# Universal Control vs Smart Remote Control

The clearest difference is ads: Universal Control at none against Smart Remote Control's shown. Smart Remote Control's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (10 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Universal Control sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Smart Remote Control sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Universal Control against 4.9 for Smart Remote Control. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Remote Control has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Universal Control ships an update every 2 months, Smart Remote Control every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Universal Control | Smart Remote Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-control-tv-remote/id6739201253/reviews)** | [4.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-remote-control-smart-tv/id6761365620/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **10** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Anwar Kamal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1710877432) | [Phi Anh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447036404) |

## What reviewers say

### Universal Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-control-tv-remote/id6739201253)

Control your smart TV directly from your iPhone or iPad. This app offers seamless navigation, media casting, and screen mirroring without needing extra hardware. It's a convenient solution for managing your TV experience.

**Highlights:** Smart Auto-Detection, Smooth Navigation Touchpad, Quick Channel Access, On-Screen Keyboard, Media Casting, Screen Mirroring

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| weekly subscription | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Upgrade to Premium (Weekly) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Premium (Monthly) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $29.99 | one-time |


### Smart Remote Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-remote-control-smart-tv/id6761365620)

Transform your iPhone into a universal remote for any Smart TV. This app offers auto-discovery, full remote control, keyboard input, and brand-specific features. Upgrade to premium for touchpad mode, app launching, and custom layouts.

**Highlights:** Universal remote control, Auto-discovery of Smart TVs, Keyboard input for search, iOS Widget support, Wake-on-LAN functionality, Touchpad mode (premium), App launcher (premium)

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual - Special Offer | $12.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual - Special Offer | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual Promo | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Premium Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |
| Premium Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Universal Control free?

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

### Is Smart Remote Control free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Universal Control or Smart Remote Control?

Universal Control is rated higher. Universal Control averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Smart Remote Control averages 4.9 from 10 ratings.

### Do Universal Control or Smart Remote Control have ads?

Smart Remote Control shows ads; Universal Control does not.

### Which is updated more often, Universal Control or Smart Remote Control?

Universal Control ships an update every 2 months, and Smart Remote Control every 3 days. Most recently, Universal Control was updated on October 1, 2026 and Smart Remote Control on October 19, 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.*