# LightBlue® vs Magic Smoke

The clearest difference is rating: Magic Smoke at 5.0 against LightBlue®'s 4.3. Magic Smoke also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 66%) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). LightBlue®'s advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (942 vs 10). 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.

Magic Smoke holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LightBlue® has 942 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of LightBlue®'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Magic Smoke's.

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, Magic Smoke every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LightBlue® | Magic Smoke |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (942 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightblue/id557428110/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-smoke/id1594832483/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **942** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Punch Through](https://appshunter.io/developer/557428113) | [Caleb Barnett Wheeler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1719539575) |

## 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


### Magic Smoke

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-smoke/id1594832483)

Establish custom TCP connections to send specific commands. Save up to ten commands for quick access, or type any message directly. This utility is ideal for testing network connections and embedded systems.

**Highlights:** Custom TCP connection setup, Save up to ten custom commands, Send any typed message, Appends carriage return and linefeed, Supports IP address and port input

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LightBlue® free?

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

### Is Magic Smoke free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LightBlue® or Magic Smoke?

Magic Smoke is rated higher. LightBlue® averages 4.3 out of 5 from 942 ratings, while Magic Smoke averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do LightBlue® or Magic Smoke have ads?

Neither LightBlue® nor Magic Smoke shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LightBlue® or Magic Smoke?

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, and Magic Smoke every 5 months. Most recently, LightBlue® was updated on October 14, 2026 and Magic Smoke on September 25, 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.*