# Universal Remote vs LunchTimer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LunchTimer at none against Universal Remote's 4. Universal Remote's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Universal Remote sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. LunchTimer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Universal Remote ships an update fortnightly, LunchTimer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Universal Remote | LunchTimer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (262 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-remote-tv-control/id6472174351/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **262** | — |
| Positive reviews | 36.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 37 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yury Mekhau](https://appshunter.io/developer/1827659705) | [Sean Bray](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883528216) |

## 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 |


### LunchTimer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lunchtimer/id6761303456)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Universal Remote free?

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

### Is LunchTimer free?

LunchTimer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Universal Remote or LunchTimer have ads?

Neither Universal Remote nor LunchTimer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Universal Remote or LunchTimer?

Universal Remote ships an update fortnightly, and LunchTimer every 2 months. Most recently, Universal Remote was updated on October 9, 2026 and LunchTimer on September 29, 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.*