Comparison

Zapp Remote for Android TV vs Smart Things

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

Head to head
About

Zapp Remote for Android TV

Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a powerful remote control for your Android TV, Google TV and Chromecast devices. Zapp connects over Wi-Fi in seconds — no registration and no physical remote needed. WHY Zapp? ◆ Voice search: find movies and shows or control your TV hands-free. ◆ Screen mirroring: share your phone or tablet screen on the big screen with one tap. ◆ Instant typing: use your iPhone keyboard instead of the on-screen TV keyboard. ◆ Quick app launch: open Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video and more with a single touch. ◆ D-pad and touchpad modes: navigate exactly the way you prefer. ◆ Volume and power: full control, including your device's physical volume buttons. ◆ Multiple TVs: pair once and switch between all the TVs in your home. WORKS WITH YOUR DEVICES Zapp is compatible with Google TV Streamer, Chromecast with Google TV, Nvidia Shield and smart TVs from Sony, Philips, TCL, Hisense and hundreds of other Android TV models. EASY SETUP 1. Connect your iPhone and TV to the same Wi-Fi network. 2. Open Zapp and select your TV. 3. Enter the pairing code shown on the screen. Done! Free, fast and designed for iOS with a clean, modern interface. Note: your phone and TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network. This app is not affiliated with Google LLC or any TV manufacturer mentioned.

About

Smart Things

Control all your smart home devices, including lights, thermostats, and cameras, from a single interface. Manage your smart TVs with integrated remotes and create custom scenes and automations for convenience. Personalize room aesthetics with custom wallpapers and accent colors.

Highlights
  • Control lights, thermostats, locks, and more
  • Live view for HomeKit cameras and doorbells
  • Remote control for smart TVs (Fire TV, Roku, Samsung, LG)
  • Create custom scenes and automations
  • Personalize room aesthetics with wallpapers
  • Widgets and Control Center integration
  • Siri and Shortcuts support
Features
Read full description

Every accessory in your home, and every remote you actually reach for, in one app — on iPhone and iPad. CONTROL THE WHOLE HOME Lights, thermostats, locks, blinds, fans, sensors, purifiers, sprinklers, cameras. If HomeKit reports it, you can see it and set it. Each control is built from what the accessory says about itself, so a dimmer gets a slider, a color lamp gets a wheel, and a lock gets a lock — including accessories released after this app was. CAMERAS Watch your HomeKit cameras and doorbells live, with a fresh snapshot on each camera's card. TELEVISION REMOTES Fire TV, Roku, Samsung, LG and other smart TVs, found on your Wi-Fi and paired in seconds. A full directional pad, playback, volume, a keyboard for typing on the TV, and its apps a tap away. Assign a television to a room and it sits with everything else in that room. SCENES AND AUTOMATIONS Run a scene from anywhere in the app. Capture how your rooms are set right now and keep it as a scene, or rename, re-record and delete the ones you have. Build automations that run at a time of day, at sunrise or sunset, or when a sensor or accessory changes — motion detected, a door opened, a light switched on. SIRI AND SHORTCUTS Run a scene or switch an accessory by voice, from Spotlight, the Shortcuts app or the Action button. MAKE EVERY ROOM ITS OWN Give each room a wallpaper — one of ours or a photo of yours — with an adjustable blur. Accent colors can follow the wallpaper automatically, so a room looks like itself rather than like a settings screen. WIDGETS AND CONTROL CENTER See how much of the house is on at a glance, switch an accessory or run a scene straight from the home screen, and keep your favorites in Control Center. Choose which room a widget follows and which scenes it shows. SMART THINGS PRO Seeing your home — every accessory's state, its readings and your cameras — and building scenes and automations are free. Controlling and adding accessories, running scenes, the TV remote, interactive widgets and your own room photos are part of Smart Things Pro, an auto-renewable subscription. Smart home control that shows you everything your accessories can do, and asks nothing you should not have to think about. Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12voOgya1fD5zQagp2-4iQ6464r8q1ZW9uJ-vONIoucE/edit?usp=sharing Terms of Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v1fA32bGcq7_uAz0_JcWQ_8VZb_0pWlH8Uq9nDysVwk/edit?usp=sharing

Screenshots

Zapp Remote for Android TV4 screens
Smart Things4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zapp Remote for Android TV at none against Smart Things's 5. Smart Things's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. Smart Things sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Zapp Remote for Android TV asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zapp Remote for Android TV ships an update fortnightly, Smart Things weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Zapp Remote for Android TV versus Smart Things: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZapp Remote for Android TVSmart Things
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAether StudiosMikita Kharoshka

In-app purchases

None

Zapp Remote for Android TV

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Smart Things

Subscriptions5
  • Pro Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Pro Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Pro Monthly Special$5.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Zapp Remote for Android TV free?
Zapp Remote for Android TV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Smart Things free?
Smart Things is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Zapp Remote for Android TV or Smart Things have ads?
Neither Zapp Remote for Android TV nor Smart Things shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zapp Remote for Android TV or Smart Things?
Zapp Remote for Android TV ships an update fortnightly, and Smart Things weekly. Most recently, Zapp Remote for Android TV was updated on November 10, 2026 and Smart Things on November 14, 2026.

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