Comparison

Smart AC Remote vs Vital Widgets

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

Head to head
About

Smart AC Remote

Features
Read full description

AC Remote is a smart air conditioner remote control app that turns your iPhone into a universal AC remote. It helps homeowners, renters, and travelers control any air conditioner from any brand using infrared accessories, WiFi, or Apple HomeKit. With 500+ supported AC brands, AC Remote replaces lost, broken, or incompatible remotes instantly. HOW IT WORKS AC Remote sends infrared (IR) signals to your air conditioner โ€” the same technology your original remote uses. Pick your AC brand, connect a device, and start controlling in seconds. If your AC is already in Apple Home, connect through HomeKit with zero setup. FOUR WAYS TO CONNECT 1. Apple HomeKit & Matter โ€” Control instantly if your AC is in Apple Home. No extra hardware needed. 2. IR Adapter Dongle ($3-$8) โ€” Plug a USB-C or Lightning IR adapter into your iPhone. Point and tap, just like a real remote. 3. WiFi IR Hub ($15-$30) โ€” Place a BroadLink RM4 Mini or Tuya hub near your AC. Control from anywhere, even remotely. 4. Smart AC with WiFi โ€” Daikin, Gree, or Midea with built-in WiFi connect directly over your local network. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Turn your AC on before you get home using a WiFi hub - Set a sleep timer so the AC turns off after you fall asleep - Switch between cool, heat, dry, and fan modes without finding the remote - Adjust temperature and fan speed from your couch or your office - Control ACs in multiple rooms from one app - Use Turbo mode for rapid cooling on hot days FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: Can I control my AC with my phone if I lost the remote? A: Yes. Plug in a $3 IR adapter or use a WiFi hub, select your brand from 500+ supported, and your iPhone becomes the remote. Q: What brands does AC Remote support? A: Over 500 including Daikin, Gree, Midea, Haier, LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Hitachi, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Sharp, Carrier, Frigidaire, TCL, Hisense, and hundreds more. Q: Do I need special hardware? A: It depends. HomeKit ACs need nothing extra. For standard ACs, a $3 IR adapter plugs into your iPhone. For anywhere control, a $15 WiFi IR hub works over your home network. Q: Does it work without WiFi? A: Yes. An IR adapter works without WiFi โ€” point your iPhone at the AC like a regular remote. SUPPORTED DEVICES Apple HomeKit & Matter thermostats, USB-C IR Adapter (iPhone 15-17+), Lightning IR Adapter (iPhone 14 and older), BroadLink RM4 Mini, Tuya/Smart Life Hub, SwitchBot Hub Mini, Sensibo Sky/Air, Tasmota/ESP8266 DIY IR Blaster, Daikin/Gree/Midea WiFi AC (direct connection). Core remote control features are free. Pro unlocks advanced features, additional device support, and removes all limits. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Subscriptions auto-renew unless turned off 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage in Settings > Apple ID. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://acremote.app/privacy Support: support@acremote.app

About

Vital Widgets

Features
Read full description

Every tracker. One widget. Vital turns your Apple Health data into beautiful, fully customizable Home Screen widgets - no matter which device you wear. If your tracker syncs to Apple Health, Vital works with it. DESIGN YOUR OWN WIDGETS Build a widget in seconds: pick a metric, choose how it looks, drop it on your Home Screen. โ€ข 24 health metrics - steps, sleep, heart rate, HRV, active energy, distance, VOโ‚‚ max, workouts and more โ€ข 9 chart styles - number, area, bars, ring, gauge, sparkline, stacked, dual and streak โ€ข 3 sizes - Small, Medium and Large โ€ข Today, 7-day or 30-day views โ€ข Optional accent colours and custom goals WORKS WITH ANY TRACKER Garmin, Whoop, Oura, Fitbit, Polar, Coros, Apple Watch - if it writes to Apple Health, Vital reads it. One consistent look across every brand you've ever owned. A SLEEP SCORE FOR EVERYONE Vital computes a clean 0โ€“100 sleep score from Apple Health's sleep stages - so you get a recovery-style number even if your device doesn't provide one. BUILT FOR YOUR HOME SCREEN โ€ข Save as many designs as you like and mix and match โ€ข Widgets refresh automatically in the background โ€ข Full-colour mode that survives iOS's tinted Home Screen theme โ€ข A clean, monochrome design language that's readable at a glance YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS Vital reads Apple Health on your device and never sends your health data anywhere. No account. No cloud. No tracking. VITAL PRO Vital is free to use. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited widgets, every size, all 24 metrics, all 9 chart styles, weekly and monthly trends, accent colours and custom goals โ€” as a yearly plan with a free trial, monthly, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Make your health data actually yours. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://vitalwidgets.com/privacy

Screenshots

Smart AC Remote4 screens
Vital Widgets4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Smart AC Remote at 4 against Vital Widgets's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Smart AC Remote sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Vital Widgets sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Smart AC Remote ships an update every 5 days, Vital Widgets weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Smart AC Remote versus Vital Widgets: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmart AC RemoteVital Widgets
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days โ€” betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size27 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMOBILE ALCHEMY LTDJarren Worrell

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Smart AC Remote

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$29.99
3 purchases

Vital Widgets

Subscriptions2
  • Vital Pro (Monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Vital Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Vital Widgets Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is Smart AC Remote free?
Smart AC Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Vital Widgets free?
Vital Widgets is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Smart AC Remote or Vital Widgets have ads?
Neither Smart AC Remote nor Vital Widgets shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Smart AC Remote or Vital Widgets?
Smart AC Remote ships an update every 5 days, and Vital Widgets weekly. Most recently, Smart AC Remote was updated on September 17, 2026 and Vital Widgets on September 29, 2026.

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