Optical Power Meter vs VarIoT
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Optical Power Meter
Control handheld optical power meters remotely via Bluetooth. View power readings on a large gauge and a 5-digit display, with min/max tracking. Adjust basic settings like wavelength and zeroing from your mobile device.
- Remote control via Bluetooth
- Large needle gauge display
- 5-digit power reading
- Minimum and maximum readings
- Wavelength correction
- Zeroing function
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The Thorlabs Powermeter App is designed to remote control the PM160 series handheld optical power meters via Bluetooth® connection. This application allows the user to read the optical power from a large needle gauge, supported by a 5 digit display with additional minimum and maximum readings. Basic settings like wavelength correction and zeroing can be performed directly from your mobile device. The app requires a Bluetooth® paired device. Supported Power Meters: - Thorlabs PM160 - Thorlabs PM160T
VarIoT
This app reads sensor data from a barcode, providing digital information about product details and temperature exposure. It offers customizable pass/fail options to ensure products remain within specified temperature ranges, streamlining quality inspection.
- Readable sensor indicator
- Barcode data interpretation
- Temperature threshold monitoring
- Customizable pass/fail options
- Digital record for quality inspection
- Compliance with 8009 (01) standard
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VarIoT™ combines a readable sensor indicator with an existing barcode standard to provide digital data at your fingertips. In compliance with the 8009 (01) standard set by AIM and GS1, VarIoT follows the universal method to interpret temperature thresholds. Paired with the VarIoT customized App, this technology provides dynamic data about the product and the critical temperatures it may have been exposed to. By simply scanning the static label with the VarΙoT App, details about the product, location of the temperature indicator and the temperature threshold will be displayed. Based on the temperature set by the product requirements, the digital record will show customizable pass/fail options for assurance that product has stayed within the specified range. This process takes the human eye out of the equation and provides a digital record for quality inspection and record retention.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: VarIoT at 5.0 against Optical Power Meter's 2.6. Optical Power Meter's advantage is update cadence (every 12 months vs every 71 months) and ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
VarIoT holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Optical Power Meter has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Optical Power Meter ships an update every 12 months, VarIoT every 71 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Optical Power Meter | VarIoT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.6 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months — better | Every 71 months |
| Ads | No | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thorlabs GmbH | American Thermal instruments, Inc. |
Customer experience
Optical Power Meter
VarIoT
In-app purchases
Optical Power Meter
No in-app purchases
VarIoT
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Optical Power Meter free?
Is VarIoT free?
Which has better reviews, Optical Power Meter or VarIoT?
Which is updated more often, Optical Power Meter or VarIoT?
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