# BusyBox vs IP Scanner

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BusyBox at none against IP Scanner's 4. BusyBox also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26). IP Scanner's advantage is ratings volume (891 vs 2) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On price, rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. IP Scanner sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. BusyBox asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for BusyBox against 4.6 for IP Scanner. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IP Scanner has 891 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

BusyBox ships an update every 3 months, IP Scanner fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BusyBox | IP Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busybox-tools/id1309419688/reviews) | **[4.6 (891 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ip-scanner/id6443819966/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **891** |
| Positive reviews | — | 60.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 16 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 26 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sindcon(Singapore) IoT Technology PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1309419687) | [Matia labs, inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1726732402) |

## What reviewers say

### BusyBox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busybox-tools/id1309419688)

Manage IoT devices with a suite of tools supporting LoRa, WiFi, and other communication protocols. This application is designed for monitoring various meters like gas, water, and electric.

**Highlights:** IoT device management, LoRa support, WiFi connectivity, Meter monitoring (gas, water, electric), Support for flowmeters

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### IP Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ip-scanner/id6443819966)

This app scans your local network to identify all active devices. It offers fast results, customizable device information, and tools like PING and Wake on LAN. Save and manage past scans for easy reference.

**Highlights:** Fast network scanning, Customizable device names and icons, Save and review past scans, PING, Wake on LAN, Port Scan tools, Save and import custom device lists, Import/export scan results

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IP Scanner Pro Upgrade (iOS) | $19.99 | one-time |
| IP Scanner Pro Upgrade (MacOS) | $19.99 | one-time |
| IP Scanner Ultra (from Pro) | $19.99 | one-time |
| IP Scanner Ultra | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and effective
- 🚀 Immediate response to issues
- 📈 Indispensable for home and SMB networks
- 🔍 Useful network scanning tool
- 🔧 Helps identify devices on the network

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes on startup or update
- 💰 Expensive for full functionality
- 🤔 Confusing or non-intuitive UI
- 🔍 Difficulty identifying some devices
- 🔋 Resource-intensive scanning

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup
- Unstable on macOS
- Inconsistent scan results across devices
- Loses custom device names after scans
- Detects devices that are no longer on the network

**Requested features**

- Ability to print selected fields
- Include notes in printouts
- Resizable settings window
- Option to block or remove devices
- Improved device identification


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BusyBox free?

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

### Is IP Scanner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BusyBox or IP Scanner?

IP Scanner is rated higher. BusyBox averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while IP Scanner averages 4.6 from 891 ratings.

### Do BusyBox or IP Scanner have ads?

Neither BusyBox nor IP Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BusyBox or IP Scanner?

BusyBox ships an update every 3 months, and IP Scanner fortnightly. Most recently, BusyBox was updated on October 6, 2026 and IP Scanner on October 13, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*