Comparison

Foxglove WebSocket Bridge vs SensorStream, powered by ROS 2

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

Head to head
About

Foxglove WebSocket Bridge

Stream robotics and sensor data from your iOS device directly to Foxglove Studio. This application serves as a demonstration, providing libraries and examples to help developers build their own custom servers for real-time data visualization.

Highlights
  • Stream sensor data from iOS
  • Integrates with Foxglove Studio
  • Demonstrates WebSocket Protocol
  • Provides libraries and examples
  • Open-source code available
Features
Read full description

Stream sensor data from your iOS device to Foxglove. This app demonstrates how a custom server can use the Foxglove WebSocket Protocol to stream robotics data into Foxglove. Write your own server starting with the libraries and examples provided at https://github.com/foxglove/ws-protocol. View the source code for this app at https://github.com/foxglove/foxglove-ios-bridge. For further documentation on how to use Foxglove, visit https://docs.foxglove.dev/. ROS and the “nine dots” ROS logo are trademarks of Open Source Robotics Foundation.

About

SensorStream, powered by ROS 2

This app transforms your iPhone into a powerful sensor platform, streaming LiDAR depth, RGB camera, IMU, and GPS data to your computer. It's designed for robotics development and research, offering both Wi-Fi and USB connection options for seamless integration with ROS 2.

Highlights
  • LiDAR depth streaming
  • RGB camera feed
  • IMU data (accelerometer, gyroscope)
  • GPS location data
  • Wi-Fi and USB transport options
  • ROS 2 integration
Read full description

SensorStream turns your iPhone into a sensor platform, streaming LiDAR depth, RGB camera, IMU, and GPS data to your host computer over Wi-Fi or USB. Built for robotics prototypers, researchers, or anyone who wants to use the iPhone's powerful built-in sensor suite. SENSOR STREAMS • LiDAR Depth — 256×192 depth frames at up to 30 FPS from front and back (Wide) cameras (requires a LiDAR-equipped iPhone) • RGB Camera — JPEG-compressed colour frames at up to 30 FPS from the wide-angle camera, or front-facing camera • IMU — accelerometer, gyroscope, and quaternion orientation data at a configurable frequency • GPS — GNSS position TRANSPORT OPTIONS • Wi-Fi (TCP) — connect wirelessly over your local network; scan the server's QR code from the app for instant pairing • USB — low-latency wired connection via PeerTalk / iproxy for demanding real-time applications INTEGRATION • Driver for integration with ROS 2 — a companion driver publishes sensor data directly to ROS 2 topics (/depth_image, /color_image/compressed, /imu/data, /gps/fix) using sensor_msgs message types ON-DEVICE PREVIEW • Real-time depth overlay with adjustable min/max range and colour thresholds • Live camera preview • IMU visualiser for orientation feedback • Per-sensor toggles and settings — configure each sensor independently before streaming HOW IT WORKS 1. Start the companion driver on your computer 2. Open SensorStream, go to Settings → Network, and connect via Wi-Fi (scan the QR code or enter IP/port manually) or USB. 3. Enable the sensors you need on the Dashboard. 4. Tap Start Streaming, that's it. REQUIREMENTS • iPhone with iOS 15.6 or later • LiDAR sensor required for depth streaming (iPhone 12 Pro and later) • Host computer running Python 3.9+ and ROS 2 Humble for the companion server

Screenshots

Foxglove WebSocket Bridge2 screens
SensorStream, powered by ROS 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Foxglove WebSocket Bridge at 5.0 against SensorStream, powered by ROS 2's 3.0. Foxglove WebSocket Bridge also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1). SensorStream, powered by ROS 2's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Foxglove WebSocket Bridge holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Foxglove WebSocket Bridge ships an update monthly, SensorStream, powered by ROS 2 every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 11, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Foxglove WebSocket Bridge versus SensorStream, powered by ROS 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFoxglove WebSocket BridgeSensorStream, powered by ROS 2
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better3.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFoxgloveMartijn Habers

Customer experience

Foxglove WebSocket Bridge

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

SensorStream, powered by ROS 2

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Foxglove WebSocket Bridge

No in-app purchases

None

SensorStream, powered by ROS 2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Foxglove WebSocket Bridge free?
Foxglove WebSocket Bridge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SensorStream, powered by ROS 2 free?
SensorStream, powered by ROS 2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Foxglove WebSocket Bridge or SensorStream, powered by ROS 2?
Foxglove WebSocket Bridge is rated higher. Foxglove WebSocket Bridge averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while SensorStream, powered by ROS 2 averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Foxglove WebSocket Bridge or SensorStream, powered by ROS 2 have ads?
Neither Foxglove WebSocket Bridge nor SensorStream, powered by ROS 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Foxglove WebSocket Bridge or SensorStream, powered by ROS 2?
Foxglove WebSocket Bridge ships an update monthly, and SensorStream, powered by ROS 2 every 5 days. Most recently, Foxglove WebSocket Bridge was updated on October 11, 2026 and SensorStream, powered by ROS 2 on October 11, 2026.

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