# Dabble vs BLE Controller

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dabble | BLE Controller |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (128 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dabble-bluetooth-controller/id1472734455/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ble-controller-arduino-esp32/id6754522781/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **128** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 64.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 18 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [STEMpedia](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472734454) | [CircuitMagic Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1848639668) |

## 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


### BLE Controller

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ble-controller-arduino-esp32/id6754522781)

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.

**Highlights:** Customizable button interface, Real-time serial console, Device scanning and management, Bi-directional communication, Offline functionality, Dark and light themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dabble free?

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

### Is BLE Controller free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dabble or BLE Controller?

BLE Controller is rated higher. Dabble averages 3.9 out of 5 from 128 ratings, while BLE Controller averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Dabble or BLE Controller have ads?

Neither Dabble nor BLE Controller shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dabble or BLE Controller?

Dabble ships an update every 6 months, and BLE Controller every 2 weeks. Most recently, Dabble was updated on October 8, 2026 and BLE Controller on October 2, 2026.

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