# LightBlue® vs Dabble

The clearest difference is update cadence: LightBlue® at every 3 weeks against Dabble's every 6 months. LightBlue® also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (942 vs 128). Dabble's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and review sentiment (75% vs 66%). 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 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LightBlue® has 942 ratings behind it against 128, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of LightBlue®'s written reviews are positive against 75% of Dabble's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, Dabble every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LightBlue® | Dabble |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (942 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightblue/id557428110/reviews)** | [3.9 (128 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dabble-bluetooth-controller/id1472734455/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **942** | 128 |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Punch Through](https://appshunter.io/developer/557428113) | [STEMpedia](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472734454) |

## 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


### Dabble

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dabble-bluetooth-controller/id1472734455)

Control and communicate with hardware like Arduino and ESP32 using your smartphone's sensors and Bluetooth. This app transforms your phone into a virtual controller, offering modules for LED control, terminal commands, gamepad functionality, and access to phone sensors.

**Highlights:** LED Brightness Control, Terminal for text and voice commands, Gamepad control (analog, digital, accelerometer), Pin State Monitor, Phone Sensor access (GPS, mic, accelerometer, etc.), Scratch & Arduino compatible projects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use for beginners
- 🚀 Works well with ESP32 and Arduino
- 💰 Free and fully functional
- 💡 Great for robotics projects
- 📱 Useful phone sensors

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Gamepad issues on iOS
- 🐛 Not all functions available on iPhone
- 🐛 GPS data transfer unreliable
- 🐛 Phone sensor data flaky
- 🐛 UI issues on older versions

**Reported bugs**

- Gamepad doesn't work on iOS
- Joystick values are blank on iOS
- Buttons do not show for gamepad
- Controller function broken on iPhones without a home button
- Gamepad won't turn, only shows left/right controls, format off

**Requested features**

- More buttons on gamepad or custom gamepad creation
- Additional controller types (joystick, button rows)
- Ability to map terminal commands to virtual actions/notifications
- Offline automation and scripts for iOS
- Xbox controller support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LightBlue® free?

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

### Is Dabble free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LightBlue® or Dabble?

LightBlue® is rated higher. LightBlue® averages 4.3 out of 5 from 942 ratings, while Dabble averages 3.9 from 128 ratings.

### Do LightBlue® or Dabble have ads?

Neither LightBlue® nor Dabble shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LightBlue® or Dabble?

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, and Dabble every 6 months. Most recently, LightBlue® was updated on September 30, 2026 and Dabble 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.*