# Sam vs Universal TV Remote · Control

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Sam at 116K against Universal TV Remote · Control's 779. Universal TV Remote · Control's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (34% vs 26%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sam sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Universal TV Remote · Control sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Universal TV Remote · Control holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sam has 116K ratings behind it against 779, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Sam's written reviews are positive against 34% of Universal TV Remote · Control's.

Sam ships an update every 2 weeks, Universal TV Remote · Control every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sam | Universal TV Remote · Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (116K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sam-tv-remote-for-samsung/id838579136/reviews) | **[4.4 (779 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-tv-remote-control/id1554421089/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **116K** | 779 |
| Positive reviews | 25.6% of reviews | **33.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 67 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **13** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [yohan teixeira](https://appshunter.io/developer/488660484) | [Khanh Le](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437735756) |

## What reviewers say

### Sam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sam-tv-remote-for-samsung/id838579136)

Transform your iPhone into a virtual remote for your smart TV. Easily control channels, volume, menus, and media with a simple tap. It syncs automatically via Wi-Fi, eliminating the need for physical remotes and batteries.

**Highlights:** Virtual remote control, Channel switching, Volume adjustment, Menu navigation, Media management, Automatic Wi-Fi sync, No setup required

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium version | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium version | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium version | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium version | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium version | $29.99 | per year |
| removal of advertising | $3.99 | one-time |
| removal of advertising | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium version | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works well when connected
- 👍 Easy to set up
- 👍 Convenient to use phone as remote

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 Frequent disconnection issues
- 📺 Can't turn TV on with app
- 💸 Expensive paid version
- 📢 Excessive ads in free version
- 🐛 Inconsistent functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Fails to connect to TV consistently
- Buttons stop working after a while
- Paid version loses ad-free functionality

**Requested features**

- Add option to turn TV on/off
- Improve stability and reliability
- Reduce frequency of ads in free version


### Universal TV Remote · Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/universal-tv-remote-control/id1554421089)

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a universal remote for Smart TVs. Control power, volume, channels, and navigate with ease. Supports text search on popular platforms and connects automatically via Wi-Fi.

**Highlights:** Full remote control functions, Text search support, Automatic Wi-Fi connection, Works with major TV brands, User-friendly design, Ideal for streaming apps

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Universal Remote TV‪ - Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Universal Remote TV‪ - Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Universal Remote TV‪ - Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Universal Remote TV‪ - Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Universal Remote TV‪ - Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Universal Remote - Lifetime | $44.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for lost remotes
- 💡 Useful for controlling TV when parents are watching

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall for basic functionality
- 🐛 Frequent disconnections and freezing
- 📺 Excessive ads interrupting usage
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Doesn't work with many TV models
- Crashes frequently
- Fails to connect to TV

**Requested features**

- Reduce number of ads
- Improve stability and reliability
- Add option to cancel subscription easily


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sam free?

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

### Is Universal TV Remote · Control free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sam or Universal TV Remote · Control?

Universal TV Remote · Control is rated higher. Sam averages 4.2 out of 5 from 116K ratings, while Universal TV Remote · Control averages 4.4 from 779 ratings.

### Do Sam or Universal TV Remote · Control have ads?

Both Sam and Universal TV Remote · Control show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sam or Universal TV Remote · Control?

Sam ships an update every 2 weeks, and Universal TV Remote · Control every 11 days. Most recently, Sam was updated on October 27, 2026 and Universal TV Remote · Control on October 24, 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.*