BlackBLE vs MicroBlue
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Bluetooth LE connection to HC-08 modules
- Send characters to microcontroller
- Joystick mode for device control
- Receive data from Bluetooth
- Simple button interface
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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!
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.
- Bluetooth/BLE connectivity
- Customizable control interface
- D-pads, joysticks, buttons, sliders
- Text input support
- Works with Arduino and Raspberry Pi
- Writable custom service communication
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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
Verdict
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
MicroBlue is free to download; BlackBLE costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | BlackBLE | MicroBlue |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better | 4.5 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 13.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | RoboCore Tecnologia LTDA | Mechanismic Inc. |
Customer experience
BlackBLE
MicroBlue
In-app purchases
BlackBLE
No in-app purchases
MicroBlue
No in-app purchases









