# nRF Connect for Mobile vs Couchside

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: nRF Connect for Mobile at none against Couchside's 1. nRF Connect for Mobile also leads on ratings volume (478 vs 10). Couchside's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Couchside sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. nRF Connect for Mobile asks for nothing beyond the download.

Couchside holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: nRF Connect for Mobile has 478 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of nRF Connect for Mobile's written reviews are positive against 100% of Couchside's.

nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, Couchside every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | nRF Connect for Mobile | Couchside |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (478 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-connect-for-mobile/id1054362403/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/couchside-remote/id6786884115/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **478** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 70.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nordic Semiconductor ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/497679114) | [Taylor Emery](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896613747) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Couchside

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/couchside-remote/id6786884115)

Transform your iPhone into a remote console, game launcher, and controller for your Linux gaming PC. Monitor system health, fix issues without a keyboard, and launch games directly from your couch.

**Highlights:** Live system monitoring dashboard, One-tap runbook actions for troubleshooting, Browse system logs remotely, Launch Steam games and custom applications, Virtual Xbox 360 game controller, Trackpad and swipe control modes, Easy QR code pairing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Couchside Forever Unlock | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is nRF Connect for Mobile free?

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

### Is Couchside free?

Couchside is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, nRF Connect for Mobile or Couchside?

Couchside is rated higher. nRF Connect for Mobile averages 4.5 out of 5 from 478 ratings, while Couchside averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do nRF Connect for Mobile or Couchside have ads?

Neither nRF Connect for Mobile nor Couchside shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, nRF Connect for Mobile or Couchside?

nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, and Couchside every 2 days. Most recently, nRF Connect for Mobile was updated on November 2, 2026 and Couchside on October 28, 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.*