# LightBlue® vs SimpleLink™ Wi

The clearest difference is rating: LightBlue® at 4.3 against SimpleLink™ Wi's 1.0. LightBlue® also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (942 vs 3). SimpleLink™ Wi's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.4). 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.

LightBlue® holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LightBlue® has 942 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, SimpleLink™ Wi every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and August 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LightBlue® | SimpleLink™ Wi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (942 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightblue/id557428110/reviews)** | [1.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplelink-wi-fi-starter-pro/id1069415196/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **942** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Punch Through](https://appshunter.io/developer/557428113) | [Texas Instruments](https://appshunter.io/developer/329739753) |

## 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


### SimpleLink™ Wi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplelink-wi-fi-starter-pro/id1069415196)

This app configures, connects, and communicates with specific wireless devices for IoT applications. It helps users set up Wi-Fi connections and discover other devices on the network.

**Highlights:** Configure Wi-Fi device to connect to access point, Locate other SimpleLink Wi-Fi devices, Connect microcontrollers to IoT, Add embedded Wi-Fi connectivity, Single-chip Wi-Fi solution

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LightBlue® free?

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

### Is SimpleLink™ Wi free?

SimpleLink™ Wi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, LightBlue® or SimpleLink™ Wi?

LightBlue® is rated higher. LightBlue® averages 4.3 out of 5 from 942 ratings, while SimpleLink™ Wi averages 1.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do LightBlue® or SimpleLink™ Wi have ads?

Neither LightBlue® nor SimpleLink™ Wi shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LightBlue® or SimpleLink™ Wi?

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, and SimpleLink™ Wi every 10 months. Most recently, LightBlue® was updated on September 19, 2026 and SimpleLink™ Wi on August 13, 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.*