# nRF Blinky vs Bluefruit Playground

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bluefruit Playground at every 6 weeks against nRF Blinky's every 9 months. nRF Blinky's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

nRF Blinky ships an update every 9 months, Bluefruit Playground every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | nRF Blinky | Bluefruit Playground |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluefruit-playground/id1489549571/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nordic Semiconductor ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/497679114) | [Adafruit Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/492487674) |

## What reviewers say

### nRF Blinky

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-blinky/id1325014347)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bluefruit Playground

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluefruit-playground/id1489549571)

This app wirelessly connects to specific hardware to control LEDs, display sensor data like light and temperature, and play sounds. It allows users to interact with electronic devices for fun and learning without coding.

**Highlights:** Control LED color and animation, View sensor data (light, temperature, accelerometer), Monitor button and switch states, Play tones and music, Animate 3D puppets, View barometer and humidity data

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is nRF Blinky free?

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

### Is Bluefruit Playground free?

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

### Do nRF Blinky or Bluefruit Playground have ads?

Neither nRF Blinky nor Bluefruit Playground shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, nRF Blinky or Bluefruit Playground?

nRF Blinky ships an update every 9 months, and Bluefruit Playground every 6 weeks. Most recently, nRF Blinky was updated on October 20, 2026 and Bluefruit Playground on October 21, 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.*