Comparison

TV Remote vs Zap

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

TV Remote

This application allows you to control your television and access its applications and settings quickly. It supports a wide range of TVs, including Philips, and offers features like wake-on-LAN and multi-device management.

Highlights
  • Control your TV
  • Wake on LAN support
  • Multi-device support
  • Quick access to TV apps
  • Device discovery
Features
Read full description

Your phone becomes the remote for the television you already own. Point it at a Samsung, an LG, a Sony BRAVIA, a Roku, a Philips or anything running Android TV or Google TV. The app works out which remote protocol your set speaks and opens the keypad for it: arrows, OK, back, home, volume, channels, playback and power. FINDING YOUR TV IS FREE Searching your Wi-Fi costs nothing, so you can see whether this app finds your television before you decide anything at all. Most sets turn up by themselves. If yours stays out of sight, type its IP address — it is in the television's own network settings — and the app reaches it anyway. WHAT THE REMOTE DOES • The full keypad for your brand, drawn from what your set actually answers — no keys that do nothing • Type into the TV's search box with your phone's keyboard, instead of pecking out letters with the arrows (Samsung, LG, Roku, Android TV and Google TV) • Open an app from the list the television itself reports • Wake a set from standby over Wi-Fi, which its own remote is usually the only thing that can do • A number pad for channels, and the red, green, yellow and blue keys for teletext and set menus • A trackpad for televisions with a pointer • Every television you own, remembered and one tap apart WHICH TELEVISIONS Samsung — 2016 and newer (Tizen), and the encrypted 2014–15 and pre-2014 protocols. LG — 2014 and newer (webOS), including the on-screen keyboard and the pointer. Sony BRAVIA — the four-digit code the set shows you, or a Pre-Shared Key. Roku — every model, and no pairing at all. Philips — over JointSpace, which is what reaches the sets that speak nothing else. Android TV and Google TV — any make: Philips, TCL, Hisense, Xiaomi, the NVIDIA SHIELD, and Google's own Chromecast with Google TV and Google TV Streamer. An Apple TV and an Amazon Fire TV cannot be driven by another app on the network at all. This app says so rather than pretending otherwise — and the compatibility screen inside it tells you what has been tested on real televisions and what has not. PAIRING, ONCE Some televisions show a PIN, some ask you to allow the phone on their own screen, and a Roku asks for nothing. Whichever yours does, it happens the first time only: the app keeps the key and reconnects by itself afterwards. The phone and the television have to be on the same Wi-Fi. This app is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Philips, Google or Amazon; those names appear only to say which televisions the app can drive. THE SUBSCRIPTION Finding televisions is free, and so is the compatibility list. The remote itself is the full version, opened by a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription — or by a one-off lifetime purchase for anyone who would rather not subscribe. The free trial opens every part of it. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before that. You can manage the subscription and turn auto-renewal off in your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when a subscription is bought. Privacy Policy: https://sblinov.com/applications-privacy-policy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://sblinov.com/applications-terms-of-usage/ Support: https://sblinov.com/contact-us/

About

Zap

Control your smart TV and streaming devices directly from your iPhone or iPad. Easily navigate menus, launch apps, and type using your phone's keyboard without any complicated setup.

Highlights
  • Wi-Fi instant connect
  • D-pad and touchpad control
  • One-tap app launching
  • Phone keyboard for typing
  • Volume, playback, and power controls
  • Dynamic Island & Lock Screen controls
  • Multiple TV support
Features
Read full description

No remote? No problem. Point, tap, done — Zap controls your Google TV, smart TVs and streaming boxes straight from your iPhone or iPad. No cables, no codes, no pairing headaches. WHY ZAP • Instant connect over Wi‑Fi — nothing to plug in • A beautiful D‑pad, or a smooth touchpad — your choice • Your favorite apps, one tap away — Netflix, YouTube & more • Type on your TV with the phone keyboard — no more hunt‑and‑peck • Volume, playback, power and channels — all under your thumb • Dynamic Island & Lock Screen controls • Multiple TVs, saved and switched in a tap • Private by design — your TVs, settings and searches stay on your phone. No account needed. FREE TO START The core remote is free and yours to keep, supported by ads. Go Premium to remove the ads and unlock favorite apps, the keyboard, extra themes and more. Keeping several TVs saved and switching between them with one tap is part of Premium, too. Premium is available as a monthly or yearly auto‑renewing subscription or a one‑time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions auto‑renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. WORKS WITH Google TV™ devices, smart TVs and streaming players. Zap is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google LLC. Google TV is a trademark of Google LLC. ALSO WORKS WITH Samsung (Tizen), LG (webOS) and Vizio (SmartCast) smart TVs, plus Roku players and Roku TVs. Tap Pair and Zap finds the TV on its own — you are never asked which brand you own. Zap is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Roku, Inc. or VIZIO. Samsung and Tizen are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. LG and webOS are trademarks of LG Electronics Inc. Roku is a trademark of Roku, Inc. VIZIO and SmartCast are trademarks of VIZIO, a Walmart company. Terms of Use (EULA): https://zapremote.app/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://zapremote.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

TV Remote4 screens
Zap4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TV Remote at 5.0 against Zap's 4.3. TV Remote also leads on ads (none vs shown). Zap's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. TV Remote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Zap sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TV Remote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zap has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TV Remote ships an update fortnightly, Zap every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
TV Remote versus Zap: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTV RemoteZap
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.3 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings16 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSerhii BlinovArda Celik

Customer experience

TV Remote

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Zap

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

TV Remote

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly premium access$2.991 Month
  • Annual premium access3 Days trial$11.991 Year
One-time1
  • TV Remote Premium Access$19.99
3 purchases

Zap

Subscriptions2
  • Zap Premium Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Zap Premium Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Zap Premium Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is TV Remote free?
TV Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Zap free?
Zap is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TV Remote or Zap?
TV Remote is rated higher. TV Remote averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Zap averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.
Do TV Remote or Zap have ads?
Zap shows ads; TV Remote does not.
Which is updated more often, TV Remote or Zap?
TV Remote ships an update fortnightly, and Zap every 2 days. Most recently, TV Remote was updated on November 6, 2026 and Zap on November 5, 2026.

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