against Universal TV Remote®'s 3. RDS also leads on ads (none vs shown). Universal TV Remote®'s advantage is update cadence (every 7 months vs every 19 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Universal TV Remote® sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. RDS asks for nothing beyond the download.

Universal TV Remote® ships an update every 7 months, RDS every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Universal TV Remote® | RDS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-tv-remote/id1512756412/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 40.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 7 months** | Every 19 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 37 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hanja Devi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453140968) | [CDNTV Tecnologia LTDA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1481116398) |

## What reviewers say

### Universal TV Remote®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-tv-remote/id1512756412)

Control your smart TV with your iPhone or iPad. This app functions like a physical remote, allowing you to change channels, adjust volume, and navigate menus. It requires your device and TV to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

**Highlights:** Power ON/OFF, Volume control, Channel switching, Menu navigation, Video playback control, Touch bar navigation, Automatic Wi-Fi connection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Universal Remote Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Universal Remote Monthly | $11.99 | per month |
| Universal Remote | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Instant connection
- 💡 Useful for lost remotes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 📺 Incompatible with some TV models
- 📢 Excessive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Buttons not responding
- Frequent disconnections
- App freezing/crashing

**Requested features**

- Reset TV connection option
- Reduced ad frequency
- Support for more TV brands


### RDS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rds/id6742468110)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Universal TV Remote® free?

Universal TV Remote® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is RDS free?

RDS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Universal TV Remote® or RDS have ads?

Universal TV Remote® shows ads; RDS does not.

### Which is updated more often, Universal TV Remote® or RDS?

Universal TV Remote® ships an update every 7 months, and RDS every 19 months. Most recently, Universal TV Remote® was updated on October 12, 2026 and RDS on October 17, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*