# BlackBLE vs ESP32

The clearest difference is price: ESP32 at Free against BlackBLE's $0.99. ESP32 also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 11 months). BlackBLE's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

ESP32 is free to download; BlackBLE costs $0.99 up front. ESP32 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BlackBLE asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for BlackBLE against 5.0 for ESP32. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

BlackBLE ships an update every 11 months, ESP32 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BlackBLE | ESP32 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackble/id1204986615/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esp32-cam/id6754187049/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 16 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [RoboCore Tecnologia LTDA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1204986614) | [Peter Sauer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1789152060) |

## What reviewers say

### BlackBLE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackble/id1204986615)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### ESP32

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esp32-cam/id6754187049)

Control and manage ESP32-CAM devices with various camera modules. Stream live video, adjust image settings, and apply creative effects. Effortlessly discover and manage multiple cameras from a single interface.

**Highlights:** Smart network discovery, Live JPEG video streaming, Adjustable image quality and effects, LED flash control, Multi-device management, Save and organize camera configurations

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Support this project | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BlackBLE free?

BlackBLE costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ESP32 free?

ESP32 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, BlackBLE or ESP32?

BlackBLE and ESP32 are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do BlackBLE or ESP32 have ads?

Neither BlackBLE nor ESP32 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BlackBLE or ESP32?

BlackBLE ships an update every 11 months, and ESP32 every 2 weeks. Most recently, BlackBLE was updated on October 3, 2026 and ESP32 on October 4, 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.*