TapDeck vs Universal Control TV
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TapDeck
Transform your iPhone or iPad into a personalized PC gaming controller. Enjoy a fast, reliable connection and design custom layouts to match your play style. Personalize your experience with unique themes.
- Customizable PC gaming controller
- Personalized layout design
- Fast, reliable wired connection
- Unique theme personalization
- iPhone and iPad support
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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a fully customizable PC gaming controller. Connect with a fast, reliable wired connection, design a layout that fits your play style, and personalize your controller with unique themes. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Universal Control TV
Transform your iPhone into a smart TV remote without extra hardware. Automatically discover and control compatible TVs over WiFi, offering features like a trackpad, keyboard input, and one-tap app launching.
- Automatic WiFi TV discovery
- Trackpad and keyboard input
- One-tap app launching
- Complete remote functions
- Channel number pad
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Turn your iPhone into a real universal remote for your smart TV — no IR hardware, no dongles, no clunky pairing codes. Universal Control TV finds your Roku, Samsung Tizen and other smart TVs automatically over WiFi in seconds, then hands you full control right from your pocket. Skip the fumbling with tiny on-screen keyboards and laggy factory remotes. This app gives you precision, speed and features your TV's original remote wishes it had. Automatic Discovery: scan your WiFi network and find compatible smart TVs instantly. One-time pairing means every TV you add is remembered and ready on future launches. Complete Remote Control: power, volume, mute, channel changes and a smooth circular D-pad for navigating menus without missing a beat. Trackpad Mode: swipe across your phone screen like a mouse to glide around the TV interface with precision instead of clicking arrow keys repeatedly. Keyboard Text Input: type searches, usernames and passwords using your iPhone's full keyboard instead of hunting-and-pecking on the TV's on-screen remote. One-Tap App Launch: jump straight into Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+ and other streaming apps with a single tap. Channel Number Pad: punch in exact channel numbers 0-9 instantly, just like a classic remote. Setup takes seconds — connect to the same WiFi as your TV, let the app find it, tap to pair, and you're in control. No extra hardware, no IR blaster required. Universal Control TV is offered as a premium weekly subscription with a 3-day free trial, so you can try every feature risk-free before you commit. Download now and start controlling your TV smarter, faster and from anywhere in the room. https://remotetvtotal.com/terms.html https://remotetvtotal.com/policy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: TapDeck at 100% against Universal Control TV's 0%. TapDeck also leads on rating (3.3 vs 1.7) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. TapDeck sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Universal Control TV sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
TapDeck holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 1.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of TapDeck's written reviews are positive against 0% of Universal Control TV's.
TapDeck ships an update every 5 days, Universal Control TV every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TapDeck | Universal Control TV |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (3 ratings) — better | 1.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yashua Evans | END ONLINE SLU |
Customer experience
TapDeck
Universal Control TV
In-app purchases
TapDeck
- Tier 1 Tokens Pack$0.99
- Tier 2 Tokens Pack$1.99
- Tier 3 Tokens Pack$4.99
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- Tier 4 Tokens Pack$9.99
- Tier 5 Tokens Pack$19.99
- Tier 6 Tokens Pack$49.99
Universal Control TV
- Premium Weekly3 Days trial$9.997 Days
Questions
Is TapDeck free?
Is Universal Control TV free?
Which has better reviews, TapDeck or Universal Control TV?
Do TapDeck or Universal Control TV have ads?
Which is updated more often, TapDeck or Universal Control TV?
Other comparisons
