# Dabble vs Virtual Gamepad

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dabble at 65% against Virtual Gamepad's 16%. Dabble also leads on rating (3.9 vs 2.4) and ratings volume (128 vs 24). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Dabble holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dabble has 128 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Dabble's written reviews are positive against 16% of Virtual Gamepad's.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dabble | Virtual Gamepad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (128 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dabble-bluetooth-controller/id1472734455/reviews)** | [2.4 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-gamepad/id6478186057/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **128** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | **64.8% of reviews** | 15.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | — |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 18 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [STEMpedia](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472734454) | [Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/359580642) |

## What reviewers say

### Dabble

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dabble-bluetooth-controller/id1472734455)

Control and communicate with hardware like Arduino and ESP32 using your smartphone's sensors and Bluetooth. This app transforms your phone into a virtual controller, offering modules for LED control, terminal commands, gamepad functionality, and access to phone sensors.

**Highlights:** LED Brightness Control, Terminal for text and voice commands, Gamepad control (analog, digital, accelerometer), Pin State Monitor, Phone Sensor access (GPS, mic, accelerometer, etc.), Scratch & Arduino compatible projects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use for beginners
- 🚀 Works well with ESP32 and Arduino
- 💰 Free and fully functional
- 💡 Great for robotics projects
- 📱 Useful phone sensors

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Gamepad issues on iOS
- 🐛 Not all functions available on iPhone
- 🐛 GPS data transfer unreliable
- 🐛 Phone sensor data flaky
- 🐛 UI issues on older versions

**Reported bugs**

- Gamepad doesn't work on iOS
- Joystick values are blank on iOS
- Buttons do not show for gamepad
- Controller function broken on iPhones without a home button
- Gamepad won't turn, only shows left/right controls, format off

**Requested features**

- More buttons on gamepad or custom gamepad creation
- Additional controller types (joystick, button rows)
- Ability to map terminal commands to virtual actions/notifications
- Offline automation and scripts for iOS
- Xbox controller support


### Virtual Gamepad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-gamepad/id6478186057)

Control cloud games on your Samsung Smart TV directly from your iPhone. Connect seamlessly through the SmartThings app and Gaming Hub by scanning a QR code. Enjoy a gamepad-free experience for supported titles.

**Highlights:** Gamepad-free cloud gaming, Connects to Samsung Smart TV, Uses SmartThings mobile app, QR code connection via Gaming Hub, iPhone compatibility (iOS 15+)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dabble free?

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

### Is Virtual Gamepad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dabble or Virtual Gamepad?

Dabble is rated higher. Dabble averages 3.9 out of 5 from 128 ratings, while Virtual Gamepad averages 2.4 from 24 ratings.

### Do Dabble or Virtual Gamepad have ads?

Neither Dabble nor Virtual Gamepad shows ads.

---

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