# BLE Scanner 4.0 vs BLESerial nRF

The clearest difference is rating: BLESerial nRF at 5.0 against BLE Scanner 4.0's 4.3. BLESerial nRF also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 58%) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). BLE Scanner 4.0's advantage is ratings volume (614 vs 1) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BLE Scanner 4.0 sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. BLESerial nRF asks for nothing beyond the download.

BLESerial nRF holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BLE Scanner 4.0 has 614 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of BLE Scanner 4.0's written reviews are positive against 100% of BLESerial nRF's.

BLE Scanner 4.0 ships an update every 6 weeks, BLESerial nRF every 6 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | BLE Scanner 4.0 | BLESerial nRF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (614 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ble-scanner-40-bluetooth-le/id1221763603/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bleserial-nrf/id1632235163/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **614** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 57.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 29 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bluepixel Technologies LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1221763602) | [Ed Nieuwenhuys](https://appshunter.io/developer/1602239702) |

## What reviewers say

### BLE Scanner 4.0

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ble-scanner-40-bluetooth-le/id1221763603)

Explore and manage Bluetooth Low Energy devices with this comprehensive utility. Discover, connect, and analyze BLE signals, including iBeacon and Eddystone data. Ideal for developers and users tracking smart gadgets.

**Highlights:** Instant BLE device discovery with RSSI, Radar view for device distance visualization, Smart filtering by name, UUID, RSSI, and more, iBeacon and Eddystone scanning, Data export to CSV, Custom BLE advertising packet creation, Secure GATT service and characteristic exploration

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advertiser Plan | $2.99 | per month |
| Cloud Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Ultimate Subscription | $5.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Detects Bluetooth devices well
- 👍 Useful for development and testing
- 🔍 Helps find lost Bluetooth devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes or doesn't work on some devices
- 🤔 Unclear or confusing user interface
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with permissions

**Reported bugs**

- Stuck in update loop after latest version
- Search and filtering functions not working
- Crashes when trying to add new iBeacons

**Requested features**

- Add distance or location information for detected devices
- Improve filtering and sorting of detected devices
- Provide more detailed device information
- Add support for more Bluetooth device types


### BLESerial nRF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bleserial-nrf/id1632235163)

This app provides a direct serial terminal connection to Nordic nRF52 Bluetooth Low Energy boards. It allows for real-time command sending and data reception without cables or adapters. Features include device scanning, a smooth scrolling console, and smart alerts for specific data patterns.

**Highlights:** Real-time data transfer, Device scanning and connection, Customizable console view, Smart data alerts, Configurable UUIDs, Bluetooth explorer

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BLE Scanner 4.0 free?

BLE Scanner 4.0 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is BLESerial nRF free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BLE Scanner 4.0 or BLESerial nRF?

BLESerial nRF is rated higher. BLE Scanner 4.0 averages 4.3 out of 5 from 614 ratings, while BLESerial nRF averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do BLE Scanner 4.0 or BLESerial nRF have ads?

Neither BLE Scanner 4.0 nor BLESerial nRF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BLE Scanner 4.0 or BLESerial nRF?

BLE Scanner 4.0 ships an update every 6 weeks, and BLESerial nRF every 6 months. Most recently, BLE Scanner 4.0 was updated on October 24, 2026 and BLESerial nRF 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.*