# TV Remote vs Universal Remote

TV Remote and Universal Remote both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Universal Remote's written reviews are positive against 21% of TV Remote's. TV Remote's advantage is ratings volume (628K vs 9) and chart position (#3 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TV Remote sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Universal 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for TV Remote against 4.6 for Universal Remote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TV Remote has 628K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 21% of TV Remote's written reviews are positive against 100% of Universal Remote's.

TV Remote ships an update monthly, Universal Remote every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TV Remote | Universal Remote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (628K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tv-remote-universal-control/id1539090879/reviews) | **[4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-remote-smart-tv/id6468454544/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **628K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 20.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | — |
| Size | 188 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [EVOLLY.APP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1422593523) | [Nguyen Thi Bay](https://appshunter.io/developer/1709923495) |

## What reviewers say

### TV Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tv-remote-universal-control/id1539090879)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Grossing · Utilities, #9 Top Free · Utilities, #136 Top Grossing, #174 Top Free (US App Store)

Control your smart TV directly from your phone. Connect via WIFI to manage volume, channels, and navigation with a touchpad and keyboard. Supports major brands like Samsung, Roku, and LG.

**Highlights:** WIFI TV connection, Smart TV detection, Touchpad navigation, Keyboard input, Channel launching, Voice search

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $8.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium. | $44.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Connects easily
- 👍 Convenient remote control
- 🔒 Works with multiple TVs
- 👍 Helpful when remote is lost

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Requires original remote for setup
- 💰 Subscription required for full functionality
- 🐛 Frequent disconnections
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔋 Drains phone battery

**Reported bugs**

- App doesn't recognize TV
- Power button doesn't work
- Volume controls not functioning

**Requested features**

- Allow remote control without original remote
- Offer more free features
- Improve reliability and stability


### Universal Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-remote-smart-tv/id6468454544)

Control your smart TV using your iPhone with this app. It offers a universal remote solution, allowing you to link and manage multiple TV devices easily. Upgrade to premium to remove ads and access all features.

**Highlights:** Universal TV control, Control all smart TVs, One-click linking to TV, Save remote controls, Ad-free premium option

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Universal Remote TV Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Universal Remote TV Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Remote TV Universal Life Time | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TV Remote free?

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

### Is Universal Remote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, TV Remote or Universal Remote?

Universal Remote is rated higher. TV Remote averages 4.4 out of 5 from 628K ratings, while Universal Remote averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.

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

Both TV Remote and Universal Remote show ads.

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

TV Remote ships an update monthly, and Universal Remote every 3 weeks. Most recently, TV Remote was updated on October 28, 2026 and Universal Remote on October 22, 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.*