Comparison

TV Remote vs Universal Control

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

Head to head
About

TV Remote

Transform your smartphone into a universal remote control for your smart TV. This app supports a wide variety of popular TV brands, consolidating all your remotes into one convenient device. Enjoy a simplified TV-watching experience.

Highlights
  • Control smart TVs with phone
  • Supports wide range of brands
  • Eliminates multiple remotes
  • LG, Roku, Samsung, Sony, Philips support
  • Simplified TV experience
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

With Universal Remote, you can control your Smart TV with just your phone! This versatile app supports a wide range of TV brands and models, eliminating the need for multiple remote controls.
 Download Universal Remote today and simplify your TV-watching experience! It works with the most popular brands: - LG - Roku - Samsung - Sony - Philips - Amazon Fire TV - Android TV & Google TV - Hisense - Vizio This application is an independent development, compatible with the mentioned brands or companies, but it is not officially related to or associated with them in any way. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://zap.studio/privacy-policy/

About

Universal Control

Transform your phone into a universal TV remote. Easily control various smart TV brands, navigate with a touchpad, and launch apps directly. Connect via Wi-Fi for seamless control of volume, channels, and more.

Highlights
  • Universal TV remote control
  • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Touchpad navigation
  • App and channel launching
  • Voice search
  • Remote widget
Features
Read full description

Tired of searching for your lost remote? With Universal Control - TV Remote, you'll never have to worry about it again. This app turns your phone into a universal remote control, so you can control your TV from anywhere in your home. With its easy-to-use interface and compatibility with various TV brands such as Samsung, Roku, LG, Sony, FireTV, AndroidTV, Vizio, and Hisense, this app lets you take charge of your TV viewing experience. You can connect your device to your TV via WIFI, and enjoy full control of your TV functions, including volume, channels, input sources, and more, right from your mobile device. Touchpad Instead of Buttons. We are confident that navigation with swipe gestures is much more convenient than by pressing regular "down" or "right" buttons, not distracting you from the most important thing: searching for your favorite movie or series on the TV. With the ability to add Universal Control Widget. You don't need to open the app to still be able to use the basic buttons on the remote Still Can’t Turn the TV On? In a word, you can, but under one condition. Most new Smart TV models support the Wake-on-LAN function. It is possible only if you had already been connected to the TV earlier. Therefore, when using the application for the first time, you will need a hardware remote control. After that, you can use your Universal Control - TV Remote. Main features: * Automatically detects Smart TVs on the same WIFI network * Works with most popular TV brands * Large touchpad for easy menu and content navigation * Launch channels, apps directly from the app * Fast and simple keyboard input * Voice search for hands-free control * Alexa control with Fire TV * Fast and convenient with Remote Widget *** Upgrade to Premium to remove ads and unlock all features*** You can choose one-time payment or a monthly subscription. (with 3-day free trial) a weekly subscription – Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase (After free trial period if offered). – Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. – Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. – Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase. – Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Privacy: https://342tech.live/privacy-policy.html Terms: https://342tech.live/term-of-service.html

Screenshots

TV Remote4 screens
Universal Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TV Remote at 4.6 against Universal Control's 1.0. TV Remote also leads on ratings volume (58K vs 1) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). Universal Control's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, 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 $4.99 per 7 days and Universal Control sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per 7 days. 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, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TV Remote has 58K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TV Remote ships an update every 4 days, Universal Control every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and August 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
TV Remote versus Universal Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTV RemoteUniversal Control
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (58K ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews55.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings58K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#137 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZap Software Studio BVPham Ngoc Hanh

Customer experience

TV Remote

All ratings57,661 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral2.5%
Negative6.4%
Written reviews1,316 reviews
Positive55.4%
Neutral4.7%
Negative39.9%

Universal Control

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

TV Remote

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App force closes when connecting to certain TVs
  • Volume controls not working on some TVs
  • Remote buttons not responding consistently

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to turn TV on/off
  • Improve keyboard functionality
  • Expand TV brand compatibility
  • Add option to save connected TV

Universal Control

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

TV Remote

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Premium3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium$4.997 Days
  • Annual Premium$19.991 Year
3 purchases

Universal Control

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Subsciption$3.497 Days
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$11.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime Subscription$44.99

Questions

Is TV Remote free?
TV Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Universal Control free?
Universal Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, TV Remote or Universal Control?
TV Remote is rated higher. TV Remote averages 4.6 out of 5 from 58K ratings, while Universal Control averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do TV Remote or Universal Control have ads?
Both TV Remote and Universal Control show ads.
Which is updated more often, TV Remote or Universal Control?
TV Remote ships an update every 4 days, and Universal Control every 2 weeks. Most recently, TV Remote was updated on September 27, 2026 and Universal Control on August 22, 2026.

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