# microbitBLE vs Group Control

The clearest difference is update cadence: microbitBLE at every 2 months against Group Control's every 7 months. Group Control's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

microbitBLE ships an update every 2 months, Group Control every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | microbitBLE | Group Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microbitble/id1635024315/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 2 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Atsushi Yamada](https://appshunter.io/developer/301497489) | [Shenzhen Hiwonder Technology Co.,Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1090806812) |

## What reviewers say

### microbitBLE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microbitble/id1635024315)

Connect your smartphone to a micro:bit device via Bluetooth. Send text from your keyboard to display on the micro:bit's LED, and receive messages sent from the micro:bit. Ideal for interactive coding projects and learning.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth UART connection, Send text to micro:bit LED, Receive messages from micro:bit, Button press triggers messages, Interactive coding projects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Group Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/group-control/id6738078206)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is microbitBLE free?

microbitBLE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Group Control free?

Group Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do microbitBLE or Group Control have ads?

Neither microbitBLE nor Group Control shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, microbitBLE or Group Control?

microbitBLE ships an update every 2 months, and Group Control every 7 months. Most recently, microbitBLE was updated on October 26, 2026 and Group Control on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*