Universal TV Remote vs Zybra Remote Control
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Universal TV Remote
Control all your smart TVs with a single app. Easily connect to devices on your Wi-Fi network for instant remote access. Features a touchpad, keyboard for typing, and quick launch buttons for streaming services.
- Control multiple smart TVs
- Wi-Fi device discovery
- Full remote functionality
- Touchpad and keyboard input
- Quick launch streaming apps
- App launching from TV
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One remote for every TV in the house. SmartCtrl finds Roku, Samsung, LG, Fire TV, Android TV / Google TV and Vizio devices on your Wi-Fi in seconds — no account, no setup — and gives you a full remote for each. EVERY BUTTON, EVERY BRAND • Navigation pad, OK, back, home, volume, mute, channel, play/pause • Number keypad, inputs, settings and colour keys where your TV has them • Quick launch for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+ and more TOUCHPAD Swipe to move, tap to select. On LG the pad drives the Magic Remote cursor. KEYBOARD Type searches with your iPhone keyboard instead of the on-screen letter grid. YOUR TV'S APPS Every app installed on the TV, with its real icon. Star your favourites. PAIR ONCE Roku needs nothing. Samsung and LG ask once on the TV. Fire TV, Android TV and Vizio show a code. After that it just works, every time. WORKS ON YOUR WI-FI Everything runs on your local network. No cloud, no account, nothing leaves your home. PRO Remove ads and unlock five themes — Liquid Glass, Aurora, Carbon, Studio — plus 3D relief keys. Supported: Roku and Roku TV (TCL, Hisense, Sharp, Philips), Samsung Tizen (2016+), LG webOS (2014+), Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Android TV and Google TV (Sony Bravia, TCL, Hisense, Philips, Chromecast with Google TV, Nvidia Shield), Vizio SmartCast. Your phone and TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network. SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Pro is available as a one-time Lifetime purchase, or as a Weekly (3-day free trial) or Monthly auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://appxcellence.net/smartctrl/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://appxcellence.net/smartctrl/terms/ Support: contact@appxcellence.net Roku, Samsung, LG, Fire TV, Android TV and Google TV are trademarks of their respective owners. SmartCtrl is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Zybra Remote Control
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Lost the remote? Zybra Remote Control turns your iPhone into a universal Wi-Fi remote for every smart TV in your house: Samsung, LG, Roku, Vizio, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, and Sony Bravia. No clunky infrared. No fragmented per-brand apps. Pair once on Wi-Fi, get a clean iPhone-native remote pad with a full D-pad, volume rocker, channels, transport keys, voice search, and one-tap app launches. LOST THE REMOTE? ZYBRA STILL WORKS Most universal-remote apps secretly need your original TV remote during pairing. Zybra is built around the opposite assumption: that you do NOT have it. - Roku: no pairing at all. Install and start controlling. - LG webOS: TV displays a PIN, you type it in. No remote tap. - Vizio SmartCast: TV displays a PIN, you type it in. - Amazon Fire TV: TV displays a PIN, you type it in. - Google TV and Sony Bravia: TV displays a 6-character code, you type it in. - Samsung Tizen: needs a tap on the original remote (or a 30 second auto-allow on some 2018-2019 firmware). The only brand where Wi-Fi alone is not enough. SUPPORTED BRANDS - Samsung Tizen - LG webOS - Roku and Roku TV - Vizio SmartCast - Amazon Fire TV - Google TV (Sony Bravia, Xiaomi Mi TV, TCL, Hisense, Skyworth, Chromecast) KEY FEATURES - Universal 5-way D-pad with crisp haptic feedback on every press - Volume and channel rocker with mute and last-channel - Power on and off - One-tap launchers for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney Plus, Spotify, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max, Hulu - Number pad for direct channel entry - Voice search shortcut - Coloured DTV buttons (red, green, yellow, blue) for EPG and teletext - Type on your iPhone for any TV search box - Save unlimited TVs grouped by room - Auto-reconnect the second you walk back into Wi-Fi range - 11 languages - Light and Dark theme that follows iOS PRIVACY Zybra Remote Control runs entirely on your local Wi-Fi. Pairing tokens are stored in your iPhone Keychain and never leave the device. REQUIREMENTS - iOS 17 or later - Wi-Fi: your iPhone and TV must be on the same network - Local Network permission A NOTE ON APPLE TV Apple TV is intentionally not controllable from third-party apps. We surface Apple TVs in discovery so you know they are there, but the actual remote stays in iOS Control Center. Have feedback? Tap Settings, then Send Feedback inside the app. Privacy & Policy: https://zenitystudio.cloud/policy.html Term of Services: https://zenitystudio.cloud/terms.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Zybra Remote Control at none against Universal TV Remote's shown. Zybra Remote Control also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Universal TV Remote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Zybra Remote Control sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Universal TV Remote ships an update every 3 weeks, Zybra Remote Control every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.
| Parameter | Universal TV Remote | Zybra Remote Control |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (8 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | Nice Express | Vu Thi Hanh |
In-app purchases
Universal TV Remote
- Weekly Pro3 Days trial$3.997 Days
- Monthly Pro$7.991 Month
- Remote for Roku Lifetime access$24.99
Zybra Remote Control
- Weekly Offers3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Lifetime Offers$59.99
Questions
Is Universal TV Remote free?
Is Zybra Remote Control free?
Do Universal TV Remote or Zybra Remote Control have ads?
Which is updated more often, Universal TV Remote or Zybra Remote Control?
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