Comparison

TBB BM500 vs Tru

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

Head to head
About

TBB BM500

Features
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TBB'battery monitor kit is composed by a battery shunt and a monitor which allow the user to fully understand his/her battery. Here is some quick facts of this kit: 1) Measurement current is up to 500A 2) Is able to work with battery (or battery bank) 12Vdc, 24Vdc or 48Vdc 3) Compatible with AGM, GEL or LFP battery 4) An elegant design monitor to display battery information such as current, voltage, SOC, time remaining etc. 5) The monitor could be installed at any location where with easy access to users 6) Measurement accuracy: Current: +/- 0.4% Voltage: +/- 0.3%

About

Tru

Features
Read full description

Complete camper and RV heating management, designed for iOS โ€” with a dark Overview dashboard, history charts, Apple Watch, CarPlay, a Home Screen widget and a Lock Screen Live Activity. External hardware required: a self-hosted MQTT/BLE gateway device, configured and provided by the user (not included, not manufactured or sold by MF-Lab). CONTROL FROM YOUR IPHONE See everything at a glance on the Overview screen and tap a card to change it. Choose Bluetooth for local, offline control or MQTT for remote access from anywhere. โ€ข Dual connectivity: Bluetooth (BLE) and MQTT โ€ข Inside temperature with set point and a 6-hour chart โ€ข Hot water half-moon gauge from 0 to 70 ยฐC, with OFF / ECO / HIGH / BOOST โ€ข Heating modes OFF / ECO / HIGH โ€ข Energy mix selection: Gas, Electric or Mix, with power level โ€ข Battery voltage with a charge estimate, or GRID when on shore power โ€ข Detailed error code explanations โ€ข Buttons that always follow the state reported by your gateway โ€ข Built-in Help with setup, controls and troubleshooting HISTORY Follow inside temperature, water temperature and battery voltage over 1 hour, 6 hours, 24 hours or 7 days. Data is recorded while the app is connected, including in the background, and gaps are shown as gaps. An Energy Source chart shows how long each setting was selected. History is stored on your device only. ON YOUR WRIST A dedicated Apple Watch app shows inside temperature and hot water side by side, with battery and energy source, and lets you adjust the room temperature, heating mode and hot water with large buttons that show the active setting. Get an alert right on your wrist the moment something needs attention. IN THE CAR Check your camper's status from the CarPlay screen: large colored cards for inside temperature, hot water, battery and energy, plus connection details, laid out for a quick glance with minimal distraction. ON YOUR HOME SCREEN AND LOCK SCREEN Add the Tru-Control widget to see your heater's last known status without opening the app, or start the Live Activity to keep temperatures, battery and energy source on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island while the app is connected. ON IPAD Tru-Control runs as a compact floating window you can place next to other apps. ONE-TIME PURCHASE A single one-time purchase unlocks commands, Apple Watch, CarPlay and the widget. No subscription. You can restore a previous purchase or redeem an offer code from Settings. Tru-Control is an independent, unofficial application and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any heating system manufacturer. This app uses the standard Apple End User License Agreement (EULA), available here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

TBB BM5004 screens
Tru4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TBB BM500 at none against Tru's 3. TBB BM500 also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.2). Tru's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Tru sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. TBB BM500 asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TBB BM500 ships an update every 6 months, Tru weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
TBB BM500 versus Tru: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTBB BM500Tru
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsWeekly โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch โ€” better
Requires iOS11.0 โ€” better18.2
Further details โ€” not scored
Size31 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTBB Power Co., LtdMarco Frigerio

In-app purchases

None

TBB BM500

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Tru

Subscriptions2
  • Tru-Control Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Tru-Control Annual Subscription$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Tru-Control Lifetime$5.99

Questions

Is TBB BM500 free?
TBB BM500 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tru free?
Tru is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TBB BM500 or Tru have ads?
Neither TBB BM500 nor Tru shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TBB BM500 or Tru?
TBB BM500 ships an update every 6 months, and Tru weekly. Most recently, TBB BM500 was updated on November 4, 2026 and Tru on October 31, 2026.

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