Comparison

i vs Live BMS

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

Head to head
About

i

Control two-color lamp strings with a simple, intuitive interface. Intelligently manage colorful and white lights, and customize display patterns through the app's functions.

Highlights
  • Control two-color lamp strings
  • Manage colorful and white lights
  • Remote control-like interface
  • Intelligent display pattern control
  • Simple and easy operation
Features
Read full description

i-string is an APP used to control two-color lamp strings. It controls colorful/white lights like a remote control. The interface is like a remote control, simple and easy to operate.The display pattern of the colored lights can be intelligently controlled through the function key on the APP. You are welcome to download and try.

About

Live BMS

Monitor multiple LiFePO4 batteries from a single dashboard. View real-time data like charge, voltage, temperature, and cycle count. Get estimates for time to full or empty, and track battery health and performance.

Highlights
  • Unified dashboard for all batteries
  • Real-time charge, voltage, and current
  • Per-cell voltage monitoring
  • Time to full/empty estimates
  • Battery bank grouping
  • Trip tracking and history
  • Remote output control
Features
Read full description

Live BMS puts every one of your lithium batteries on a single, beautiful dashboard — no more switching between manufacturer apps. Connect over Bluetooth to your LiFePO4 packs and watch what actually matters, live: state of charge, pack voltage, current, per-cell voltages, temperature, cycle count, and health. A liquid-fill charge ring and clear in/out power flow make each battery readable at a glance, and a running estimate tells you how long until the pack is full while charging or empty while it's under load. Built for people running more than one battery — on a boat, an RV, a van, or an off-grid solar setup. WATCH FROM ANYWHERE (OPTIONAL) Add the Live BMS Link, a small Wi-Fi bridge that sits with your batteries, and your dashboard keeps updating when you're nowhere near the boat. Without it, Live BMS works exactly as it always has — Bluetooth only, nothing leaves your phone. FEATURES • One dashboard for all your batteries, updating in real time • Auto-detects supported BMS units — no fiddling with settings • Live "time to full" and "time to empty" at the current rate • Battery banks: group the packs wired together and see one combined charge, power draw, and runtime • Trip tracking: compare where you started to now, burn rate, and days remaining at your current use • Per-cell voltage bars and imbalance so you can spot a weak cell • History charts for charge, voltage, and current • Remote output on/off, including a master switch for all batteries • Alerts for low charge, high temperature, and cell imbalance — with plain-language guidance on what to set • Optional Live BMS Link accessory for checking your batteries from anywhere • Fahrenheit or Celsius, and Light / Dark / System themes FREE VS PRO The free version shows live charge and voltage for one battery — so you can prove it works with your hardware before paying anything. A single $4.99 unlock adds everything else: full telemetry, trips, history, alerts, power control, banks, and unlimited batteries. SUPPORTED BATTERIES Works with LiTime, Power Queen, and Redodo LiFePO4 batteries, plus common JBD / Xiaoxiang, JK-BMS, and Daly BMS units. More families are being added. PRIVACY Live BMS has no accounts, no ads, and no analytics. It talks directly to your batteries over Bluetooth and stores your history on your phone. If you add the optional Live BMS Link, your own battery readings pass through our server so you can see them remotely — nothing else does, and none of it is tied to your name, your email, or anything that identifies you. Note: Live BMS is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by LiTime, Power Queen, Redodo, or any BMS manufacturer.

Screenshots

i2 screens
Live BMS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Live BMS at every 6 days against i's every 2 months. i's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for i against 5.0 for Live BMS. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

i ships an update every 2 months, Live BMS every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
i versus Live BMS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriLive BMS
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS10.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHeng Chih HuangTim Jones

Customer experience

i

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Live BMS

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

i

No in-app purchases

None

Live BMS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is i free?
i is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Live BMS free?
Live BMS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, i or Live BMS?
i and Live BMS are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do i or Live BMS have ads?
Neither i nor Live BMS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, i or Live BMS?
i ships an update every 2 months, and Live BMS every 6 days. Most recently, i was updated on October 4, 2026 and Live BMS on September 29, 2026.

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