Comparison

Remote for Tesla vs RCA Smart Remote

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

Head to head
About

Remote for Tesla

Control your Tesla with enhanced features on your Apple Watch and phone. Automate commands based on various triggers, monitor detailed battery stats, and access quick controls like Summon and climate settings.

Highlights
  • Apple Watch app with complications
  • Siri and Shortcuts support
  • Automated command scheduling
  • Detailed battery and range stats
  • Remote Summon and HomeLink
  • Camp/Dog Mode and Max Heat/Cool
  • Trip statistics and breadcrumb tracking
Features
Read full description

Add Apple Watch & Siri/Shortcut support to your Tesla vehicle - Very reliable Siri & Shortcuts support that works even if the car is asleep. Control and get your car stats on the watch or phone without opening the app. You can combine/schedule/automate commands based on triggers/conditions such as when you're driving, if your charging cable isn't plugged in, when you're sleeping, when you're about to go to work, when you're connected to certain Bluetooth or WiFi connections, when you tap a NFC tag, when your alarm goes off, or a certain time each day. Add Shortcuts as icons on your home screen or widgets for quick access to your car's stats or to control it. - Fully functional Apple Watch app with vehicle stats complications - Opens, connects, and issues commands faster than other Tesla apps - Queued commands. You can close the app after issuing a few commands even if your car is asleep and it'll still do them. - View your battery stats such as the current/total usable kWh of your car compared to the stated capacity, how much phantom drain your car currently has, and a history of your car's range vs its odometer/time. - Display battery/power usage even when not charging - No phantom drain or background usage. This app doesn't use your car's batteries when the app isn't in use. - See the total miles/kWh added from the last charge session - Estimated range is displayed (this estimates your battery range based on your past 30 miles of usage) - Consolidated stats and commands into one screen for quicker access to information. View all three ranges (estimated, rated, ideal/typical, odometer) at the same time and up to the nearest 1/100th mi/km - See and copy the raw vehicle data returned by Tesla's API servers - Hold the app icon for quick commands from the Home Screen - Use HomeLink or Summon your car when not near it and without continuous press needed (autopilot required). Activate keyless start prior to Summon to avoid needing a keyfob nearby. - Avoid idle fees from Tesla by setting an in-app alarm that alerts you when charging reaches a certain kW or % level - Camp/Dog Mode allows you to keep the HVAC on in the car even though there is no activity. Normally, the car will turn off HVAC after 30 minutes. - View how many range miles are being used per hour - Use the remotes:// URL schema with parameters to issues commands - Max cool and Max heat buttons to quickly send multiple commands to your car to optimize cooling and heating - No-Commands Mode lets you log in the app for your family/friends to monitor your Tesla's location without allowing them to control to your car - Breadcrumb tracking allows you to see the path that the car has recently taken - Trip statistics shows your current MPGe, kWh used, miles traveled, kWh per 100 miles, cost savings vs. a gas car, cost savings over the car's lifetime, and many more fun stats - Save trip routes to different save slots and compare the distance, kWh used, cost, and more for each route - In-app browser can detect commands from javascript so that you can create scheduled, queued or repeated commands - Change passenger and driver temperature separately Privacy/Security notice: This app only communicates directly to Tesla's servers when sending login credentials and commands. No identifying information is stored by our company. Disclaimer: This software and documentation do not come from nor is endorsed by Tesla Inc. Use this app at your own risk. The author does not guarantee its proper functioning. Commands may not work on newer vehicles. Some features require certain vehicle options to work (e.g. HomeLink/Summon require the autopilot options enabled). This app attempts to use the same interface used by the official Tesla apps. However, you are responsible for any changes to your car caused by using this app. Use of this app can move or change settings to your car and we are not liable for any damages to you, your car or any other object in conjunction with the use of this app.

About

RCA Smart Remote

Control your entertainment devices with ease. This app provides access to a comprehensive code library for programming remotes and includes a helpful feature to locate your misplaced remote.

Highlights
  • Program remote controls
  • Access extensive code library
  • Control entertainment devices
  • Find misplaced remote
  • Support for major brands
Features
Read full description

Programming your remote has never been easier with the RCA Smart Remote app. Just connect and download from RCA's full code library of all the latest entertainment devices from all major brands. The RCA Smart Remote app also offers a find-me feature so you will never misplace your remote again. RCA makes entertainment easy.

Screenshots

Remote for Tesla4 screens
RCA Smart Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Remote for Tesla at 65% against RCA Smart Remote's 15%. Remote for Tesla also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.2) and ratings volume (2.7K vs 99). RCA Smart Remote's advantage is price (Free vs $24.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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

RCA Smart Remote is free to download; Remote for Tesla costs $24.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Remote for Tesla holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Remote for Tesla has 2.7K ratings behind it against 99, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Remote for Tesla's written reviews are positive against 15% of RCA Smart Remote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Remote for Tesla ships an update monthly, RCA Smart Remote every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Remote for Tesla versus RCA Smart Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRemote for TeslaRCA Smart Remote
Price$24.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (2.7K ratings) — better2.2 (99 ratings)
Positive reviews65.1% of reviews — better15.2% of reviews
Number of ratings2.7K — better99
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRego AppsVoxx international Corp

Customer experience

Remote for Tesla

All ratings2,742 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral3.6%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews404 reviews
Positive65.1%
Neutral8.4%
Negative26.5%

RCA Smart Remote

All ratings99 ratings
Positive28.3%
Neutral3.0%
Negative68.7%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive15.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative81.8%

Bugs and requests

Remote for Tesla

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Remote start and keyless entry not working
  • Frequent disconnections from car
  • Inaccurate data reporting (speed, range, etc.)
  • Compatibility issues with newer Tesla models

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improve Apple Watch functionality
  • Add support for multiple vehicles
  • Integrate with route planning and charging stations
  • Implement dark mode and customization options

RCA Smart Remote

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Remote for Tesla

No in-app purchases

None

RCA Smart Remote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Remote for Tesla free?
Remote for Tesla costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RCA Smart Remote free?
RCA Smart Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Remote for Tesla or RCA Smart Remote?
Remote for Tesla is rated higher. Remote for Tesla averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while RCA Smart Remote averages 2.2 from 99 ratings.
Do Remote for Tesla or RCA Smart Remote have ads?
Neither Remote for Tesla nor RCA Smart Remote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Remote for Tesla or RCA Smart Remote?
Remote for Tesla ships an update monthly, and RCA Smart Remote every 3 weeks. Most recently, Remote for Tesla was updated on September 23, 2026 and RCA Smart Remote on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons