# Universal Remote vs SMS Forwarder

Universal Remote and SMS Forwarder both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 71% of SMS Forwarder's written reviews are positive against 36% of Universal Remote's. Universal Remote's advantage is ratings volume (309 vs 51) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Universal Remote sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and SMS Forwarder sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Universal Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Universal Remote has 309 ratings behind it against 51, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 36% of Universal Remote's written reviews are positive against 71% of SMS Forwarder's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Universal Remote ships an update fortnightly, SMS Forwarder every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Universal Remote | SMS Forwarder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (309 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-remote-tv-control/id6472174351/reviews)** | [4.3 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder-re-text/id6746873130/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **309** | 51 |
| Positive reviews | 36.4% of reviews | **71.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 37 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yury Mekhau](https://appshunter.io/developer/1827659705) | [Dripcode SP Z O O](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686593191) |

## What reviewers say

### Universal Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-remote-tv-control/id6472174351)

Control your smart TV with your phone, featuring a keyboard and touchpad. Discover personalized channel and show recommendations with an AI assistant. Connects via Wi-Fi for easy pairing.

**Highlights:** AI-powered show recommendations, Keyboard and touchpad control, Wi-Fi connectivity for pairing, Channel list access, Smart TV monitoring

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |


### SMS Forwarder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sms-forwarder-re-text/id6746873130)

Automatically forward incoming SMS and text messages to your chosen destinations like email, other phone numbers, or work apps. Set up custom rules and schedules to control what gets sent, ensuring you never miss important alerts, OTPs, or verification codes.

**Highlights:** Automatic SMS forwarding on iOS, Forward to email, phone number, and chat apps, Rules, filters, and schedules, OTP and 2FA code forwarding, On-device processing for privacy, Simple setup

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Week Sub No Trial | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Week Sub - Re:Text | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Month Sub No Trial | $9.99 | per month |
| Month Sub - Re:Texts | $17.99 | per month |
| Year Sub No Trial | $59.99 | per year |
| Year Upgrade Sub - Re:Text | $59.99 | per year |
| Year Promo Sub - Re:Text | $69.99 | per year |
| Year Sub - Re:Text | $69.99 | per year |
| Year Sub - 7 Day Trial | $69.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Universal Remote free?

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

### Is SMS Forwarder free?

SMS Forwarder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Universal Remote or SMS Forwarder?

Universal Remote is rated higher. Universal Remote averages 4.5 out of 5 from 309 ratings, while SMS Forwarder averages 4.3 from 51 ratings.

### Do Universal Remote or SMS Forwarder have ads?

Neither Universal Remote nor SMS Forwarder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Universal Remote or SMS Forwarder?

Universal Remote ships an update fortnightly, and SMS Forwarder every 9 days. Most recently, Universal Remote was updated on October 22, 2026 and SMS Forwarder on October 20, 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.*