Comparison

BlackBLE vs MicroBlue

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

Head to head
About

BlackBLE

Control Arduino devices via Bluetooth Low Energy from your iPhone. Send characters to trigger actions, use your phone as a joystick, and receive data. A simple way to connect your microcontroller projects to your mobile device.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth LE connection to HC-08 modules
  • Send characters to microcontroller
  • Joystick mode for device control
  • Receive data from Bluetooth
  • Simple button interface
Features
Read full description

Finally you will be able to send information through Bluetooth to your Arduino using your iPhone! With this app, you can connect to a Bluetooth Low Energy module HC-08 and send characters to it. With these characters you can program actions in your microcontroller to be executed when receiving. On a very simple way, press the black Bluetooth icon on the upper right screen to see the list of every HC-08 available nearby. Press the name of your module and the app will automatically connect to it. When pressing each button of the app, the character present on button label will be send through Bluetooth and you can read it in a serial protocol on the module. Do you want more? What about rotating your iPhone and make it a joystick to control robots or whatever kind of system you want? If you rotate your device, screen will automatically changes to a joystick, with the same concept than the previous screen. And, of course, you can receive information from bluetooth and read on your screen (maximum of 20 bytes, or 20 chars). Now you can control whatever device using Bluetooth with your iPhone!

About

MicroBlue

This app connects to microcontrollers via Bluetooth/BLE, offering a customizable interface for control and interaction. It supports various components like joysticks and buttons, streamlining hobbyist and professional projects.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth/BLE connectivity
  • Customizable control interface
  • D-pads, joysticks, buttons, sliders
  • Text input support
  • Works with Arduino and Raspberry Pi
  • Writable custom service communication
Features
Read full description

The ultimate companion app for your microcontroller projects! Whether you're a hobbyist or a professional, MicroBlue simplifies the way you interact with your microcontrollers through seamless Bluetooth/BLE connectivity. Connect effortlessly and explore the potential of your projects with an intuitive interface designed for customization. Customize your layout using a variety of components such as d-pads, joysticks, buttons, sliders, switches, and text inputs. Tailor the interface to suit your specific needs and project requirements. It has been verified to work with: - Arduino Uno R3 with HM10 - Arduino Uno R4 Minima with HM10 - Arduino Uno R4 Wifi - Raspberry Pi Pico with HM10 - Raspberry Pi Pico W - ESP32-S3 Starting from v1.1.1, the app communicates exclusively with the writable custom services of the connected devices. Empower your creativity and streamline your projects with MicroBlue. Take your microcontroller experience to the next level today! For assistance and more information, visit: https://snappyxo.io/microblue.

Screenshots

BlackBLE3 screens
MicroBlue4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MicroBlue at Free against BlackBLE's $0.99. MicroBlue also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months). BlackBLE's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.4). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases 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

MicroBlue is free to download; BlackBLE costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BlackBLE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BlackBLE ships an update every 11 months, MicroBlue every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
BlackBLE versus MicroBlue: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlackBLEMicroBlue
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better4.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better13.4
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRoboCore Tecnologia LTDAMechanismic Inc.

Customer experience

BlackBLE

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

MicroBlue

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

BlackBLE

No in-app purchases

None

MicroBlue

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BlackBLE free?
BlackBLE costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MicroBlue free?
MicroBlue is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BlackBLE or MicroBlue?
BlackBLE is rated higher. BlackBLE averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while MicroBlue averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do BlackBLE or MicroBlue have ads?
Neither BlackBLE nor MicroBlue shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BlackBLE or MicroBlue?
BlackBLE ships an update every 11 months, and MicroBlue every 3 months. Most recently, BlackBLE was updated on September 16, 2026 and MicroBlue on September 27, 2026.

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