# TI SimpleLink™ Starter vs Bluetooth Serial Connect

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.

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

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | TI SimpleLink™ Starter | Bluetooth Serial Connect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ti-simplelink-starter/id1037784820/reviews) | **[3.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluetooth-serial-connect/id6449396821/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 291 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Texas Instruments](https://appshunter.io/developer/329739753) | [Henry Abrahamsen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1544660671) |

## What reviewers say

### TI SimpleLink™ Starter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ti-simplelink-starter/id1037784820)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bluetooth Serial Connect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluetooth-serial-connect/id6449396821)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*