# nRF Connect for Mobile vs NearSight

The clearest difference is rating: NearSight at 5.0 against nRF Connect for Mobile's 4.5. NearSight also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). nRF Connect for Mobile's advantage is ratings volume (478 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

NearSight 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, NearSight fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | nRF Connect for Mobile | NearSight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (478 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-connect-for-mobile/id1054362403/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearsight/id6789324781/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **478** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 70.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nordic Semiconductor ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/497679114) | [Benjamin Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/6789324783) |

## 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


### NearSight

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearsight/id6789324781)

Discover the unseen world around you by decoding Bluetooth signals from nearby devices. Identify earbuds, trackers, and sensors, with optional AI insights for plain-language explanations. This app prioritizes privacy, working offline without ads or tracking.

**Highlights:** Real-time Bluetooth device scanning, Device identification (make, model, type), Detection of unknown devices, Raw advertisement and signal strength inspection, Optional AI-powered insights, Offline functionality, Privacy-focused design

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is nRF Connect for Mobile free?

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

### Is NearSight free?

NearSight is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

NearSight is rated higher. nRF Connect for Mobile averages 4.5 out of 5 from 478 ratings, while NearSight averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

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

Neither nRF Connect for Mobile nor NearSight shows ads.

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

nRF Connect for Mobile ships an update every 5 weeks, and NearSight fortnightly. Most recently, nRF Connect for Mobile was updated on November 2, 2026 and NearSight on October 24, 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.*