# Ham Radio Toolbox vs BLE Buddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BLE Buddy at 100% against Ham Radio Toolbox's 33%. BLE Buddy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Ham Radio Toolbox's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Ham Radio Toolbox is free to download; BLE Buddy costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BLE Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ham Radio Toolbox has 194 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Ham Radio Toolbox's written reviews are positive against 100% of BLE Buddy's.

Ham Radio Toolbox ships an update every 6 days, BLE Buddy every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ham Radio Toolbox | BLE Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (194 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-radio-toolbox/id6745102884/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ble-buddy/id6757338331/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **194** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Paid |
| Size | 35 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nuno Facha](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721195029) | [Richard Stokes](https://appshunter.io/developer/1684839871) |

## What reviewers say

### Ham Radio Toolbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ham-radio-toolbox/id6745102884)

This app provides essential tools for amateur radio enthusiasts, including real-time propagation data, a DX cluster viewer, and a dipole calculator. It offers a streamlined interface for checking band conditions and planning communication strategies.

**Highlights:** Real-Time Propagation Data, DX Cluster Viewer, Dipole Calculator, Band Maps, No Account Needed, No Personal Data Collected

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### BLE Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ble-buddy/id6757338331)

Explore nearby Bluetooth Low Energy devices and view their metadata. This tool is designed for educational and development purposes, allowing you to inspect device states and communicate directly with compatible BLE devices.

**Highlights:** Discover nearby BLE devices, Display enumerable device metadata, View device state, Establish terminal connection, Communicate directly with BLE devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ham Radio Toolbox free?

Ham Radio Toolbox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BLE Buddy free?

BLE Buddy costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ham Radio Toolbox or BLE Buddy?

BLE Buddy is rated higher. Ham Radio Toolbox averages 4.7 out of 5 from 194 ratings, while BLE Buddy averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Ham Radio Toolbox or BLE Buddy have ads?

Ham Radio Toolbox shows ads; BLE Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ham Radio Toolbox or BLE Buddy?

Ham Radio Toolbox ships an update every 6 days, and BLE Buddy every 2 months. Most recently, Ham Radio Toolbox was updated on October 24, 2026 and BLE Buddy on October 9, 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.*