Comparison

Mobile ESL Assistant vs ESL Helper

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Mobile ESL Assistant

Features
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A convenient tool for managing electronic shelf labels (ESL) in traditional retail, including product inventory, stock positions, and quick SKU searches by article and name. Assists category managers with goods replenishment, updating facings, and planogram changes. Features a barcode scanner for UPC/EAN-(8)13 standards, allowing processing, storing, and binding to ESL price tags, including bulk operations. An essential tool for inventory audits, recounts, shelf reconciliation, and checking product balances. Produces lists of discrepancies, write-offs, and receipts.

About

ESL Helper

Features
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Ontime ESL is a mobile management tool for retail stores using Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL). It helps store staff and technicians perform label binding, product updates, and device maintenance directly from their iPhone, reducing manual verification and improving daily ESL operations. Key Features: β€’ NFC Reading – Read ESL tags via NFC to quickly retrieve device info and complete binding β€’ Bluetooth Connectivity – Connect to ESL devices and access points for status checks and remote control β€’ Barcode Scanning – Scan ESL barcodes and product barcodes to locate devices and items β€’ Label Binding – Standard and quick binding workflows for associating, unbinding, and replacing labels β€’ Product Management – Search and update product details, prices, and display attributes synced to ESL β€’ Device Management – Monitor online/offline and low-battery status; flash labels for locating; force refresh β€’ Access Point (AP) Management – Add, edit, and manage network access points in your store β€’ Operation History – Track binding and price update records for audit and verification β€’ Multi-language & Server Config – Switch languages and connect to your enterprise server Who It's For: Designed for supermarkets, convenience stores, and retail chains using ESL systemsβ€”for installation, rebinding, troubleshooting, and routine inspections. How to Use: Log in with your enterprise account and configure the server address Enable NFC, Bluetooth, and Camera permissions Scan or tap ESL tags via NFC to bind and manage devices This app works with the Ontime ESL backend system and is available only to authorized enterprise users.

Screenshots

Mobile ESL Assistant4 screens
ESL Helper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: ESL Helper at every 6 weeks against Mobile ESL Assistant's every 4 months. ESL Helper also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mobile ESL Assistant ships an update every 4 months, ESL Helper every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Mobile ESL Assistant versus ESL Helper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMobile ESL AssistantESL Helper
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 weeks β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS16.614.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size27 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSergey Kalenikhinζ­ε·žηΎŽζ€η‰Ήζ™Ίθƒ½η§‘ζŠ€θ‚‘δ»½ζœ‰ι™ε…¬εΈ

In-app purchases

None

Mobile ESL Assistant

No in-app purchases

None

ESL Helper

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mobile ESL Assistant free?
Mobile ESL Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ESL Helper free?
ESL Helper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Mobile ESL Assistant or ESL Helper have ads?
Neither Mobile ESL Assistant nor ESL Helper shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mobile ESL Assistant or ESL Helper?
Mobile ESL Assistant ships an update every 4 months, and ESL Helper every 6 weeks. Most recently, Mobile ESL Assistant was updated on October 25, 2026 and ESL Helper on October 16, 2026.

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