Comparison

Unified Remote vs ActionPad

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

Head to head
About

Unified Remote

Transform your device into a versatile WiFi remote for your computer. Control over 90 programs, including media players, presentations, and your mouse and keyboard. Enjoy a seamless experience with easy setup and advanced security features.

Highlights
  • WiFi universal remote control
  • Mouse and keyboard control
  • Media player control
  • Presentation control
  • File manager
  • Server password protection and encryption
  • Wake On LAN
Features
Read full description

THE ONE-AND-ONLY REMOTE FOR YOUR COMPUTER Unified Remote turns your iPhone or iPad into a universal remote control for your Windows PC, Mac, or Linux computer. Preloaded with support for 100+ programs — mouse and keyboard, media players, presentations, screen mirroring, file browsing, power control, and much more. Completely redesigned from the ground up: a fast, modern app that feels right at home on the latest iPhone and iPad. CONTROL EVERYTHING • Mouse — smooth single- and multi-touch trackpad with scrolling, right-click, and drag • Keyboard — full keyboard input, including modifier keys, function keys, and shortcuts like Cmd+Tab • Media — play/pause, volume, and track controls, always one tap away • Screen — mirror your computer's display and control it remotely • Files — browse and manage files and folders • Power — shut down, restart, lock, and wake your computer (Wake on LAN) WORKS WITH YOUR APPS Spotify, VLC, Kodi, Plex, Netflix, YouTube, iTunes, PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and many more — plus custom remotes you can build yourself. SIRI & SHORTCUTS Wake your computer, open remotes, send actions, type text, and control the mouse — straight from Siri, the Shortcuts app, or your Home Screen. MADE FOR iPAD A dedicated iPad layout with a sidebar for fast switching between remotes — your whole setup, side by side. EASY SETUP 1. Install the free server on your computer — www.unifiedremote.com 2. Open the app; your computer is discovered automatically 3. Start controlling Supports Windows, macOS, and Linux — plus Raspberry Pi and Arduino Yún. Connections can be password-protected and encrypted. FREE & FULL VERSION The free version includes 18 remotes, including mouse, keyboard, media, and power. A single one-time purchase unlocks every remote and the extended keyboard — no subscriptions. Questions or feedback? Visit www.unifiedremote.com for help and support.

About

ActionPad

Create custom control panels to remotely operate your computer applications. Simulate keyboard and mouse input, launch programs, open files, and control media. Share and download user-created panels for enhanced productivity and gaming.

Highlights
  • Customizable control panels
  • Simulate keyboard and mouse input
  • Launch applications and files
  • Open websites
  • Media and volume control
  • Create macros
  • Community Panels Hub
Features
Read full description

ActionPad allows you to create your own custom control panels to remote control applications on your computer. This app requires the ActionPad Server desktop software to be installed on your computer for full functionality. For more information on this, visit https://actionpad.co/go. Compatible with macOS and Windows. Panels can contain buttons and other objects, which can be used to simulate keyboard and mouse input, as well as open files and URLs. With grid and dynamic panel types, buttons can be arranged into a grid with customizable rows and columns, or positioned and sized anywhere you would like on your panel for infinite customization possibilities. Customize the appearance of buttons and other panel objects to give them a distinct look. Get ready to make your keyboard and mouse jealous. With ActionPad, you may implement buttons on your panel that: -Execute keystrokes, such as Command C or Ctrl V. -Move your mouse pointer or hold keys as you hold down the button. -Launch applications and open files on your computer. -Open websites in your default browser and interact with them. -Control media and volume on your computer. -Do all of these things with one press! You can have buttons send continuous keyboard and mouse input as you hold them down, or you can combine multiple actions to create simple or complex macros that will run with just one tap of the button! All of this, along with visual elements such as images, text, and containers can all be combined to create unique control panels, each of which with it's own purpose. Don't feel like creating your own panel, or want to use some pre-created panels for some of your favorite desktop apps? ActionPad features the Community Panels Hub, which allows users to upload and share panels they create. It's very easy to share panels and build upon everyone's creations. Along with sharing through the Community Panels Hub, you can also export your panel and send it via E-mail, AirDrop, or a variety of other mediums. No account needed to download user-made panels, only required if you wish to upload to share with other users. Whether it be a panel used to quickly access the most commonly used tools in Photoshop, extra shortcuts for DAW power users, controls for your cockpit in a space simulation game, or a remote control for your streaming setup, there is no limit to what you can create and control with ActionPad.

Screenshots

Unified Remote4 screens
ActionPad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Unified Remote at Free against ActionPad's $3.99. Unified Remote also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (295 vs 30). ActionPad's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and rating (4.0 vs 3.8). On review sentiment, ads and 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

Unified Remote is free to download; ActionPad costs $3.99 up front. Unified Remote sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. ActionPad asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ActionPad holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Unified Remote has 295 ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Unified Remote's written reviews are positive against 63% of ActionPad's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Unified Remote ships an update fortnightly, ActionPad every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Unified Remote versus ActionPad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUnified RemoteActionPad
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating3.8 (295 ratings)4.0 (30 ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.5% of reviews — better63.4% of reviews
Number of ratings295 — better30
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUnified IntentsAndrew Arpasi

Customer experience

Unified Remote

All ratings294 ratings
Positive69.0%
Neutral6.1%
Negative24.8%
Written reviews283 reviews
Positive67.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative25.1%

ActionPad

All ratings30 ratings
Positive73.3%
Neutral10.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive63.4%
Neutral7.3%
Negative29.3%

Bugs and requests

Unified Remote

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Keyboard not working on Windows 8.1
  • Inability to close keyboard once opened
  • Inconsistent behavior after updates
  • Purchased features not working as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • Sleep timer for PC
  • Apple Watch support
  • Improved Siri/Shortcuts integration
  • Better handling of large music libraries

ActionPad

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Unified Remote

One-time5
  • Extended Keyboard$0.99
  • Extra Remote8 variants$0.99
  • Quick Switch$0.99
Show 2 more
  • Extended Remote List$0.99
  • Full Version$4.99
None

ActionPad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Unified Remote free?
Unified Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ActionPad free?
ActionPad costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Unified Remote or ActionPad?
ActionPad is rated higher. Unified Remote averages 3.8 out of 5 from 295 ratings, while ActionPad averages 4.0 from 30 ratings.
Do Unified Remote or ActionPad have ads?
Neither Unified Remote nor ActionPad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Unified Remote or ActionPad?
Unified Remote ships an update fortnightly, and ActionPad every 3 months. Most recently, Unified Remote was updated on October 24, 2026 and ActionPad on October 24, 2026.

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