BLE Hero vs Simple Server
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BLE Hero
This app is a powerful development tool for Bluetooth Low Energy. It offers comprehensive scanning, connection management, GATT interactions, and detailed logging. Features include DFU support, real-time RSSI plotting, and customizable display formats for data.
- Bluetooth Low Energy scanning
- Device connection management
- GATT service exploration
- Characteristic read/write operations
- Detailed BLE event logging
- DFU support for Nordic, Cypress, Silabs
- Real-time RSSI plot
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BLE Hero is a comprehensive development tool for engineers, software developers, or anyone developing Bluetooth Low Energy enabled products or applications. Light and Dark Modes! Tutorials: - Video Tutorials Under the Help Section DFU Support: - Nordic Semiconductor - Cypress, Silabs, + STMicro coming soon BLE Scanning: - Company IDs from Bluetooth SIG - Search function: Search by any values included in advertisement data - Real-time RSSI plot for each discovered peripheral - Real-time estimated advertisement interval - Full listing of all advertisement data for each discovered peripheral - Favorites support - Ability to permanently ignore devices - Locator Mode! Connections: - Ability to maintain connections to many devices at the same time GATT Interactions: - Attempt reconnection from anywhere in the app! No need to return to the scan results to reconnect - Explore GATT services, characteristics, and descriptors - Read characteristics, notifications/indications ----> Display formats: HEX, ASCII, or UInt8 byte array ----> Read and notification history with timestamps within characteristic view - Write characteristics ----> HEX, ASCII, and Decimal keyboards ----> Write formats: HEX, ASCII, and Decimal ----> Viewable write history with timestamps within characteristic view - Descriptors and descriptor values - Notifications/Indications Logging: - Most detailed logging available - Search function to search for specific events - Logging occurs at a low level, providing detailed information about all BLE events - Advertisement data - Connection events with error descriptions - Disconnection events with error descriptions - Read/write characteristic events with error descriptions - Notification/indication events - GATT discovery events - System status events - Fully configurable: enable or disable each of the log event types - Export logs as text files via email, text, etc..., or save to files
Simple Server
Easily share files and folders from your iPhone or iPad to other devices on the same local network. Browse and manage your files through a web browser, with optional username and password protection. Access logs provide detailed request information.
- Share folders and files locally
- Browse and manage files via web browser
- Username/password protection
- Access logs
- Static HTML preview on iPad
- iCloud folder sharing
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Simple Server is a small web server in your pocket. - Share your folders/files from your iPhone/iPad to other devices in the same local network. - Browse your shared folders and files via browsers easily. - Manage your folders/files on your iPhone/iPad via browsers. - Set a username/password for sharing/managing files. - Support Access Logs displaying HTTP method, URL, remote IP address, and access time of requests and responses. - On iPad, you can preview your static HTML files in Safari with Split View while the web server runs on the same iPad. Two steps to share your folder: 1. In the app, tap "Select folder" and select a folder to be shared. You can choose a folder on your device or iCloud. 2. Tap the "Start Server" button. It's done! Then, connect to the address in a browser on any device in the same network. (e.g., A device that uses the same WiFi router.) Also, you can allow remote users can manage folders and files if you want. Caution: - Simple HTTP Server should be running in the foreground. It cannot be run in the background. If you change to another app or turn off the screen, the web server will stop. - On iPad, you can browse files/folders via Safari with running the web server on the same device, thanks to multitasking. - However, if you switch to another app on your iPhone, the web server will stop. The server status will be automatically recovered when you return to the app. On iPhone, browsing files from other devices is only meaningful. - It works only in a local WiFi network or local wired network. You cannot connect to the web server via a cellular network.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: BLE Hero at Free against Simple Server's $3.99. BLE Hero also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (92% vs 56%). Simple Server's advantage is chart position (#45 vs #204). 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
BLE Hero is free to download; Simple Server costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
BLE Hero holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BLE Hero has 87 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of BLE Hero's written reviews are positive against 56% of Simple Server's.
BLE Hero ships an update every 2 weeks, Simple Server monthly. Both last shipped on September 21, 2026.
| Parameter | BLE Hero | Simple Server |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (87 ratings) — better | 4.3 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 91.9% of reviews — better | 55.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 87 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #204 | #45 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | onceLabs LLC | Bitsbaker LLC. |
Customer experience
BLE Hero
Simple Server
In-app purchases
BLE Hero
No in-app purchases
Simple Server
No in-app purchases









