# Phil vs Hoyle LightControl

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hoyle LightControl at none against Phil's 4. Hoyle LightControl also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Phil sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Hoyle LightControl asks for nothing beyond the download.

Phil ships an update every 4 months, Hoyle LightControl every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phil | Hoyle LightControl |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.1 (9.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phil-tv-remote/id876814361/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **9.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 17.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 157 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [yohan teixeira](https://appshunter.io/developer/488660484) | [Adam Hoyle](https://appshunter.io/developer/921198675) |

## 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


### Hoyle LightControl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hoyle-lightcontrol/id1539646090)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phil free?

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

### Is Hoyle LightControl free?

Hoyle LightControl is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Phil or Hoyle LightControl have ads?

Phil shows ads; Hoyle LightControl does not.

### Which is updated more often, Phil or Hoyle LightControl?

Phil ships an update every 4 months, and Hoyle LightControl every 3 months. Most recently, Phil was updated on October 21, 2026 and Hoyle LightControl on October 20, 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.*