Blynk IoT vs Bluetooth Serial Connect
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Blynk IoT
Build custom IoT apps without coding using a drag-and-drop interface. Manage devices, users, and data remotely with a powerful web console and scalable cloud infrastructure. Supports over 400 hardware boards and various connection options.
- Drag-n-drop IoT app builder
- Device and user management
- OTA firmware updates
- Secure cloud infrastructure
- Hardware compatibility (400+ boards)
- Real-time alerts and automations
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Trusted by over 1 million IoT developers worldwide, Blynk lets you build and customize beautiful, feature-rich apps without writing a single line of code. Blynk solves IoT complexity at every stage with easy workflows for end-user device activation, WiFi provisioning, seamless OTA firmware updates, enterprise-grade security, and much more! ⊲ Not Just an App... Blynk is an award-winning low-code IoT platform that supports IoT at any scale—from personal prototypes to millions of connected devices in production environments. 2024 Leader: IoT Platforms (G2) 2024 High Performer: IoT Management (G2) 2024 Momentum Leader: IoT Development Tools (G2) Designed, developed, tested, and continuously maintained, Blynk provides the building blocks of a fully integrated cloud IoT platform software solution—loved by customers and their end-users around the world! ⊲ Here’s What You Get When You Sign Up: Blynk.Apps: Drag-n-drop IoT app builder to build and brand feature-rich mobile apps in minutes and instantly manage devices, users, and data remotely. Blynk.Console: A powerful web portal to manage devices, users, and organizations, perform OTA firmware updates, and handle other important business functions. Blynk.Cloud: Cloud infrastructure needed to securely host, scale, and monitor your IoT solutions. Receive, store, and process data in real-time or at intervals. Connect to your other systems via APIs. Private server options are available. ⊲ Secure, Scalable Enterprise-Grade Infrastructure Processing over 180 billion hardware messages monthly, Blynk provides secure, end-to-end encryption between the cloud, apps, and devices with 24/7 incident monitoring, ensuring you don’t have to worry about security. ⊲ Robust Hardware Compatibility Supporting over 400 hardware development boards—including ESP32, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Seeed, Particle, SparkFun, Blues, Adafruit, Texas Instruments, and more—Blynk makes it easy to connect your devices to the cloud using WiFi, Ethernet, Cellular (GSM, 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE), LoRaWAN, HTTPs, or MQTT. ⊲ Flexible Connection Options Blynk Library: Pre-configured C++ library for low-latency, bi-directional communication. Blynk.Edgent: Advanced features with less code for data exchange, WiFi provisioning, OTA firmware updates, and API access to apps and cloud. Blynk.NCP: High-quality network co-processor integration for dual MCU architecture. HTTP(s) API: Standard protocol to securely communicate and transfer data. MQTT API: Secure, versatile two-way communication for building MQTT dashboards or panels. ⊲ What an IoT Developer Can Do with Blynk: • Easy Device Activation • Device WiFi Provisioning • Sensor Data Visualization • Shared Access to Devices • Data Analytics • Remote Device Control • Asset Tracking • Firmware Over-the-Air (OTA) Updates • Multi-Device Management with a Single App • Real-Time Alerts: Send and receive push and email notifications. • Automations: Create scenarios for one or multiple devices based on various triggers. • Manage Multi-Level Organizations and Access to Devices • Voice Assistant Integration: Interact with devices using Amazon Alexa and Google Home. To use the Blynk IoT app, you must agree to our Terms of Use - https://blynk.io/tos
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: Blynk IoT at 4.5 against Bluetooth Serial Connect's 3.7. Blynk IoT also leads on review sentiment (42% vs 0%) and ads (none vs shown). Bluetooth Serial Connect's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (16.2 vs 18.0). On price and device support 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. Blynk IoT sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Bluetooth Serial Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.
Blynk IoT holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blynk IoT has 819 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of Blynk IoT's written reviews are positive against 0% of Bluetooth Serial Connect's.
Blynk IoT ships an update monthly, Bluetooth Serial Connect every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and July 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Blynk IoT | Bluetooth Serial Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (819 ratings) — better | 3.7 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 42.2% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 819 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 16.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 83 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Blynk Technologies | Henry Abrahamsen |
Customer experience
Blynk IoT
Bluetooth Serial Connect
Bugs and requests
Blynk IoT
Reported bugs
4 issues- Connectivity issues with devices
- Widgets not working as expected
- Account deletion without warning
- Incompatibility with older hardware
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Bluetooth support
- Better documentation and tutorials
- Restore legacy app functionality
- Affordable pricing for hobbyists
Bluetooth Serial Connect
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Blynk IoT
- Blynk MAKER - Monthly$6.991 Month
- Blynk Starter - Monthly$29.001 Month
- Blynk PRO (40 users) Monthly$48.991 Month
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- Blynk MAKER - Yearly$59.991 Year
- Blynk PRO (100 users) Monthly$98.991 Month
- Blynk PRO (50 users) Monthly$99.001 Month
- Blynk PRO (500 users) Monthly$299.991 Month
Bluetooth Serial Connect
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Blynk IoT free?
Is Bluetooth Serial Connect free?
Which has better reviews, Blynk IoT or Bluetooth Serial Connect?
Do Blynk IoT or Bluetooth Serial Connect have ads?
Which is updated more often, Blynk IoT or Bluetooth Serial Connect?
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