# BLE Update vs Thingy

The clearest difference is update cadence: Thingy at every 3 months against BLE Update's every 23 months. Thingy also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for BLE Update against 5.0 for Thingy. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

BLE Update ships an update every 23 months, Thingy every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | BLE Update | Thingy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ble-update/id1122011908/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thingy52/id1187887000/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 23 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 124 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Arendi AG](https://appshunter.io/developer/686379619) | [Nordic Semiconductor ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/497679114) |

## What reviewers say

### BLE Update

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ble-update/id1122011908)

This utility app enables convenient over-the-air firmware updates for Bluetooth Low Energy devices. It is specifically designed for devices utilizing the Arendi BLE-Platform, allowing seamless updates directly from your mail application.

**Highlights:** Over-the-air firmware updates, Bluetooth Low Energy device support, Arendi BLE-Platform integration, Convenient updates from mail app

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Thingy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thingy52/id1187887000)

Interact with a multi-sensor IoT device to capture and view environmental data, motion, and audio. Control the device's LED, speaker, and trigger events through a user-friendly interface without needing programming skills.

**Highlights:** View temperature, humidity, air quality, and pressure, Compass, step counter, and tap detection, Accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer data, Control RGB LED color, brightness, and mode, Stream audio to and from the device, Trigger programmable events, Update device firmware

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BLE Update free?

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

### Is Thingy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BLE Update or Thingy?

BLE Update and Thingy are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do BLE Update or Thingy have ads?

Neither BLE Update nor Thingy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BLE Update or Thingy?

BLE Update ships an update every 23 months, and Thingy every 3 months. Most recently, BLE Update was updated on October 6, 2026 and Thingy on October 6, 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.*