# Bluetooth Smart Discover vs BLE Update

The clearest difference is rating: BLE Update at 5.0 against Bluetooth Smart Discover's 3.0. Bluetooth Smart Discover's advantage is update cadence (every 8 months vs every 23 months) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BLE Update holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

Bluetooth Smart Discover ships an update every 8 months, BLE Update every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bluetooth Smart Discover | BLE Update |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluetooth-smart-discover/id1004015467/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ble-update/id1122011908/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 months** | Every 23 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 12 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microchip Technology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/368610396) | [Arendi AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/686379619) |

## What reviewers say

### Bluetooth Smart Discover

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluetooth-smart-discover/id1004015467)

Scan and connect to nearby Bluetooth Low Energy devices. Discover services and characteristics, then read, write, or enable notifications. View standard advertising data from BLE broadcasters.

**Highlights:** Scan for BLE peripherals, Connect to BLE devices, Discover services and characteristics, Read/write BLE characteristics, Enable BLE notifications, View BLE broadcaster advertising data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### BLE Update

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ble-update/id1122011908)

This utility app enables convenient over-the-air firmware updates for Bluetooth Low Energy devices. It is specifically designed for devices utilizing the Arendi BLE-Platform, allowing seamless updates directly from your mail application.

**Highlights:** Over-the-air firmware updates, Bluetooth Low Energy device support, Arendi BLE-Platform integration, Convenient updates from mail app

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bluetooth Smart Discover free?

Bluetooth Smart Discover is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BLE Update free?

BLE Update is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bluetooth Smart Discover or BLE Update?

BLE Update is rated higher. Bluetooth Smart Discover averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while BLE Update averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Bluetooth Smart Discover or BLE Update have ads?

Neither Bluetooth Smart Discover nor BLE Update shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bluetooth Smart Discover or BLE Update?

Bluetooth Smart Discover ships an update every 8 months, and BLE Update every 23 months. Most recently, Bluetooth Smart Discover was updated on September 25, 2026 and BLE Update on October 6, 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.*