Comparison

DriveShelf vs Smart TV Remote

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

Head to head
About

DriveShelf

Catalog your external drives and access your files from your iPhone. Search and browse your entire drive catalog instantly, even when you're away from your Mac. View file details and sync seamlessly with the Mac companion app.

Highlights
  • Search all cataloged drives instantly
  • Browse folders like Finder
  • View file details (size, dates, drive location)
  • Syncs with Mac via iCloud
  • Private catalog in your iCloud
Features
Read full description

DriveShelf for iPhone is the companion app to DriveShelf for Mac. Once you've cataloged your external drives on your Mac, this app lets you search and browse that catalog from your pocket — perfect for checking whether you still have a client's footage, even when you're nowhere near your drives. KEY FEATURES • Search every file across all your cataloged drives, instantly • Browse folders on any drive, just like Finder • See file details: size, dates, and which physical drive it's on • Automatically syncs with DriveShelf on your Mac via iCloud • Fully private — your catalog stays in your own iCloud account, never on our servers REQUIRES DriveShelf for Mac, available on the Mac App Store. This app is read-only — all scanning, organizing, and duplicate-finding happens on your Mac. Included free with your DriveShelf purchase — no separate charge.

About

Smart TV Remote

Transform your iPhone into a universal remote for all your smart TVs. Easily control power, volume, channels, and access apps with a touchpad and keyboard. Connects automatically over Wi-Fi for seamless control.

Highlights
  • Universal TV control
  • Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Touchpad and keyboard input
  • App launching
  • Save multiple TVs
  • Power on from standby
Read full description

Turn your iPhone into the remote for every smart TV in the house. The app finds the TV on your Wi-Fi, pairs the way the TV asks, and gives you every key, a touchpad, a keyboard and your apps, all in one place that never ends up under the sofa. Works With the TVs People Actually Own Samsung, LG, Sony Bravia, Roku, Vizio, Philips, Panasonic, Amazon Fire TV, and the Android TV and Google TV sets made by TCL, Hisense, Xiaomi and many others. Each brand is spoken in its own language, so the keys respond the way the original remote does. Ready in a Minute Put the phone on the same Wi-Fi as the TV and open the app. The TV appears within seconds. The first time, the TV shows a code or asks for permission on its screen, once; after that the connection is automatic whenever you open the app. Every Key of the Remote Power, volume and mute, channels and numbers, inputs, arrows and OK, play and pause, home and back. The keys are laid out like a real remote, with haptic feedback on every press, and the phone's own volume buttons control the TV. Touchpad and Keyboard Swipe across the touchpad to move through menus and tap to select. On TVs with a pointer, the cursor follows your finger. When it is time to search, type on your phone's keyboard instead of hunting for letters on the screen one at a time. Your Apps in One Tap Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Prime Video and everything else installed on the TV, opened straight from the phone. Keep your favorites at the top of the remote. Turn the TV On From the Couch Most recent smart TVs can be woken over the network. Once the app has paired with the TV, it can turn it on for you, even from standby, and it helps you switch the setting on when the TV needs it. Every TV in the House Living room, bedroom, kitchen: save each TV once and switch between them in a tap. Rename them, forget them, add a new one whenever you like. Private by Design There is no account and no server between you and your TV. The app talks to the TV directly over your home network. No ads, and no tracking of what you watch. Premium The remote itself is free, with no limits: arrows and OK, volume and mute, channels, power, inputs, play and pause. Premium unlocks the touchpad, the number pad, launching apps and the keyboard, and you can try each of them for free a few times first. Choose a weekly or yearly subscription, or pay once with Lifetime. Prices are shown in the app before you buy. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. This app is not affiliated with or endorsed by Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, Vizio, Philips, Panasonic, Amazon, Google or any other brand mentioned. Privacy Policy: https://tvremote.org/privacy Terms of Use: https://tvremote.org/terms

Screenshots

DriveShelf2 screens
Smart TV Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Smart TV Remote at Free against DriveShelf's $14.99. Smart TV Remote also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.5). DriveShelf's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Smart TV Remote is free to download; DriveShelf costs $14.99 up front. Smart TV Remote sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. DriveShelf asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DriveShelf ships an update fortnightly, Smart TV Remote every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
DriveShelf versus Smart TV Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDriveShelfSmart TV Remote
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating—3.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.516.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB122 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperSergiy PudichFlorea Media SRL

Customer experience

DriveShelf

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Smart TV Remote

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

DriveShelf

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Smart TV Remote

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Weekly7 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Yearly3 Days trial$22.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$34.99

Questions

Is DriveShelf free?
DriveShelf costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Smart TV Remote free?
Smart TV Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DriveShelf or Smart TV Remote have ads?
Smart TV Remote shows ads; DriveShelf does not.
Which is updated more often, DriveShelf or Smart TV Remote?
DriveShelf ships an update fortnightly, and Smart TV Remote every 6 days. Most recently, DriveShelf was updated on October 31, 2026 and Smart TV Remote on November 1, 2026.

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