# Bluetooth Smart Data vs nRF Connect for Mobile

The clearest difference is rating: nRF Connect for Mobile at 4.5 against Bluetooth Smart Data's 3.2. nRF Connect for Mobile also leads on ratings volume (478 vs 5). Bluetooth Smart Data's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 71%) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, 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.

nRF Connect for Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: nRF Connect for Mobile has 478 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Bluetooth Smart Data's written reviews are positive against 71% of nRF Connect for Mobile's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Bluetooth Smart Data ships an update every 2 months, nRF Connect for Mobile every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bluetooth Smart Data | nRF Connect for Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluetooth-smart-data/id1004033562/reviews) | **[4.5 (478 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-connect-for-mobile/id1054362403/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **478** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 70.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 11 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microchip Technology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/368610396) | [Nordic Semiconductor ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/497679114) |

## What reviewers say

### Bluetooth Smart Data

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluetooth-smart-data/id1004033562)

This utility app allows users to scan and connect to specific Bluetooth Low Energy peripherals. It facilitates data transfer, performance testing, remote module configuration, and firmware upgrades over-the-air.

**Highlights:** Scan and connect to BLE peripherals, Data transfer via MLDP, Measure throughput with performance tab, Remote module configuration, Device firmware upgrades over-the-air (DFU-OTA)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### nRF Connect for Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-connect-for-mobile/id1054362403)

This app is a versatile tool for scanning, exploring, and communicating with Bluetooth Low Energy devices. It also enables your device to act as a peripheral and supports firmware updates for compatible devices.

**Highlights:** Scan and discover Bluetooth LE peripherals, Communicate with Bluetooth LE devices, Advertise as a Bluetooth LE peripheral, Update compatible device firmware (DFU), Filter scanned peripherals, Live RSSI chart, Log BLE function calls

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great product
- 🚀 Very handy
- 🚀 Amazing functionality
- 🚀 Love the technology
- 🚀 Versatile program

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't seem to work on iOS 17
- 🐛 Can't really disconnect from peripherals
- 🐛 New update freezes on launch screen DON'T UPDATE!
- 🐛 Legacy DFU not working
- 🐛 Hitting terrible bug

**Reported bugs**

- Can't read data from Bluetooth device
- Tries to ask for Bluetooth connection when Bluetooth is off. Asks to connect to devices when Bluetooth is off. Who knows what this app is doing in the background without permission?! What ever it is , it ain't good
- Tapping "tabs" doesn't work (nothing changes in the UI). To get some response from tapping UI controls typically requires (a) launching nRF Connect, (b) switching to another app, (c) switching back to nRF Connect. I've tried uninstalling and re-downloading. Same result. This used to be the bee's knees of BLE tools but it's only worth 1 star at the moment (v2.7.11).
- Cant go past the initial announcement. The app is unresponsive to the taps.

**Requested features**

- Where's the mac addresses
- Max rssi limit
- Log view
- We need macros in iOS version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bluetooth Smart Data free?

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

### Is nRF Connect for Mobile free?

nRF Connect for Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bluetooth Smart Data or nRF Connect for Mobile?

nRF Connect for Mobile is rated higher. Bluetooth Smart Data averages 3.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while nRF Connect for Mobile averages 4.5 from 478 ratings.

### Do Bluetooth Smart Data or nRF Connect for Mobile have ads?

Neither Bluetooth Smart Data nor nRF Connect for Mobile shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bluetooth Smart Data or nRF Connect for Mobile?

Bluetooth Smart Data ships an update every 2 months, and nRF Connect for Mobile every 5 weeks. Most recently, Bluetooth Smart Data was updated on October 29, 2026 and nRF Connect for Mobile on October 31, 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.*