Comparison

Ultimate Gamepad vs VGamepad Lite

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

Head to head
About

Ultimate Gamepad

Transform your iPhone into a multitouch joystick for your computer. Connect wirelessly by installing a receiver program on your PC, Mac, or Linux. Enjoy real button emulation for a gaming experience designed by gamers.

Highlights
  • iPhone to PC/Mac/Linux controller
  • Wireless Wi-Fi connection
  • Multitouch joystick
  • Real button emulation
  • Simple setup with receiver program
Features
Read full description

Turn you iPhone into a multitouch joystick! Connect through wifi in the most simple way. Install the Ultimate Control Receiver program on your computer (PC, Mac or Linux) and select it from the list displayed on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Ultimate Gamepad provides a real button emulation, press several buttons with your thumb as you would on a regular controller. The gamepad designed by real gamers! *download the agent program from "www.negusoft.com/ucontrol"

About

VGamepad Lite

Transform your phone into a physical game controller for your PC. Enjoy customizable buttons, motion controls, and haptic feedback for an immersive gaming experience. Supports standard controller emulation and basic mouse/keyboard functions.

Highlights
  • Emulates standard controllers
  • Motion control using phone sensors
  • Customizable button layout
  • Haptic feedback
  • Game capture button
  • AR Body Tracking (iPhone XS+)
Read full description

VGamepad gives you the full experience of a physical controller. Customizable buttons, haptic feedback, motion control, and more. Play on your PC using nothing but your phone. Features: - Emulates standard controllers (including Joy-Con). - Motion Control: steer, aim, and move using your phone’s sensors. - AR Body Tracking (iPhone XS or later): play certain games using body motion. - Customizable layout: move and resize buttons to fit your hands. - Game Capture button for quick recording. - Haptic feedback that makes every press feel physical. - Pressure-sensitive inputs with 3D Touch (supported devices). - Optional sound feedback for buttons. - Change joystick images from a large selection. - Basic mouse & keyboard support (W/A/S/D buttons on keyboard). Connectivity: Use the simple Windows/Mac/Linux companion app for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/LAN pairing, or use PCGameConsole to turn your PC into a full gaming console compatible with VGamepad. Full setup guide: https://github.com/PJSoftCo/VGamepad TERMS OF USE: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ PRIVACY POLICY: https://pjsoftco.com/vgamepadpp.html ONLINE SUPPORT: Please join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/ZcAuAJp8py

Screenshots

Ultimate Gamepad3 screens
VGamepad Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ultimate Gamepad at none against VGamepad Lite's 2. Ultimate Gamepad also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). VGamepad Lite's advantage is rating (3.2 vs 2.7) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 23 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and device support 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. VGamepad Lite sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Ultimate Gamepad asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

VGamepad Lite holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 86 and 107 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 41% of Ultimate Gamepad's written reviews are positive against 37% of VGamepad Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ultimate Gamepad ships an update every 23 months, VGamepad Lite every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Ultimate Gamepad versus VGamepad Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUltimate GamepadVGamepad Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (86 ratings)3.2 (107 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.9% of reviews — better36.9% of reviews
Number of ratings86107 — better
Update frequencyEvery 23 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
Ads—No
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB111 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNEGU Soft .PJSOFTCO

Customer experience

Ultimate Gamepad

All ratings87 ratings
Positive41.4%
Neutral8.0%
Negative50.6%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive40.9%
Neutral20.5%
Negative38.6%

VGamepad Lite

All ratings106 ratings
Positive51.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative42.5%
Written reviews103 reviews
Positive36.9%
Neutral7.8%
Negative55.3%

User reviews

Ultimate Gamepad

From 86 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works well for emulators
  • 💰 Truly free, no ads
  • 🚀 Stable connection (for some)
  • 🎮 Good for basic games
  • ✅ Functional and easy to set up

Room to improve

  • ❌ Cannot connect to WiFi
  • ❌ Frequent disconnections
  • ❌ Does not work on iOS
  • ❌ Lacks analog sticks
  • ❌ Buttons are too small

VGamepad Lite

From 107 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast connection speed between phone and PC
  • 👍 Straightforward setup process with video tutorials
  • 🎮 Works well with Steam games and emulators
  • 🔧 Customizable button mapping and controller size
  • 💰 Affordable or free alternative to physical controllers

Room to improve

  • 📢 Excessive ads interrupting gameplay every 5 minutes
  • 🐛 Buttons frequently unresponsive or detect wrong inputs
  • 🔌 Difficult connection setup requiring IP address entry
  • ❌ App doesn't work after connection established
  • 💳 Paywall after initial free use

Bugs and requests

Ultimate Gamepad

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Telling me wifi connected while my wifi is literally off
  • Can’t connect to my WiFi
  • Untimate control doesn‘t work on mac
  • Buttons are getting stuck often
  • App loses connection with the computer frequently
Show 9 more
  • When I lost connection and reconnected, there are 2 devices showed on the driver
  • Can't move my mouse in game
  • Does not work with OpenEmu
  • Not connecting
  • Receiver doesn't show
  • Cannot establish connection to receiver
  • Receiver won't always launch on my PC
  • Sometimes it disconnects a lot
  • When I press a d-pad button, it won't detect that I let go of it

Requested features

11 requests
  • Add analog sticks
  • Add mouse support/mousepad
  • More key configuration options
  • Save button presets in profiles
  • Support sending buttons as xinput device
Show 6 more
  • Haptic feedback
  • Joystick option
  • Make buttons larger
  • Playstation controller layout
  • Accelerometer support
  • Bluetooth connectivity

VGamepad Lite

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Connection fails despite correct IP and password entry
  • Ads appear but don't load, blocking app usage
  • RT button and other buttons not functioning
  • Buttons disappear after rearranging
  • Mouse cursor moves in background during gameplay
Show 4 more
  • App crashes or freezes during use
  • Controller not recognized by PC after connection
  • Inconsistent performance across different iPhone models
  • PC download fails with Error 1001

Requested features

7 requests
  • Bluetooth connectivity for easier pairing
  • Mac OS support for server-side application
  • Nintendo Switch controller support
  • Remove or reduce ad frequency with paid option
  • Apple TV compatibility
Show 2 more
  • L1, L2, R1, R2 buttons for PlayStation controllers
  • Better documentation and troubleshooting guides

In-app purchases

None

Ultimate Gamepad

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

VGamepad Lite

Subscriptions2
  • VGamepad Monthly Subscription$0.991 Month
  • VGamepad Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month

Questions

Is Ultimate Gamepad free?
Ultimate Gamepad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is VGamepad Lite free?
VGamepad Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ultimate Gamepad or VGamepad Lite?
VGamepad Lite is rated higher. Ultimate Gamepad averages 2.7 out of 5 from 86 ratings, while VGamepad Lite averages 3.2 from 107 ratings.
Which is updated more often, Ultimate Gamepad or VGamepad Lite?
Ultimate Gamepad ships an update every 23 months, and VGamepad Lite every 2 weeks. Most recently, Ultimate Gamepad was updated on October 12, 2026 and VGamepad Lite on October 21, 2026.

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