TV Remote vs Universal Control
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Control smart TVs with phone
- Supports wide range of brands
- Eliminates multiple remotes
- LG, Roku, Samsung, Sony, Philips support
- Simplified TV experience
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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/
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.
- Universal TV remote control
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Touchpad navigation
- App and channel launching
- Voice search
- Remote widget
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | TV Remote | Universal Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (58K ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 58K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #137 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 62 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zap Software Studio BV | Pham Ngoc Hanh |
Customer experience
TV Remote
Universal Control
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
TV Remote
- Weekly Premium3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Weekly Premium$4.997 Days
- Annual Premium$19.991 Year
Universal Control
- Weekly Subsciption$3.497 Days
- Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$11.991 Month
- Lifetime Subscription$44.99
Questions
Is TV Remote free?
Is Universal Control free?
Which has better reviews, TV Remote or Universal Control?
Do TV Remote or Universal Control have ads?
Which is updated more often, TV Remote or Universal Control?
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