# UTM SE vs Remote Gamepad

The clearest difference is ads: UTM SE at none against Remote Gamepad's shown. UTM SE also leads on review sentiment (55% vs 46%) and ratings volume (562 vs 113). Remote Gamepad's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. UTM SE sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Remote Gamepad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Remote Gamepad holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 562 and 113 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of UTM SE's written reviews are positive against 46% of Remote Gamepad's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, Remote Gamepad every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | UTM SE | Remote Gamepad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (562 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utm-se-retro-pc-emulator/id1564628856/reviews) | **[4.0 (113 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-gamepad/id6448859108/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **562** | 113 |
| Positive reviews | **54.7% of reviews** | 45.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.6 GB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Turing Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534511649) | [Thomas Vos](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462943920) |

## What reviewers say

### UTM SE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utm-se-retro-pc-emulator/id1564628856)

Experience classic computing by running old-school games and software. This emulator supports various display modes and processor architectures, allowing you to run pre-built systems or configure your own.

**Highlights:** Run classic software and games, VGA and terminal modes, Emulates x86, ARM, PPC, RISC-V, Pre-built or custom machine configurations, Built from QEMU

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Transistor | $0.99 | one-time |
| Chip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Computer | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app that can run Windows and macOS
- 👍 Useful for nostalgic reasons
- 👍 Can run Linux VMs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow performance, especially on older devices
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Display and boot issues
- 🐛 Incompatible with some ISOs and VMs

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to select .img files as floppy boot images
- Crashes when trying to leave a VM
- Crashes when adjusting virtual CD-ROM drive settings

**Requested features**

- Add support for JIT compilation to improve performance
- Improve Magic Keyboard support
- Allow exporting VMs to run on other platforms


### Remote Gamepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-gamepad/id6448859108)

Transform your smartphone into a versatile game controller for your PC. Enjoy immersive gaming experiences with on-screen controls or by rotating your phone as a steering wheel. Customize your controller layout and connect wirelessly or via USB.

**Highlights:** Use phone as PC game controller, Steering wheel functionality for racing games, Customizable on-screen controls, Wi-Fi, USB, or Bluetooth connection, Layout editor for custom button configurations, Shareable controller layouts

**Features:** Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful for conventional controller lacking
- 💡 Supports controllers connected to phone
- 🚀 Minimal latency over WiFi/wired
- 👍 Rewarding ad placement
- 👍 Works right out of the box

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Promises Bluetooth, doesn't deliver
- 👎 Paid features required for use
- 👎 Limited free trial time
- 👎 Ads are intrusive
- 👎 Bad deadzones with no control

**Reported bugs**

- Bug when pressing 2 buttons simultaneously
- Bluetooth not found in app
- Connection failed when scanning QR code
- App crashes when editing custom mapping
- Remote Gamepad PC app not working

**Requested features**

- Add angle calibration setting
- Optimize Wi-Fi connection for iPad
- Add button name customization
- Make it faster when touching and moving buttons
- Support for macOS


## Frequently asked questions

### Is UTM SE free?

UTM SE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Remote Gamepad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, UTM SE or Remote Gamepad?

Remote Gamepad is rated higher. UTM SE averages 3.8 out of 5 from 562 ratings, while Remote Gamepad averages 4.0 from 113 ratings.

### Do UTM SE or Remote Gamepad have ads?

Remote Gamepad shows ads; UTM SE does not.

### Which is updated more often, UTM SE or Remote Gamepad?

UTM SE ships an update every 4 months, and Remote Gamepad every 2 weeks. Most recently, UTM SE was updated on October 30, 2026 and Remote Gamepad on October 25, 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.*