# TV Remote vs Universal Remote

The clearest difference is ads: Universal Remote at none against TV Remote's shown. Universal Remote also leads on review sentiment (40% vs 20%). TV Remote's advantage is ratings volume (605K vs 262) and chart position (#5 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 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 4.5 for Universal Remote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TV Remote has 605K ratings behind it against 262, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 20% of TV Remote's written reviews are positive against 40% of Universal Remote's.

TV Remote ships an update monthly, Universal Remote fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TV Remote | Universal Remote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (605K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tv-remote-universal-control/id1539090879/reviews) | **[4.5 (262 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-remote-tv-control/id6472174351/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **605K** | 262 |
| Positive reviews | 20.3% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 188 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [EVOLLY.APP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1422593523) | [Yury Mekhau](https://appshunter.io/developer/1827659705) |

## What reviewers say

### TV Remote

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Free · Utilities, #6 Top Grossing · Utilities, #176 Top Free, #178 Top Grossing (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-tv-control/id6472174351)

Control your smart TV with your phone, featuring a keyboard and touchpad. Discover personalized channel and show recommendations with an AI assistant. Connects via Wi-Fi for easy pairing.

**Highlights:** AI-powered show recommendations, Keyboard and touchpad control, Wi-Fi connectivity for pairing, Channel list access, Smart TV monitoring

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $24.99 | 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 605K ratings, while Universal Remote averages 4.5 from 262 ratings.

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

TV Remote shows ads; Universal Remote does not.

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

TV Remote ships an update monthly, and Universal Remote fortnightly. Most recently, TV Remote was updated on September 25, 2026 and Universal Remote on September 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.*