Comparison

nRF Connect for Mobile vs Modbus TCP Station

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

Head to head
About

nRF Connect for Mobile

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
Read full description

nRF Connect is a powerful generic tool that allows you to scan and explore your Bluetooth Low Energy (henceforth Bluetooth LE, also called Bluetooth Version 4.0+ of the Bluetooth specification) devices and communicate with them. nRF Connect also allows your iOS device to advertise as a peripheral, with full support of many of Bluetooth SIG adopted profiles. Additionally, nRF Connect supports Nordic Semiconductor’s Device Firmware Update profile (DFU) capabilities, allowing you to update compatible peripherals! + Features: • Supports DFU on all Nordic Semiconducto-powered devices. • Supports Nordic Thingy™ from Nordic Semiconductor. • Scan and discover nearby Bluetooth LE peripherals. • Filter Scanned Peripherals by Name, Manufacturer, Services (Advertised & Connected) and RSSI Level. • Parsing Multiple Formats of Bluetooth LE Advertisement Data. • Live RSSI Chart of Scanned Bluetooth LE Peripherals. • Complete iPad Support, including Multi-Tasking and Mouse Support as of 13.4. • Logs: Including BLE Function calls, and Export Function as CSV and Text. • Privacy-Oriented: Full-Disclosure of Scanned Data, Advertised Data, and User-Performed Actions held by nRF Connect. • Connecting to Any Connectable Bluetooth LE Smart Device. • Discovery of Services, Characteristics and Descriptors. • Read and Write Characteristics and Descriptors. • Enable and Disable Notifications and Indications. • Advertising as a Bluetooth LE Peripheral. • Setting up a Bluetooth LE (Peripheral) Server and Notifying/Indicating back to connected Central(s). • Low-Fat: nRF Connect for iOS is Very Small, so You Can Always Keep Us With You! >= Requirements: • iOS 16.0 and above. - Notes: nRF Connect also works with our Development Kits, which you may acquire online here: https://www.nordicsemi.com/eng/buy-online

About

Modbus TCP Station

Features
Read full description

Turn your smartphone into a powerful Modbus TCP Master tool! Designed for PLC engineers, system integrators, and DIY enthusiasts, Modbus TCP Station allows you to communicate with, monitor, and control any Modbus TCP-enabled device (PLC, HMI, SCADA, ESP32, Raspberry Pi, etc.) with ease. Whether you are debugging a smart factory system or testing a home automation project, this app provides a professional interface to visualize and manipulate data in real-time. Key Features: • Complete Connectivity: Connect to any Modbus TCP Server (Slave) via IP and Port. • Comprehensive Function Codes: Supports FC01 (Coil), FC02 (Discrete Input), FC03 (Holding Register), and FC04 (Input Register). • Flexible Data Formats: View data in Binary, Unsigned/Signed Integer, Hex, Float, and Double. • Advanced Byte Swapping: Supports Inverse/Swap options for handling complex Word orders (Big Endian/Little Endian). • Real-time Monitoring: Watch your data change instantly with efficient polling. • Write Capabilities: Easily write values to Coils and Registers for device control. Pro Features: • Profile Management: Save and load unlimited connection profiles and register setups. • Ad-Free Experience: Focus on your work without distractions. • Unlimited Views: Create as many data blocks as you need. Multi-Language Support: • English • German (Deutsch) • Korean (한국어) • Japanese (日本語) • Traditional Chinese (繁體中文 - TW/HK) • Simplified Chinese (中文) Why choose Modbus TCP Station? Stop carrying heavy laptops for simple checks. With a clean UI and robust performance, this is the essential pocket tool for every automation engineer. Download now and master your Modbus network!

Screenshots

nRF Connect for Mobile4 screens
Modbus TCP Station4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: nRF Connect for Mobile at none against Modbus TCP Station's 2. nRF Connect for Mobile also leads on ads (none vs shown). Modbus TCP Station's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Modbus TCP Station sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. nRF Connect for Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, Modbus TCP Station every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
nRF Connect for Mobile versus Modbus TCP Station: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameternRF Connect for MobileModbus TCP Station
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (479 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings479 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNordic Semiconductor ASADONGSOO LEE

Bugs and requests

nRF Connect for Mobile

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

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

Modbus TCP Station

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

nRF Connect for Mobile

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Modbus TCP Station

One-time2
  • 1-Month Premium Pass$0.99
  • Premium Upgrade$9.99

Questions

Is nRF Connect for Mobile free?
nRF Connect for Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Modbus TCP Station free?
Modbus TCP Station is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do nRF Connect for Mobile or Modbus TCP Station have ads?
Modbus TCP Station shows ads; nRF Connect for Mobile does not.
Which is updated more often, nRF Connect for Mobile or Modbus TCP Station?
nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, and Modbus TCP Station every 10 days. Most recently, nRF Connect for Mobile was updated on November 6, 2026 and Modbus TCP Station on November 2, 2026.

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