Comparison

BLE Beacon Toolkit vs Strainlabs Bolts

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

Head to head
About

BLE Beacon Toolkit

Features
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Scan nearby Bluetooth Low Energy devices, inspect their signals, and test iBeacon identities with your iPhone or iPad. Beacon Tool helps developers, technicians, and makers explore BLE devices and troubleshoot compatible Bluetooth projects. BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY SCANNER β€’ Discover nearby devices broadcasting BLE advertisements. β€’ Inspect advertised names, service information, and raw data. β€’ Search devices and filter for favorites, connectable devices, or iBeacon advertisements. β€’ Save custom names and notes to recognize devices later. LIVE SIGNAL FINDER β€’ Follow a selected device’s signal strength as you move. β€’ View RSSI history and signal trends. β€’ Use changing signal levels to help locate a nearby advertising device. iBEACON SIMULATOR AND MONITORING β€’ Create test identities with UUID, Major, and Minor values. β€’ Start and stop iBeacon advertising. β€’ Monitor selected identities and view matching beacon signals. ADVANCED TOOLS WITH BEACONTOOLS PRO β€’ Explore GATT services and characteristics on compatible, connectable devices. β€’ Read supported values, write to writable characteristics, and subscribe to notifications. β€’ Use a terminal with compatible Nordic UART peripherals. β€’ Save and manually replay reusable GATT write commands. β€’ Record scan and GATT sessions, then export CSV, JSON, or text reports. β€’ Simulate custom GATT peripherals for testing with a second device. β€’ Check expected iBeacon identities during a deployment inspection and export CSV or JSON reports. Pro unlocks advanced tools and removes ads through a one-time lifetime purchase. No subscription. SAVE AND REUSE YOUR SETUP Keep favorite devices, names, and notes organized. Optionally sync saved device names and notes through iCloud. Import and export supported beacon definitions and testing configurations. Bluetooth support depends on the peripheral and its available services. Scanning and simulation work in the foreground. Signal strength and distance readings are estimates. Explore your BLE devices and build your next Bluetooth test with Beacon Tool. β€” WHO IT'S FOR β€” β€’ iOS developers integrating Core Location / Core Bluetooth β€’ IoT and hardware engineers commissioning beacon fleets β€’ Retail, museum, and venue teams testing proximity experiences β€’ QA engineers validating BLE-based features β€’ Hobbyists exploring the world of Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon Multi-Tool is designed to feel fast, focused, and at home on iOS. No bloat, no servers, no accounts β€” just the BLE tools you actually need. Privacy Policy: https://hvhorgz.netlify.app/privacy/beacon Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Strainlabs Bolts

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The Strainlabs app makes it easy to check the preload in your bolted joint directly on site β€”in just a few seconds. During installation or service, you often need to quickly answer one simple question: Is the preload correct or not? With the Strainlabs app, you get the answer instantly on your phone. What you can see in the app: *Preload *Temperature *Bolt information *Battery level *Proof load All data is sent wirelessly via Bluetooth from the Strainlabs bolt straight to the app, giving you immediate feedback wherever you are. Benefits: *Instant on-site verification *No installation required *No router or IT integration needed *Works offline *Faster inspections Perfect for: *Installation *Service and maintenance *Field inspections *Quality assurance With Strainlabs, you get a simpler, faster, and more reliable way to check bolted joints β€”directly in your phone.

Screenshots

BLE Beacon Toolkit4 screens
Strainlabs Bolts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Strainlabs Bolts at none against BLE Beacon Toolkit's 1. Strainlabs Bolts also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly). On price 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. BLE Beacon Toolkit sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Strainlabs Bolts asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BLE Beacon Toolkit ships an update monthly, Strainlabs Bolts every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
BLE Beacon Toolkit versus Strainlabs Bolts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBLE Beacon ToolkitStrainlabs Bolts
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days β€” better
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size14 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVu HieuStrainlabs AB

In-app purchases

1 purchases

BLE Beacon Toolkit

One-time1
  • BLE Beacon Toolkit Pro$4.99
None

Strainlabs Bolts

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BLE Beacon Toolkit free?
BLE Beacon Toolkit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Strainlabs Bolts free?
Strainlabs Bolts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do BLE Beacon Toolkit or Strainlabs Bolts have ads?
BLE Beacon Toolkit shows ads; Strainlabs Bolts does not.
Which is updated more often, BLE Beacon Toolkit or Strainlabs Bolts?
BLE Beacon Toolkit ships an update monthly, and Strainlabs Bolts every 3 days. Most recently, BLE Beacon Toolkit was updated on October 24, 2026 and Strainlabs Bolts on October 16, 2026.

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