ESP vs BLE Serial tiny
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ESP
This utility app allows users to build and configure ESP-MESH networks, leveraging the ESP32 chip. It explores the capabilities of a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth hybrid protocol for innovative wireless networking solutions. The app supports various ESP32-based hardware devices for smart home applications.
- Build and configure ESP-MESH networks
- Explore ESP-MESH protocol capabilities
- Utilize ESP32 chip for networking
- Support for ESP32-MeshKit devices
- Smart home lighting solutions
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ESP-Mesh App is a tool for building and configuring ESP-MESH networks. The tool helps explore the potential of the ESP-MESH protocol developed by Espressif. ESP-MESH can be thought of as an extension of the Wi-Fi protocol. It combines the advantages of both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies to provide innovative solutions that make you re-think how wireless networks can be built using the same networking equipment. Since ESP-MESH has been designed for the ESP32 chip, you can use this protocol to network any hardware devices that incorporate ESP32, either available for purchase or created by you. Espressif offers a line of ESP-MESH hardware devices, called ESP32-MeshKit, to help you get started. This line is specifically designed with the goal to demonstrate the features of the ESP-MESH protocol. The number of available devices is steadily growing. Currently, ESP32-MeshKit includes: ESP32-MeshKit-Light - smart light bulbs. ESP32-MeshKit-Button - remote control with ultra-low power consumption for MeshKit-Light devices. ESP32-MeshKit-Sense - development board for controlling MeshKit peripherals based on the data from its multiple onboard sensors. When built into an ESP-MESH network, these devices present a ready-made solution for smart home lighting. For more details, please see https://github.com/espressif/esp-mdf The source code for the ESP-Mesh App can be found https://github.com/EspressifApp/EspMeshForiOS. It might be helpful in development of your own ESP-MESH applications.
BLE Serial tiny
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With this app it is possible to communicate between Arduino, Raspberry pi or other PC's equipped with an CC2541 or compatible BLE module like a JDY-23 or HM-10. This app is intended as a preview for the full edition with many features. The full edition is available in the app store as " BLEserial HM-10". https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/bleserial-hm-10/id1602239700?l=en
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: BLE Serial tiny at every 3 weeks against ESP's every 2 months. ESP's advantage is iOS requirement (12.3 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ESP ships an update every 2 months, BLE Serial tiny every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 29, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ESP | BLE Serial tiny |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.3 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ESPRESSIF SYSTEMS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD. | Ed Nieuwenhuys |
In-app purchases
ESP
No in-app purchases
BLE Serial tiny
No in-app purchases
