# Surplife vs TV Remote

Surplife and TV Remote both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 54% of Surplife's written reviews are positive against 12% of TV Remote's. Surplife also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). TV Remote's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.5). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TV Remote sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per 7 days. Surplife asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Surplife against 4.5 for TV Remote. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 429 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of Surplife's written reviews are positive against 12% of TV Remote's.

Surplife ships an update fortnightly, TV Remote every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surplife | TV Remote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surplife/id1607260535/reviews) | [4.5 (429 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tv-remote-universal-remote/id6739025871/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 429 |
| Positive reviews | **53.7% of reviews** | 11.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#131** | — |
| Size | 479 MB | 238 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [明长 周](https://appshunter.io/developer/595148652) | [Vertex Point Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1749498305) |

## What reviewers say

### Surplife

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surplife/id1607260535)

**Currently charting:** #131 Top Free · Lifestyle (US App Store)

Control your smart lighting devices with ease. Add and manage multiple lights from a single application, allowing you to adjust settings remotely from any location.

**Highlights:** Add multiple devices, Control multiple devices, Remote device control, Easy device management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient control
- 💡 Customizable lighting
- 👍 Responsive support
- 🚀 Reliable functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🐛 Buggy app interface
- 🐛 Unreliable scheduling
- 🐛 Unresponsive customer service

**Reported bugs**

- Lights turning on/off randomly
- Inability to save custom settings
- App crashing or not opening
- Lights not responding to app commands
- Scheduling feature not working as expected

**Requested features**

- More holiday and theme options
- Ability to save custom scenes
- Improved app UI and navigation
- Multi-device syncing and control
- Integration with smart home platforms


### TV Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tv-remote-universal-remote/id6739025871)

Transform your smartphone into a universal TV remote. Effortlessly control your smart TV, including volume, channels, and input sources. Also offers screen mirroring, casting, and recording capabilities for a comprehensive media experience.

**Highlights:** Smart Remote Control, Easy Screen Recording, One-Click Device Connect, Screen Share to Smart TV, Multi-Platform Screen Sharing

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - 1 week | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium - 1 week | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium - 1 week | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium - 1 year | $35.99 | per year |
| Premium - 1 year | $35.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surplife free?

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

### Is TV Remote free?

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

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

Surplife and TV Remote are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.2K and 429 ratings respectively.

### Do Surplife or TV Remote have ads?

Neither Surplife nor TV Remote shows ads.

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

Surplife ships an update fortnightly, and TV Remote every 5 weeks. Most recently, Surplife was updated on October 18, 2026 and TV Remote on October 16, 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.*