# Sam vs TV Remote ‣

The clearest difference is review sentiment: TV Remote ‣ at 70% against Sam's 26%. TV Remote ‣ also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16). Sam's advantage is ratings volume (116K vs 8.9K). 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 TV Remote ‣ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

TV Remote ‣ holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sam has 116K ratings behind it against 8.9K, 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 70% of TV Remote ‣'s.

Sam ships an update every 2 weeks, TV Remote ‣ monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sam | TV Remote ‣ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (116K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sam-tv-remote-for-samsung/id838579136/reviews) | **[4.5 (8.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tv-remote/id878640213/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **116K** | 8.9K |
| Positive reviews | 25.6% of reviews | **69.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 67 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [yohan teixeira](https://appshunter.io/developer/488660484) | [Kraus und Karnath GbR 2Kit Consulting](https://appshunter.io/developer/477998014) |

## 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


### TV Remote ‣

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tv-remote/id878640213)

Control your Samsung, Roku, or Fire TV with your iPhone or iPad. Offers broad compatibility with various TV models and streaming players. Features dark/light mode and 24/7 support.

**Highlights:** Samsung TV control, Roku streaming player control, Fire TV control, Wide model compatibility, Dark and light mode, 24/7 support chat

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Edition | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Connects instantly
- 👍 Convenient remote control
- 🚀 Works flawlessly
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Reliable connection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Loses connection frequently
- 🔋 Volume buttons don't work
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with some devices
- 🐛 Requires frequent reconnection
- 🐛 Unstable connection

**Reported bugs**

- Fails to connect to some devices
- Disconnects randomly during use
- Unresponsive buttons

**Requested features**

- Add volume control buttons
- Improve connection stability
- Support for more device types
- Ability to power on/off TV


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sam free?

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

### Is TV Remote ‣ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sam or TV Remote ‣?

TV Remote ‣ is rated higher. Sam averages 4.2 out of 5 from 116K ratings, while TV Remote ‣ averages 4.5 from 8.9K ratings.

### Do Sam or TV Remote ‣ have ads?

Both Sam and TV Remote ‣ show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sam or TV Remote ‣?

Sam ships an update every 2 weeks, and TV Remote ‣ monthly. Most recently, Sam was updated on November 10, 2026 and TV Remote ‣ on November 6, 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.*