# LightBlue® vs ETRNL Programmer

The clearest difference is rating: ETRNL Programmer at 5.0 against LightBlue®'s 4.3. ETRNL Programmer also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 66%) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). LightBlue®'s advantage is ratings volume (942 vs 2). 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.

ETRNL Programmer 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 2, 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 ETRNL Programmer's.

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, ETRNL Programmer every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LightBlue® | ETRNL Programmer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (942 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightblue/id557428110/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etrnl-programmer/id6478797077/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **942** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 66.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 61 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) | [Invisible Art, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1439233274) |

## 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


### ETRNL Programmer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/etrnl-programmer/id6478797077)

This application allows users to program NTAG424 DNA NFC chips. It connects with the ETRNL platform to facilitate chip configuration.

**Highlights:** Program NTAG424 DNA NFC chips, Connects with ETRNL platform, Facilitates chip configuration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LightBlue® free?

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

### Is ETRNL Programmer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LightBlue® or ETRNL Programmer?

ETRNL Programmer is rated higher. LightBlue® averages 4.3 out of 5 from 942 ratings, while ETRNL Programmer averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do LightBlue® or ETRNL Programmer have ads?

Neither LightBlue® nor ETRNL Programmer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LightBlue® or ETRNL Programmer?

LightBlue® ships an update every 3 weeks, and ETRNL Programmer every 4 weeks. Most recently, LightBlue® was updated on October 6, 2026 and ETRNL Programmer on October 3, 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.*