# Universal Remote vs Bref Player

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bref Player at every 2 days against Universal Remote's every 3 months. Bref Player also leads on ratings volume (8 vs 1) and device support (5 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Universal Remote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Bref Player sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Universal Remote against 5.0 for Bref Player. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bref Player has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Universal Remote ships an update every 3 months, Bref Player every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Universal Remote | Bref Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-remote-tv-cast/id6781562881/reviews) | [5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bref-player/id6788695019/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **8** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [CHENGDU MIAOZHI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465440799) | [Hatch Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1559120083) |

## What reviewers say

### Universal Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-remote-tv-cast/id6781562881)

Transform your phone into a smart TV remote and screen mirroring device. Control your TV, cast media, and navigate menus with ease. Connect to your Smart TV over Wi-Fi for a seamless experience.

**Highlights:** Smart TV remote control, Automatic TV detection, Screen mirroring, TV casting, Touchpad navigation, Keyboard input

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Premium | $7.99 | one-time |


### Bref Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bref-player/id6788695019)

Consolidate your video, music, and book collections across various devices. Access local files, cloud storage, and media servers to enjoy your owned media with extensive format support and advanced playback features.

**Highlights:** Unified media library, Support for numerous video and audio formats, Connect to local files, NAS, cloud drives, and media servers, Offline downloads for viewing, Advanced subtitle support, Casting and IPTV playlist support, Organized library with artwork and playback progress

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bref Pro Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Bref Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Universal Remote free?

Universal Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Bref Player free?

Bref Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Universal Remote or Bref Player?

Universal Remote and Bref Player are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 8 ratings respectively.

### Do Universal Remote or Bref Player have ads?

Neither Universal Remote nor Bref Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Universal Remote or Bref Player?

Universal Remote ships an update every 3 months, and Bref Player every 2 days. Most recently, Universal Remote was updated on October 31, 2026 and Bref Player on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*