# LightBlue® vs btSWARM

The clearest difference is rating: btSWARM at 5.0 against LightBlue®'s 4.4. btSWARM also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). LightBlue®'s advantage is ratings volume (942 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

btSWARM holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LightBlue® has 942 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, btSWARM every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | LightBlue® | btSWARM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (942 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightblue/id557428110/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/btswarm/id6447056421/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **942** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 66.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Punch Through](https://appshunter.io/developer/557428113) | [Bluepixel Technologies LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1221763602) |

## 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


### btSWARM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/btswarm/id6447056421)

This utility app helps locate proprietary beacons within shipments sent to retailers. It provides a specialized tool for tracking goods in transit.

**Highlights:** Locate proprietary beacons, Track shipments to retailers, Specialized utility tool

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LightBlue® free?

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

### Is btSWARM free?

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

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

btSWARM is rated higher. LightBlue® averages 4.4 out of 5 from 942 ratings, while btSWARM averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do LightBlue® or btSWARM have ads?

Neither LightBlue® nor btSWARM shows ads.

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

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, and btSWARM every 5 weeks. Most recently, LightBlue® was updated on October 24, 2026 and btSWARM on October 24, 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.*