# Phil vs Smart TV Remote Universal

The clearest difference is rating: Smart TV Remote Universal at 3.8 against Phil's 3.1. Smart TV Remote Universal also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months). Phil's advantage is ratings volume (9.8K vs 891) and iOS requirement (15 vs 17). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Phil sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Smart TV Remote Universal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Smart TV Remote Universal holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phil has 9.8K ratings behind it against 891, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 17% and 18% positive.

Phil ships an update every 4 months, Smart TV Remote Universal every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phil | Smart TV Remote Universal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phil-tv-remote/id876814361/reviews) | **[3.8 (891 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-tv-remote-universal/id1494893176/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.8K** | 891 |
| Positive reviews | 16.9% of reviews | **17.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 157 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [yohan teixeira](https://appshunter.io/developer/488660484) | [Jenni Parkkonen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494893175) |

## What reviewers say

### Phil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phil-tv-remote/id876814361)

Control your Philips Smart TV with your iPhone or iPad. This virtual remote offers realistic design and access to essential functions like volume, channel, navigation, and playback controls. Requires your device to be on the same Wi-Fi network as the TV.

**Highlights:** Volume control, Channel selection, Navigation pad, Video playback controls, Menu and options access, Power off function

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro mode | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium mode | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium version | $19.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works brilliantly
- 👍 Great alternative with extras

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't work
- 🔋 Constant ads make it unusable
- 💰 Paid version still has ads
- 🤬 Aggressive monetization

**Reported bugs**

- Stopped working after TV update
- Crashes on newer iOS devices
- Fails to connect to TV

**Requested features**

- No ads option
- Better TV compatibility


### Smart TV Remote Universal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-tv-remote-universal/id1494893176)

Transform your iOS device into a universal TV remote. Control multiple brands like Samsung, LG, and Roku seamlessly over WiFi. Manage power, volume, channels, and more without the clutter of physical remotes.

**Highlights:** Universal remote control, Supports major TV brands, WiFi connectivity, Power, volume, and channel control, Ad-free premium option, Multiple subscription plans

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Version | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime premium | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Great remote app
- 💖 Love this remote
- 👍 Works well

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Doesn't work
- 📺 Won't connect to TV
- 🙄 Too many ads
- 💩 Terrible app
- 🤬 Waste of time

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on device scan
- Volume controls not working
- Navigation issues

**Requested features**

- Support for more TV brands
- Improve device detection
- Reduce ads


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phil free?

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

### Is Smart TV Remote Universal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Phil or Smart TV Remote Universal?

Smart TV Remote Universal is rated higher. Phil averages 3.1 out of 5 from 9.8K ratings, while Smart TV Remote Universal averages 3.8 from 891 ratings.

### Do Phil or Smart TV Remote Universal have ads?

Both Phil and Smart TV Remote Universal show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Phil or Smart TV Remote Universal?

Phil ships an update every 4 months, and Smart TV Remote Universal every 6 weeks. Most recently, Phil was updated on November 8, 2026 and Smart TV Remote Universal on November 7, 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.*