6 Best Universal Remotes Under $30 in 2026

This GE remote swaps disposable batteries for a built-in lithium polymer cell that the listing says stays powered for months on a single charge. It also adds backlit keys, which makes it the most dark-room friendly pick in the group. Dedicated hotkeys reach Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and YouTube, provided those apps are installed by the TV maker. It operates up to four devices, including TVs, Blu-ray and DVD players, streaming players, soundbars, cable boxes and satellite receivers. That breadth is the clearest reason to pay for the upper end of this budget. If your cabinet holds more than a TV and a set-top box, this remote consolidates the pile. The drawback is routine. A rechargeable battery means you must remember to charge it, and a dead remote on movie night is a worse failure than a dead AAA you can swap. Compared with the GE Backlit Universal Remote, which uses two AAA cells, you gain convenience but lose instant battery swaps. Against the Angrox, you gain device reach and lose nothing in layout, so for most buyers with several boxes this is the strongest all-rounder.

The Angrox pitches itself as a single remote with great value and no setup. It names Samsung, Vizio, LG, Hisense, TCL, Philips and Sony smart TVs, and adds one-click hot keys for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Hulu so you skip the home-screen hunt. Those hotkeys are the main appeal. Most budget universals give you a power key and a number pad, while this model lays streaming shortcuts on the face of the remote. The listing is blunt about exclusions: it does not control Roku streaming sticks, any TV sticks or TV cubes, so a Fire Stick or Chromecast needs its own remote. The tradeoff is scope and resilience. You get TV control only, with no multi-device reach and no backlight. It is simpler than the LOUTOC model that lists DVDs, soundbars and set-top boxes, yet quicker to live with because there is no code list. It also trails the GE Rechargeable on device count. If streaming is how your household watches and a TV is the only device, it is an efficient match.

LOUTOC's multi-brand remote has the widest device list on paper. Beyond TVs from Samsung, LG, Hisense, TCL, Vizio, Sony, Onn and Toshiba, the listing names DVD and Blu-ray players, soundbars, streaming media players, set-top boxes, DVRs and even VCRs. Setup uses a code list. You find your brand in the printed table, hold SETUP until the red light comes on, then key in the code. It is a few minutes of work, and nothing here will do it for you automatically. Once configured, a single remote can stand in for several originals. Its weakness is polish. There are no hotkeys, no backlight and no rechargeable option, so you are paying for reach rather than comfort. Next to the GE Universal Remote it matches the idea of multi-device control but with a longer legacy-device list. Compared with the Angrox, you give up streaming shortcuts and gain flexibility. Keep the code sheet and write the working code on the back, since a battery change can mean starting over.

The EONCHARM is a purpose-built stand-in for a Samsung original. The listing says it works with Samsung LCD, LED, HDTV, 3D and Smart sets, and it names model years running from 2017 through 2024. There is no programming at all, so you add batteries and aim it at the TV. The design is small with a grip that is meant not to slip, which suits a smaller hand or a drawer-sized spare. It is meant to be the easiest route when an original remote has been dropped, lost or chewed by a pet, and it asks nothing of you beyond confirming your Samsung series. The tradeoff is that it is only a Samsung remote. The Angrox and LOUTOC picks work across brands, and the GE Backlit model controls up to four devices. If you ever replace the TV with another make, this remote will not follow. For a household committed to one Samsung set, though, it removes the code-list step entirely and matches or beats multi-brand picks on simplicity.

GE's universal remote handles up to four audio and video devices, including TVs, Blu-ray and DVD players, cable or satellite receivers and soundbars. Its TV button comes preprogrammed for Samsung, so a Samsung owner can start with only a battery change. It also supports Roku TVs and brands such as LG, Vizio, Sony, Philips and Sharp. The listing credits a large code library covering thousands of recent audio and video devices. For someone with a TV, receiver and Blu-ray player, that library is the draw. The base model carries no backlight, which is its clearest gap against the pricier GE variants. Ownership is straightforward. You add two AAA batteries, which are not included, and use code search or direct entry for non-Samsung gear. It offers more device reach than the single-purpose EONCHARM and the same four-device count as the GE Rechargeable, minus the charging and lights. Choose it when you want a trusted maker's code library and do not care about night-time visibility.

The GE Backlit remote adds an illuminated keypad to the familiar four-device GE formula. It names a long run of brands, including Samsung, Vizio, TCL, Hisense, Sony, RCA, Panasonic, Roku and Apple TV, and the listing points to a large code library for current audio and video gear. Setup offers automatic code search or direct code entry, plus master volume control. You supply two AAA batteries. The glow behind the keys is the reason to choose it over the plain GE Universal model, since you can find volume and input in a dark room without a lamp. It uses disposable cells where the GE Rechargeable has a built-in battery, so you can swap and keep going, but you will replace them over time. Against the Angrox it gives up streaming hotkeys and gains device reach. As a cheaper route to backlighting than a rechargeable model, it is the most balanced buy in this tier for a household that reads the keypad after sunset.