Dabble vs BLE Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dabble
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.
- 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
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Dabble is a versatile project interaction & Bluetooth controller app for Arduino, ESP32 & evive that replaces a wide variety of electronic components and exploits the inbuilt features and sensors of your Smartphone like the GPS, mic & accelerometer thus transforming into a virtual treasury of infinite shields & more. It lets you control & communicate with hardware via Bluetooth. It also provides you with dedicated projects compatible with Scratch & Arduino to help you learn by doing. What Dabble has in store: Currently Available Modules: • LED Brightness Control: Control brightness of LEDs and digital/analog pins. • Terminal: Send and receive textual and voice commands over Bluetooth. • Gamepad: Control devices/robot in analog (Joystick), digital, and accelerometer mode. • Pin State Monitor: Remotely monitor the live status of devices and debug them. • Phone Sensor: Access different sensors of your Smartphone such as the accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, magnetometer, light meter, sound meter, GPS, temperature sensor, and barometer to make projects and conduct experiments. Coming Soon: • Motor Control (Coming Soon): Control actuators such as the DC motor and servo motor. • Inputs (Coming Soon): Provide analog and digital inputs via buttons, knobs, and switches. • Camera (Coming Soon): Use the camera of your Smartphone for taking photos, record videos, colour picking, and face recognition (coming soon). • IoT (Coming Soon): Log data, publish it on cloud, and access data from API. • Oscilloscope (Coming Soon): Visualize and analyse the input and output signals given to the device using the oscilloscope module. • Music (Coming Soon): Receive commands from the device and play tones, songs, or other recorded audio files on your Smartphone. • Projects (Coming Soon): Make dedicated projects to experience different concepts of the real world first-hand like home automation, line-follower, and robotic arm. Boards Compatible with Dabble: • evive • Arduino Uno • Arduino Mega • Arduino Nano • ESP32 Bluetooth Modules Compatible with Dabble: • HM-10 BT 4.0 BLE (or AT-09) Want to know more about Dabble? Visit: https://thestempedia.com/product/dabble/ Module Documentation: https://thestempedia.com/docs/dabble/ Getting Started with Dabble: https://thestempedia.com/docs/dabble/getting-started-with-dabble/ Projects that you can make: https://thestempedia.com/product/dabble-app/ Permissions required for: Bluetooth: to provide connectivity. Microphone: to send voice commands and use the sound meter. Location: to use Location sensor and BLE.
BLE Controller
This app enables wireless control of microcontrollers like Arduino and ESP32 via Bluetooth Low Energy. It features a customizable remote interface, a serial console for real-time data monitoring, and device management tools for makers and hobbyists.
- Customizable button interface
- Real-time serial console
- Device scanning and management
- Bi-directional communication
- Offline functionality
- Dark and light themes
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Control your Arduino, ESP32, STM32, Micro:bit and IoT devices wirelessly with BLE Controller - the ultimate Bluetooth Low Energy remote and serial terminal for makers, hobbyists, and professionals. POWERFUL BLUETOOTH CONTROL BLE Controller provides seamless wireless communication with your microcontroller projects. Connect to any Bluetooth-enabled Arduino, ESP32, ESP8266, or IoT device and take full control from your iPhone or iPad. CUSTOMIZABLE REMOTE CONTROL Create your perfect control interface with fully customizable buttons. Each button can be personalized with: - Custom labels and commands - Color-coded organization - Icon selection from 20+ options - Instant command transmission Perfect for robot control, smart home automation, motor control, LED strips, servo control, and more. Send commands like Forward, Backward, Left, Right, Stop, or any custom serial commands your project needs. SERIAL CONSOLE & TERMINAL Monitor real-time data from your devices with the built-in serial console. View sensor readings, debug messages, and system logs as they happen. Send custom commands directly to your device and receive instant feedback. Features: - Real-time data streaming - Command history - Clear and organized log view - Custom baud rate configuration - Bi-directional communication SMART DEVICE MANAGEMENT - Quick scan for nearby BLE devices - Auto-save recent connections - RSSI signal strength monitoring - One-tap reconnection to favorite devices - Device connection history PROFESSIONAL FEATURES - Dark and light theme options - Haptic feedback for tactile response - Offline functionality - no internet required - Privacy-focused - your data stays on your device - No subscription fees or in-app purchases PERFECT FOR - Arduino robot control (cars, drones, rovers) - ESP32/ESP8266 IoT projects - Home automation systems - Robotics competitions - STEM education and learning - Prototype testing and development - Maker projects and hackathons - Industrial automation - Smart device integration - Serial communication testing EASY SETUP 1. Enable Bluetooth on your device 2. Upload BLE serial code to your Arduino/ESP32 3. Tap "Scan" to find your device 4. Connect and start controlling 5. Customize buttons for your project needs RELIABLE & STABLE Built with professional-grade Bluetooth libraries ensuring stable connections and reliable data transmission. Advanced error handling and automatic reconnection keep you connected to your projects. CONTINUOUS UPDATES We're committed to making BLE Controller the best Bluetooth control app for makers. Regular updates bring new features, improvements, and bug fixes. SUPPORT & COMMUNITY Need help? Our support team is ready to assist with setup questions, connection issues, or feature requests. Join thousands of makers worldwide using BLE Controller for their projects. COMPATIBLE PLATFORMS • Arduino (Uno, Mega, Nano with BLE module) • ESP32 (built-in BLE) • ESP8266 (with external BLE module) • HC-05/HC-06 Bluetooth modules • nRF52 boards • Raspberry Pi with Bluetooth • Any device with BLE serial capability Start building amazing wireless projects today. Download BLE Controller and bring your IoT devices to life!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BLE Controller at 5.0 against Dabble's 3.9. BLE Controller also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 65%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months). Dabble's advantage is ratings volume (128 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
BLE Controller holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dabble has 128 ratings behind it against 2, 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 100% of BLE Controller's.
Dabble ships an update every 6 months, BLE Controller every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dabble | BLE Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (128 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 128 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 18 MB | 64 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | STEMpedia | CircuitMagic Inc. |
Customer experience
Dabble
BLE Controller
Bugs and requests
Dabble
Reported bugs
15 issues- 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
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- Gamepad doesn't load properly, shows only two arrows
- Game pad section is useless after iOS 16 update, doesn't show entire gamepad
- Lag and robot continues to move
- Joystick resets values when action button is pressed
- GPS data transfer not reliable
- Phone sensor data is flaky
- UI completely messed up due to no updates
- Auto connect problem (BLE services in reverse order)
- Doesn't connect to Nintendo Switch Lite, no SYNC button
- Gamepad doesn't display on iPhone 8, works on iPad
Requested features
7 requests- 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
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Motor control on iPhone
- Pro version with more options
BLE Controller
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Dabble
No in-app purchases
BLE Controller
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Dabble free?
Is BLE Controller free?
Which has better reviews, Dabble or BLE Controller?
Do Dabble or BLE Controller have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dabble or BLE Controller?
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