CouchiusQuick answer: If you only need a remote now and then, the free Roku app is excellent: it has a keyboard, voice search in some countries and private listening through your phone. Couchius is for people who use their phone as the remote every night and want it to feel like hardware: a clicking volume dial, haptics on every key, eight looks including Kid Mode, and one app for Roku, LG, Sony and Samsung TVs.
Side by side
| The Roku App (Official) | Couchius | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Power and volume free; everything free for 7 days, then $14.99 once or $2.99/month |
| TVs | Roku only | Roku, LG (webOS), Sony BRAVIA, Samsung (Tizen) |
| Pairing | Pick the Roku from a list | Pick the Roku from a list, no code |
| Volume | Buttons | A turned dial that clicks per step |
| Haptics | Basic | A different press feel per look, on every key |
| Keyboard | Yes | Yes |
| Voice search | Yes (some countries) | No |
| Private listening | Yes | No |
| Looks | One | Eight, including Kid Mode with a volume limit |
| Account | Roku account for some features | None |
When the Roku app is the right choice
If you want private listening, voice search, or a free backup for a lost remote, use Roku’s app. It’s made by Roku and does those things well.
When Couchius is worth it
If your phone is the remote you actually use, small things add up: turning a dial instead of tapping plus fifteen times, feeling each press, a look that suits your room, and Kid Mode for a spare phone. And if your home has an LG, Sony or Samsung TV as well as a Roku, it’s one app for all of them.