nRF Programmer for Thingy vs IoT sensors
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
nRF Programmer for Thingy
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The nRF Programmer allows users to upload precompiled firmware samples from the nRF Connect SDK to your Nordic Thingy:53 over Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE), without connecting to a PC or external programmer. This allows you to easily test out different applications and update firmware without the need of having physical access to the device. Read more about Thingy:53 at https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Development-hardware/Nordic-Thingy-53
IoT sensors
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IoT sensors is a development app for visualisation of sensor data sent as JSON over BLE, TCP or UART. The sensor type is detected automatically, showing appropriate UI elements. Sensors can be shared with other clients by enabling bridge mode. – Thingy:91 temperature, pressure, humidity, air resistance, ambient light, accelerometer, impact, LED control – compass with 3D calibration, gravity, gyroscope, battery state of charge – JSON format for sensor data – connectivity: BLE, TCP, UART – bridge TCP to BLE or UART requires g_relay, gncom or compatible server, and allows multiple clients to share a single sensor – compatible with sensor samples from nano RTOS – new sensors can be added on demand
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: IoT sensors at monthly against nRF Programmer for Thingy's every 8 months. IoT sensors also leads on device support (4 vs 2). nRF Programmer for Thingy's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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.
nRF Programmer for Thingy ships an update every 8 months, IoT sensors monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | nRF Programmer for Thingy | IoT sensors |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nordic Semiconductor ASA | Georgi Valkov |
In-app purchases
nRF Programmer for Thingy
No in-app purchases
IoT sensors
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is nRF Programmer for Thingy free?
Is IoT sensors free?
Do nRF Programmer for Thingy or IoT sensors have ads?
Which is updated more often, nRF Programmer for Thingy or IoT sensors?
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