Comparison

nRF Mesh vs Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

nRF Mesh

Easily deploy and manage Bluetooth Mesh networks. Control individual nodes, configure network settings, and update device firmware remotely. Supports a wide range of BLE devices compatible with Bluetooth Mesh.

Highlights
  • Node provisioning and identification
  • Remote provisioning capabilities
  • Network and application key configuration
  • Node control via various server models
  • Device firmware updates
  • Granular control over publication data and subscriptions
  • Explore node capabilities and security settings
Features
Read full description

nRF Mesh allows you to easily deploy nodes to any Bluetooth Mesh compatible Nodes, giving you flexibility to deploy many different Mesh network Setups. Features: • Identifying: Identify a node before provisioning it. • Provisioning: Deployment of a new Node is as simple as a press of a button. All Out-Of-Band (OOB) methods are supported. • Remote Provisioning: Allows provisioning Nodes that are too faw to reach them directly. • Configuration: Create Network and Application keys or use the randomly generated ones, subscribe to groups and setup your nodes for publishing. • Node Control: Control nodes with Generic OnOff Server, Generic Level Server, Generic OnPowerUp Server, Scene Server and many other models. • Device Firmware Update: Quickly send a new firmware to the Distributor and observe it slowly distributing it to all the nodes. Additionally, you may also run the following configuration commands on your network: • Fully control node publication data. All publication parameters are configurable. • Add/Remove one or more subscription addresses on a model. • Create own AppKeys, or generate them using the builtin crypto-safe generator. • Bind/unbind an Application Key to a specific model for full granular control of your networks' security. • Explore the nodes' capabilities to view all elements, models, provisioning time and date, Manufacturer and available vendor data. • Set the Default TTL on a per-node basis. • Manage global AppKey list on a node. • And much more... Hardware support: - This version of the app is capable of communicating with any BLE devices that speak Bluetooth Mesh! - We recommend nRF5 devices with our nRF SDK for Mesh or nRF Connect SDK.

About

Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs

This app enables Bluetooth mesh networking on iOS devices. It allows users to provision and configure Bluetooth mesh devices, manage network nodes, and control devices implementing light and lightness models.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth mesh networking implementation
  • Device provisioning
  • Node configuration
  • Publish and subscribe settings
  • Node grouping
  • Light and lightness model control
Features
Read full description

This application implements Bluetooth mesh networking for the iOS operating system. The Bluetooth Mesh by Silicon Labs application can be used to provision Bluetooth mesh capable devices and add them as nodes into a Bluetooth mesh network. The application also supports the configuration of the mesh models, publish and subscribe settings as well grouping of nodes. The application also implements light and lightness models for Bluetooth mesh, so it can be used to control Bluetooth mesh nodes which implement the same models. The application implements the Bluetooth mesh networking stack from the GATT bearer and up all the way to the mesh model layer. The native Bluetooth stack on iOS is used to open LE GATT connections to Bluetooth mesh nodes with a proxy feature enabled.

Screenshots

nRF Mesh4 screens
Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: nRF Mesh at 4.0 against Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs's 3.1. nRF Mesh also leads on review sentiment (30% vs 0%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

nRF Mesh holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of nRF Mesh's written reviews are positive against 0% of Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

nRF Mesh ships an update every 6 weeks, Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
nRF Mesh versus Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameternRF MeshBluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (3 ratings) — better3.1 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews30.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings37 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNordic Semiconductor ASASilicon Labs

Customer experience

nRF Mesh

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative60.0%

Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs

All ratings7 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

nRF Mesh

No in-app purchases

None

Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is nRF Mesh free?
nRF Mesh is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs free?
Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, nRF Mesh or Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs?
nRF Mesh is rated higher. nRF Mesh averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs averages 3.1 from 7 ratings.
Do nRF Mesh or Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs have ads?
Neither nRF Mesh nor Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs shows ads.
Which is updated more often, nRF Mesh or Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs?
nRF Mesh ships an update every 6 weeks, and Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs every 2 months. Most recently, nRF Mesh was updated on November 3, 2026 and Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs on November 2, 2026.

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