Comparison

piDisplay vs BTBerryWifi

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

Head to head
About

piDisplay

Features
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Control your official Raspberry Pi Foundation 7" touchscreen display backlight and brightness from any iOS device. Toggle power and activity LEDs if you want. Shell command utility to run commands on your pi from iOS. Optional SwiftServer (Swift on Linux) for blazing fast response - you can still use SSH if you want though. The server-side software (on the raspberry pi) has only been tested on Raspbian Stretch and pi 3B+ The installer for the pi server software will install Swift on your pi then build and install the server for you but you can modify and/or run it manually. The Apple Watch app will still work when the iPhone app is not in the foreground but only ssh communication works in background mode.

About

BTBerryWifi

Easily connect your headless Raspberry Pi to a new Wi-Fi network using Bluetooth. Select networks, enter passwords, and manage connections without a monitor or keyboard. Offers advanced features for supporters, including enhanced security and detailed network information.

Highlights
  • Connect headless Raspberry Pi via Bluetooth
  • Select Wi-Fi networks and enter passwords
  • Connect to hidden SSID networks
  • Save networks for future use
  • View IP addresses and MAC addresses
  • Detailed network strength and frequency information
Features
Read full description

The Problem: Your headless Raspberry Pi needs to connect to a new wifi network. You cannot use ssh because your Mac/Pc is on the new network (and the old network is not available). You do not have access to a monitor/keyboard/mouse. Or your RPi is sealed in a box. The Solution: The BTBerryWifi app connects to your Headless Raspberry Pi via bluetooth, and allows you to select a wifi network seen by your Raspberry Pi. A simple familiar interface displays the network SSID (name) , the strength icon , and whether the wifi network is locked (encoded) or open.   Tap the network to connect. If the network is locked, the app prompts you for the network's password (key).  The Raspberry Pi is now connected! You can also connect to hidden SSID network .  Any network you connect to at least once is saved on the raspberry pi for future re-use. Extra features for supporters: Encryption to secure network SSID and passwords from bluetooth eavesdropping. This also locks the Raspberry Pi to only those to whom you give a password so other users with this app cannot connect to your RPi. Extra information about the RPi:  - IP4, IP6 addresses on the wifi network. - Mac address of the ethernet, wifi and bluetooth adapters. - Detail strength (dbM) and channel/frequency of all networks around the pi. (great for handling interference!) - user defined info from the RPi displayed on the iPhone/iPad Notes:  1) IMPORTANT:  You must FISRT install the corresponding python program on the Raspberry Pi in order for the Raspberry Pi to communicate with the iPhone app.The python code to be installed is available for free (open source).  An installation script is provided: follow the instructions at https://normfrenette.com/Set-wifi-via-bluetooth/Installation-RaspberryPi-automatic/ or https://github.com/nksan/Rpi-SetWiFi-viaBluetooth 2) Tested on Raspberry Pi 3B+,4 and 5 (OS: Buster(10), Bullseye(11), Bookworm(12), Ubuntu) & Banana pi (Armbian). 3) The app user guide can be found at: https://normfrenette.com/Set-wifi-via-bluetooth/iPhone-App-iPhone-app-usage/ 4) there are also demo/user guides videos: - setting the wifi network (various options): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt_nxcghhZE - using "supporter" features: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-VTXTclnhw

Screenshots

piDisplay2 screens
BTBerryWifi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: piDisplay at none against BTBerryWifi's 4. piDisplay also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 26 months) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 15.0). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. BTBerryWifi sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. piDisplay asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

piDisplay ships an update every 3 months, BTBerryWifi every 26 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
piDisplay versus BTBerryWifi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpiDisplayBTBerryWifi
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.9 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—7 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 26 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.1 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIan JonesNormand Frenette

In-app purchases

None

piDisplay

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

BTBerryWifi

One-time4
  • additional support$3.99
  • Supporter$4.99
  • I love it! Supporter$7.49
Show 1 more
  • I so needed this! supporter$9.99

Questions

Is piDisplay free?
piDisplay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BTBerryWifi free?
BTBerryWifi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do piDisplay or BTBerryWifi have ads?
Neither piDisplay nor BTBerryWifi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, piDisplay or BTBerryWifi?
piDisplay ships an update every 3 months, and BTBerryWifi every 26 months. Most recently, piDisplay was updated on November 11, 2026 and BTBerryWifi on November 3, 2026.

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