Savvy Shield vs NearSight
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Savvy Shield
This app reveals and blocks background data connections to trackers and data brokers. It provides a clear, plain-English explanation of company data practices and assigns a privacy score based on your device's activity. Take back control of your personal information.
- Reveals device contacts with trackers
- Blocks known trackers and ad networks
- Explains company data practices
- Provides a privacy score
- Shows blocked connections
- On-device VPN configuration
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Savvy Shield shows you where your iPhone's data actually goes, then stops it. Every day, your apps quietly connect to trackers, ad networks, and data brokers in the background. Savvy Shield turns that hidden activity into a clear, plain-English view, so you can see which companies your phone is talking to and take back control. WHAT SAVVY SHIELD DOES • Reveals the trackers and destinations your device contacts • Blocks known trackers and ad networks before they load • Explains, in plain English, what each company takes and what its terms allow • Gives you a privacy score based on real evidence from your device • Shows you exactly what was blocked, so you can check the number yourself HOW IT WORKS On iPhone and iPad, Savvy Shield installs a small on-device VPN configuration built on Apple's Network Extension framework. It carries only your device's DNS lookups, the name-to-address requests, to Savvy's encrypted resolver. It does not route your web traffic through Savvy's servers, and it is not a general-purpose VPN. Because it uses Apple's VPN framework, iOS shows a VPN icon in the status bar while it is on. You allow it with one tap and can turn it off anytime in the app. Savvy Shield never reads the content of your messages or browsing. When a tracker is blocked, no connection is opened and nothing is uploaded. Some ads are not affected. Services that deliver ads from the same place as their own content, like video and social feeds, will still show them. We would rather tell you that than promise otherwise. BUILT BY A PRIVACY COMPANY We don't sell your data. We don't run ads. No hidden tracking. No account or sign-in is needed. SAVVY SHIELD SUBSCRIPTION • Savvy Shield Monthly, $4.99 per month, auto-renewable • Savvy Shield Yearly, $49.99 per year, auto-renewable • Prices shown in US dollars; your App Store storefront sets the local price • Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase • Your subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings Terms of Use (EULA): https://savvysignals.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://savvysignals.com/privacy
NearSight
Discover the unseen world around you by decoding Bluetooth signals from nearby devices. Identify earbuds, trackers, and sensors, with optional AI insights for plain-language explanations. This app prioritizes privacy, working offline without ads or tracking.
- Real-time Bluetooth device scanning
- Device identification (make, model, type)
- Detection of unknown devices
- Raw advertisement and signal strength inspection
- Optional AI-powered insights
- Offline functionality
- Privacy-focused design
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See the hidden world around you. NearSight listens for the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals that nearby devices are constantly broadcasting and decodes what they actually are. Earbuds, watches, fitness trackers, beacons, smart-home sensors, item trackers, and more turn from anonymous radio noise into a clear, readable list right on your iPhone. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Scan live. Watch nearby devices appear in real time, sorted by how close they are. • Know what's there. NearSight recognizes a growing catalog of device types and shows make, model, and what each signal means, not just a cryptic address. • Notice the unexpected. Surface unknown or unfamiliar devices around you and decide for yourself what belongs. • Go deeper. Open any device to inspect its raw advertisement, signal strength, and parsed technical details. OPTIONAL AI INSIGHTS Turn on AI to get plain-language explanations of what NearSight is seeing. Bring your own Anthropic or OpenAI API key, or run a compact model entirely on your device. Your choice. AI is completely optional and stays off until you enable it. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Scanning happens on your iPhone. NearSight works fully offline and shows what it sees to no one but you. AI insights and anonymous telemetry are strictly opt-in and off by default. Nothing leaves your device unless you turn it on. No ads, no third-party tracking, no account required. WHAT NEARSIGHT CAN (AND CAN'T) SEE NearSight decodes the Bluetooth signals that devices broadcast but it can't see everything: • Not every device is recognized. New or niche hardware may show up as Unknown until we've researched it and added support. • Some devices are intentionally excluded. We don't surface certain safety-sensitive devices (for example personal panic buttons), because revealing someone's private safety equipment could put them at risk. However, AI Insights may identify such devices. • It only sees Bluetooth. Devices that are powered off, not currently broadcasting, or that use other radios (Wi-Fi-only cameras, wired, or cellular devices) are invisible to NearSight. NearSight is a Bluetooth explorer, not a safety or security device, bug sweeper, or hidden-camera detector. It cannot guarantee it will find every tracker, camera, or listening device near you, and not seeing something here does not mean it isn't there. If you have a real safety concern, use dedicated tools and contact local authorities. Questions, or a device you'd like us to identify? Email hello@nearsight.one.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NearSight at none against Savvy Shield's 2. Savvy Shield's advantage is update cadence (daily vs fortnightly) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Savvy Shield sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. NearSight asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Savvy Shield against 5.0 for NearSight. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.
Savvy Shield ships an update daily, NearSight fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Savvy Shield | NearSight |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Savvy Signals LLC | Benjamin Smith |
Customer experience
Savvy Shield
NearSight
In-app purchases
Savvy Shield
- Savvy Shield Monthly$4.991 Month
- Savvy Shield Yearly$49.991 Year
NearSight
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Savvy Shield free?
Is NearSight free?
Which has better reviews, Savvy Shield or NearSight?
Do Savvy Shield or NearSight have ads?
Which is updated more often, Savvy Shield or NearSight?
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