Universal BLE vs NFC Studio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Universal BLE
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Universal BLE is an open-source developer tool for exploring and testing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices. It empowers developers, engineers, and hobbyists to discover, connect, and debug BLE devices with a consistent cross-platform experience. Key Features Device Discovery Real-time scanning โ Discover nearby BLE devices with live results; scanning continues when you open a device's detail screen Flexible filters โ Filter by service UUIDs, name prefix, or manufacturer data (comma- or newline-separated) Saved filter presets โ Save, rename, and reuse filter combinations; filters persist across app sessions Search โ Search devices by name or by company name (resolved from manufacturer data via Bluetooth company identifiers) Sort options โ Sort the device list by RSSI, last seen, or name Company identification โ Show company name from manufacturer data using the Bluetooth SIG company identifier list RSSI and advertisements โ View signal strength (RSSI), last advertisement (name, RSSI, timestamp), and a list of received ads that flashes on new advertisements System devices โ On supported platforms, view and connect to devices already connected at the system level (with optional service filter) Connection Management Connect and disconnect โ Connect to and disconnect from BLE peripherals with one tap Auto-reconnect โ Optional auto-connect for reconnection when a device becomes available again Connection state โ Real-time connection state updates Multiple connections โ Support for multiple simultaneous device connections Service & Characteristic Exploration GATT discovery โ Discover all services and characteristics on connected devices with detailed, human-readable formatting Favorite services โ Mark services as favorites; they appear first in the list (system services last) Property filters โ Filter characteristics by property (read, write, notify, indicate, etc.) with visual filter chips Navigation โ Previous/next buttons to move between characteristics without collapsing the list Copy services โ Copy the full discovered GATT layout (e.g. for documentation or debugging) from the Services panel header Data Operations Read โ Read characteristic values on demand Write โ Write data to characteristics (with or without response) Subscribe โ Subscribe to notifications/indications per characteristic or "subscribe to all" for notifiable characteristics Live updates โ Incoming values are shown in the logs with timestamps; clear or copy the full log Pairing & Security Pair and unpair โ Initiate pairing and unpair devices when supported Pairing state โ Monitor pairing state changes in real time Advanced & Developer Options MTU โ Request a larger MTU (e.g. 247) for better throughput where supported Command queue โ Choose queue type in the drawer: Global (single queue), Per Device, or None (parallel) Configurable timeout โ Set operation timeout (e.g. 10 seconds) for all BLE operations Logs โ Operation log with copy-all and per-entry clear; comprehensive error handling with detailed codes UUID formats โ Accepts common UUID string formats (e.g. with or without hyphens) UI & Cross-Platform Responsive layout โ Adapts to mobile, tablet, and desktop (e.g. breakpoints at 600px and 1000px) Bluetooth status โ Bluetooth availability icon with tooltip (tap on mobile to see state) Permissions โ Guided permission flow where required (e.g. location for BLE on Android); re-checks on app resume Cross-platform โ Built with the universal_ble plugin for consistent behavior across supported platforms Perfect For Developers building BLE-enabled applications Engineers testing and debugging BLE devices Hobbyists exploring IoT and smart device capabilities Students learning about Bluetooth Low Energy technology QA teams validating BLE device functionality
NFC Studio
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NFC Studio is an iPhone app for reading, writing, and managing NFC tags in one place. Use Quick Scan to inspect a tag instantly and view parsed records, UID, technology, writable status, memory, and chip details. Create and write tag records with support for: - Text - URL - Email - Phone - SMS - Contact card - Location - Wi-Fi - Bluetooth - Custom raw data Need to program many tags? Use Batch Write for a sequential workflow with optional verification. Use Tools for practical NFC actions and diagnostics, including compatibility checks, memory checks, erase, lock, and format actions (when supported by the tag). Save snapshots to your library to keep a history of scanned and written tags for later reference. NFC Studio is built for fast, practical NFC work on iPhone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: Universal BLE at 3 against NFC Studio's 1. Universal BLE also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Universal BLE | NFC Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | โ |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 โ better | 17.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Navideck Labs OU | Didac Sabates Duran |
In-app purchases
Universal BLE
No in-app purchases
NFC Studio
No in-app purchases









