Comparison

CtrlTV vs Universal Remote TV+

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CtrlTV

Control your smart TV from your iPhone without any setup. This app offers instant Wi-Fi connection for full remote functionality, including a built-in keyboard for faster typing. It seamlessly integrates with popular streaming services and supports major TV brands.

Highlights
  • Instant Wi-Fi connection
  • Full remote control
  • Built-in keyboard
  • Touchpad and keypad modes
  • Playback control
  • Auto-reconnect
  • Sleep timer
Features
Read full description

Lost your TV remote? Control your smart TV from your iPhone fast, free, no setup. CtrlTV finds your TV on your Wi-Fi network and gives you full control right from your phone. No extra hardware. No batteries to replace. No more searching the couch. KEY FEATURES • Instant Wi-Fi connection no setup, no pairing dance • Full remote control: power, volume, channels, navigation • Built-in keyboard type passwords and searches in seconds • Touchpad and keypad control modes • Smooth playback control play, pause, skip • Auto-reconnect to your TV • Home Screen widgets in four themes • Quick app launches directly on your TV • Clean, modern, native iPhone design WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • Replace your lost or broken remote in seconds • Type 10× faster than tapping arrow keys on your TV remote • Open your streaming apps on the TV straight from your phone • No ads. No clutter. No nonsense. COMPATIBILITY • Works with most Wi-Fi smart TVs from 2016 onward that support network remote control • Open CtrlTV on the same Wi-Fi network as your TV it lists every set it can reach • Not finding your TV? Contact support and we'll help REQUIREMENTS • iPhone and smart TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network • App launching is a one-time in-app purchase Download CtrlTV and turn your iPhone into the only remote you'll ever need. CtrlTV is an independent app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any television manufacturer. All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About

Universal Remote TV+

Features
Read full description

Universal Remote TV+ turns your iPhone into a true universal remote for virtually every Smart TV on the market — Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, TCL, Hisense, Sharp, Vizio, Panasonic, Philips, Xiaomi, NVIDIA Shield, Chromecast with Google TV, Grundig, Vestel, Arçelik, Beko, and 12 more brands. No clutter. No setup headaches. Open, pair, control. WORKS WITH EVERY MAJOR TV • Samsung Tizen (2016+) — automatic pairing • LG webOS (3.0+) — secure handshake • Sony Bravia — Pre-Shared Key auto-flow • Roku TVs (TCL, Hisense, Sharp, Insignia, Onn, Philips, Element, RCA, JVC, Sanyo) • Vizio SmartCast — 4-digit PIN pairing • Panasonic Viera — TVRC protocol • Philips JointSpace — REST API • Sharp Aquos Net+ — Digest auth • Xiaomi / Mi / Redmi Global — Android TV Remote v2 • NVIDIA Shield TV / Pro • Chromecast with Google TV & Google TV Streamer • TCL Google TV, Arçelik, Beko, Grundig, Vestel Google TV models • Toshiba, Hisense VIDAA — AirPlay 2 mirroring fallback • Loewe, B&O — AirPlay 2 fallback • Remote-from-Anywhere over LTE — Samsung SmartThings & LG ThinQ WHAT'S NEW IN v1.3 • Voice control — tap the mic, say "Netflix", "volume up 3", "power off" • Sleep timer — 15/30/45/60/90/120 min or custom, auto-off • Rooms — group TVs by room, Party Mode filters to active room • Party Mode — one command to many TVs at once (Pro) • Custom Scenes editor + 3 shipped defaults (Movie/Late Night/Sports) • Channel favorites — save presets, tap to tune • Long-press quick actions on Dashboard TV tiles • Auto brand detection — paste an IP, we probe 10 protocols in parallel • Universal Search v2 — TMDB region auto from your storefront • AirPlay Cast tool for one-tap mirroring • Auto Wake-on-LAN retry — sleeping TV wakes up on connect • iPad-native adaptive layout • iOS 26 Liquid Glass polish • Deep-link URL scheme, Siri Shortcuts, Focus mode via App Intents EVERYTHING YOU EXPECT • Channel & volume control, power, mute, home, back, menu • HDMI / input source switching • One-tap streaming launchers: Netflix, YouTube, Prime, Apple TV+, Max, Spotify • iPhone keyboard sync — type into TV search boxes live • Hardware volume buttons — iPhone +/– controls TV volume • Multi-touch trackpad with true 2-finger gestures • Wake-on-LAN — power on your TV from cold • Macro recorder — capture and replay multi-step routines 24 BRANDS, 7 LANGUAGES OF CONNECTION HELP Detailed in-app Connection Guide walks you through every model series — Turkish, English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Arabic. Premium starts at $4.99/week or $29.99/year. Lifetime unlock available for $49.99. Terms: https://birsoftware.com/terms.html Privacy: https://birsoftware.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

CtrlTV4 screens
Universal Remote TV+4 screens

Verdict

The call

CtrlTV and Universal Remote TV+ are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. CtrlTV sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Universal Remote TV+ sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CtrlTV ships an update every 6 days, Universal Remote TV+ weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
CtrlTV versus Universal Remote TV+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCtrlTVUniversal Remote TV+
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.0 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnatoli PetrosyantsBirkan Aksoy

In-app purchases

1 purchases

CtrlTV

One-time1
  • Launch Apps on TV$1.99
3 purchases

Universal Remote TV+

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is CtrlTV free?
CtrlTV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Universal Remote TV+ free?
Universal Remote TV+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CtrlTV or Universal Remote TV+ have ads?
Neither CtrlTV nor Universal Remote TV+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CtrlTV or Universal Remote TV+?
CtrlTV ships an update every 6 days, and Universal Remote TV+ weekly. Most recently, CtrlTV was updated on September 21, 2026 and Universal Remote TV+ on September 18, 2026.

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