IOSEA vs Bluetooth Serial Connect
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
IOSEA
This utility app lets you register and monitor Bluetooth locators. It discovers and tracks BLE beacons and tags, providing real-time data on their angle, 3D location, and proximity.
- Register and monitor BLE locators
- Discover and track BLE beacons and tags
- Real-time angle information
- 3D location tracking
- Proximity and RSSI monitoring
- Access and exchange database information
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IOSEA app allows users to register and conveniently monitor their BLE IOSEA locators. IOSEA’s locators discover and monitor BLE beacons and tags registered to the user. It is a developer utility that allows users to access and exchange information from IOSEA’s database. IOSEA’s database contains information from Bluetooth devices that are discovered from IOSEA’s locator nodes in real-time. This information includes: -Relative angle information of the beacons or tags with respect to IOSEA’s locator in range. -Location information in 3D space of the beacons or tags in range. -Proximity and RSSI for beacons or tags in range and registered under IOSEA.
Bluetooth Serial Connect
Control your Arduino projects with your phone. Design custom interfaces with buttons, joysticks, and displays to send and receive data via Bluetooth low-energy modules. An integrated library simplifies the connection process.
- Customizable control boards
- Button and joystick inputs
- Display integration
- Bluetooth low-energy module support
- Arduino library for easy integration
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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a custom control panel for Arduino and BLE projects, without building a dedicated iOS app. Bluetooth Serial Connect lets you design a board, connect to an HM-10-style Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) UART module, and exchange commands and live readouts with your hardware. The companion Bluetooth Serial Connect Arduino library makes it straightforward to read controls and update displays, indicators, and gauges in your sketch. DESIGN YOUR BOARD Place, move, resize, and customize nine component types: • Buttons with momentary, latch, and repeat behavior • Joysticks, sliders, toggles, and D-pads • Text displays, labels, indicators, and gauges Assign channel numbers that stay fixed when you rearrange controls. Fine-tune colors, labels, value ranges, board appearance, and haptic feedback. Undo and redo changes, duplicate and lock controls, snap them to the grid, and adjust their front-to-back order. START WITH TEMPLATES AND EXAMPLES Explore seven editable board templates for RC cars, robotic arms, menu remotes, sensor hubs, smart-home relays, and more. Companion Arduino sketches and protocol examples help you connect the app to your code. Follow the interactive walkthrough or try a board with simulated data—no hardware required. Import, export, share, and duplicate boards as your projects grow. CONNECT AND TROUBLESHOOT Scan for nearby BLE devices, follow clear connection progress, remember frequently used modules for quick reconnecting, and configure service and characteristic UUIDs. Use the timestamped two-way console to inspect sent and received messages or send console text while you troubleshoot. Setup guides, wiring help, complete examples, and the wire protocol reference are available at bluetooth.henhen1227.com. Bluetooth Serial Connect is designed for HM-10-style BLE modules. Other BLE UART hardware may work when its service and characteristic UUIDs match the app settings. HC-05 and HC-06 Bluetooth Classic modules are not supported. A compatible BLE module is required for live hardware control. FREE OR PRO Start with one board free. Add more by watching rewarded ads, or unlock Bluetooth Serial Pro with a one-time in-app purchase for unlimited boards and no ads. The free version may also show occasional ads after edits. Existing boards remain available to use. No app account is required. Board files stay on your device unless you choose to share them.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: IOSEA at 5.0 against Bluetooth Serial Connect's 3.7. IOSEA also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months). On price, ratings volume, 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.
IOSEA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 7 respectively.
IOSEA ships an update every 3 weeks, Bluetooth Serial Connect every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | IOSEA | Bluetooth Serial Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better | 3.7 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 7 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.2 — better | 16.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 206 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | IoSea LLC | Henry Abrahamsen |
Customer experience
IOSEA
Bluetooth Serial Connect
In-app purchases
IOSEA
No in-app purchases
Bluetooth Serial Connect
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is IOSEA free?
Is Bluetooth Serial Connect free?
Which has better reviews, IOSEA or Bluetooth Serial Connect?
Do IOSEA or Bluetooth Serial Connect have ads?
Which is updated more often, IOSEA or Bluetooth Serial Connect?
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