Comparison

TI SimpleLink™ Starter vs Bluetooth Serial Connect

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

TI SimpleLink™ Starter

Connects Simplelink™ Sensortags and Launchpads to your smartphone and the cloud via Bluetooth Low Energy and WiFi. Supports Over-the-Air upgrades and cloud connectivity through MQTT or dweet.io. Compatible with various development kits.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity
  • WiFi support
  • Cloud connectivity (MQTT, dweet.io)
  • Over-the-Air upgrades
  • Supports multiple development kits
  • Smartphone integration
Features
Read full description

This app connects all your Simplelink(TM) Sensortags and Launchpads to your smartphone and the cloud with Bluetooth Low Energy and WiFi support. Includes support for Over-the-Air upgrades for all development platforms. Cloud connectivity is supported through MQTT to any cloudservice or with dweet.io. To learn more, see the web links to each development kit. The following development kits are currently supported: CC26xR LaunchPad CC1352R LauncPad CC2650 LaunchPad - www.ti.com/launchxl-cc2650 CC2650 SensorTag - www.ti.com/sensortag CC3200 SensorTag - www.ti.com/sensortag CC2650 Remote Control - www.ti.com/rc LPSTK

About

Bluetooth Serial Connect

Control your Arduino projects with your phone. Design custom interfaces with buttons, joysticks, and displays to send and receive data via Bluetooth low-energy modules. An integrated library simplifies the connection process.

Highlights
  • Customizable control boards
  • Button and joystick inputs
  • Display integration
  • Bluetooth low-energy module support
  • Arduino library for easy integration
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a custom control panel for Arduino and BLE projects, without building a dedicated iOS app. Bluetooth Serial Connect lets you design a board, connect to an HM-10-style Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) UART module, and exchange commands and live readouts with your hardware. The companion Bluetooth Serial Connect Arduino library makes it straightforward to read controls and update displays, indicators, and gauges in your sketch. DESIGN YOUR BOARD Place, move, resize, and customize nine component types: • Buttons with momentary, latch, and repeat behavior • Joysticks, sliders, toggles, and D-pads • Text displays, labels, indicators, and gauges Assign channel numbers that stay fixed when you rearrange controls. Fine-tune colors, labels, value ranges, board appearance, and haptic feedback. Undo and redo changes, duplicate and lock controls, snap them to the grid, and adjust their front-to-back order. START WITH TEMPLATES AND EXAMPLES Explore seven editable board templates for RC cars, robotic arms, menu remotes, sensor hubs, smart-home relays, and more. Companion Arduino sketches and protocol examples help you connect the app to your code. Follow the interactive walkthrough or try a board with simulated data—no hardware required. Import, export, share, and duplicate boards as your projects grow. CONNECT AND TROUBLESHOOT Scan for nearby BLE devices, follow clear connection progress, remember frequently used modules for quick reconnecting, and configure service and characteristic UUIDs. Use the timestamped two-way console to inspect sent and received messages or send console text while you troubleshoot. Setup guides, wiring help, complete examples, and the wire protocol reference are available at bluetooth.henhen1227.com. Bluetooth Serial Connect is designed for HM-10-style BLE modules. Other BLE UART hardware may work when its service and characteristic UUIDs match the app settings. HC-05 and HC-06 Bluetooth Classic modules are not supported. A compatible BLE module is required for live hardware control. FREE OR PRO Start with one board free. Add more by watching rewarded ads, or unlock Bluetooth Serial Pro with a one-time in-app purchase for unlimited boards and no ads. The free version may also show occasional ads after edits. Existing boards remain available to use. No app account is required. Board files stay on your device unless you choose to share them.

Screenshots

TI SimpleLink™ Starter2 screens
Bluetooth Serial Connect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bluetooth Serial Connect at 3.7 against TI SimpleLink™ Starter's 2.1. TI SimpleLink™ Starter's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 10 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bluetooth Serial Connect holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 7 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 0% and 0% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TI SimpleLink™ Starter ships an update every 4 months, Bluetooth Serial Connect every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
TI SimpleLink™ Starter versus Bluetooth Serial Connect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTI SimpleLink™ StarterBluetooth Serial Connect
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (7 ratings)3.7 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings77
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 10 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.2
Further details — not scored
Size291 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTexas InstrumentsHenry Abrahamsen

Customer experience

TI SimpleLink™ Starter

All ratings7 ratings
Positive14.3%
Neutral14.3%
Negative71.4%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative80.0%

Bluetooth Serial Connect

All ratings7 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral28.6%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

TI SimpleLink™ Starter

No in-app purchases

None

Bluetooth Serial Connect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TI SimpleLink™ Starter free?
TI SimpleLink™ Starter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bluetooth Serial Connect free?
Bluetooth Serial Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TI SimpleLink™ Starter or Bluetooth Serial Connect?
Bluetooth Serial Connect is rated higher. TI SimpleLink™ Starter averages 2.1 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Bluetooth Serial Connect averages 3.7 from 7 ratings.
Do TI SimpleLink™ Starter or Bluetooth Serial Connect have ads?
Bluetooth Serial Connect shows ads; TI SimpleLink™ Starter does not.
Which is updated more often, TI SimpleLink™ Starter or Bluetooth Serial Connect?
TI SimpleLink™ Starter ships an update every 4 months, and Bluetooth Serial Connect every 10 months. Most recently, TI SimpleLink™ Starter was updated on October 5, 2026 and Bluetooth Serial Connect on September 29, 2026.

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