# LightBlue® vs nRF Connect for Mobile

The clearest difference is rating: nRF Connect for Mobile at 4.5 against LightBlue®'s 4.3. nRF Connect for Mobile also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

nRF Connect for Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 942 and 455 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of LightBlue®'s written reviews are positive against 71% of nRF Connect for Mobile's.

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, nRF Connect for Mobile monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LightBlue® | nRF Connect for Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (942 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightblue/id557428110/reviews) | **[4.5 (455 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-connect-for-mobile/id1054362403/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **942** | 455 |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews | **70.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Punch Through](https://appshunter.io/developer/557428113) | [Nordic Semiconductor ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/497679114) |

## What reviewers say

### LightBlue®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightblue/id557428110)

This app allows users to interact with Bluetooth Low Energy devices. It supports scanning for, connecting to, and analyzing BLE peripherals, as well as simulating your own BLE devices. It's a comprehensive tool for developers and enthusiasts working with BLE technology.

**Highlights:** Scan and discover BLE peripherals, Connect and view device profiles, Read and write characteristics, Subscribe to notifications, Create and advertise virtual BLE devices, Clone peripheral profiles, Log and share BLE events

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Found lost devices
- 🔍 Helpful for locating Bluetooth devices
- 👍 Works great
- 👍 Lifesaver
- 👍 Fantastic app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't work with dead devices
- 🐛 Unreliable connection
- 🐛 Confusing to use
- 🐛 Doesn't work with all devices

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after updates
- Fails to connect Apple Pencil
- Doesn't detect all nearby devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually name devices
- More precise location tracking
- Integration with Siri/Shortcuts


### nRF Connect for Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-connect-for-mobile/id1054362403)

This app is a versatile tool for scanning, exploring, and communicating with Bluetooth Low Energy devices. It also enables your device to act as a peripheral and supports firmware updates for compatible devices.

**Highlights:** Scan and discover Bluetooth LE peripherals, Communicate with Bluetooth LE devices, Advertise as a Bluetooth LE peripheral, Update compatible device firmware (DFU), Filter scanned peripherals, Live RSSI chart, Log BLE function calls

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great product
- 🚀 Very handy
- 🚀 Amazing functionality
- 🚀 Love the technology
- 🚀 Versatile program

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't seem to work on iOS 17
- 🐛 Can't really disconnect from peripherals
- 🐛 New update freezes on launch screen DON'T UPDATE!
- 🐛 Legacy DFU not working
- 🐛 Hitting terrible bug

**Reported bugs**

- Can't read data from Bluetooth device
- Tries to ask for Bluetooth connection when Bluetooth is off. Asks to connect to devices when Bluetooth is off. Who knows what this app is doing in the background without permission?! What ever it is , it ain't good
- Tapping "tabs" doesn't work (nothing changes in the UI). To get some response from tapping UI controls typically requires (a) launching nRF Connect, (b) switching to another app, (c) switching back to nRF Connect. I've tried uninstalling and re-downloading. Same result. This used to be the bee's knees of BLE tools but it's only worth 1 star at the moment (v2.7.11).
- Cant go past the initial announcement. The app is unresponsive to the taps.

**Requested features**

- Where's the mac addresses
- Max rssi limit
- Log view
- We need macros in iOS version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LightBlue® free?

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

### Is nRF Connect for Mobile free?

nRF Connect for Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LightBlue® or nRF Connect for Mobile?

nRF Connect for Mobile is rated higher. LightBlue® averages 4.3 out of 5 from 942 ratings, while nRF Connect for Mobile averages 4.5 from 455 ratings.

### Do LightBlue® or nRF Connect for Mobile have ads?

Neither LightBlue® nor nRF Connect for Mobile shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LightBlue® or nRF Connect for Mobile?

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, and nRF Connect for Mobile monthly. Most recently, LightBlue® was updated on September 19, 2026 and nRF Connect for Mobile on September 23, 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.*