nRF Toolbox vs ESP BLE Provisioning
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
nRF Toolbox
This utility app connects to various Bluetooth Low Energy accessories. It demonstrates multiple BLE profiles, including health and fitness sensors, allowing users to monitor data from devices like heart rate monitors and glucose monitors.
- Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity
- Demonstrates BLE profiles
- Heart Rate Monitor support
- Glucose Monitor support
- Cycling Speed and Cadence
- Running Speed and Cadence
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nRF Toolbox works with a wide range of Bluetooth Low Energy accessories. It contains applications demonstrating BLE profiles: Cycling Speed and Cadence, Running Speed and Cadence, Heart Rate Monitor, Blood Pressure Monitor, Health Thermometer, Glucose Monitor, Continuous Glucose Monitor, Monitoring & Diagnostic and more. The source code of this application is available on GitHub: https://github.com/nordicsemi/iOS-nRF-Toolbox
ESP BLE Provisioning
Configure Wi-Fi credentials for ESP32 or ESP8266 devices using BLE. Supports Wi-Fi scanning and proof of possession for secure network setup. Ideal for developers working with ESP IDF.
- BLE Wi-Fi provisioning
- ESP IDF v3.2+ support
- Security Level 1
- Proof of Possession (PoP)
- Wi-Fi scan list
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This app can be used to send Wi-Fi Network credentials (Network name and Passphrase) to ESP32 or ESP8266 devices over BLE transport using the wifi-provisioning feature of ESP IDF (V3.2 and later). Supported Features - BLE based Wi-Fi Provisioning from IDF v3.2 and later - Security Level 1 - Proof of Possession (PoP) - Wi-Fi scan list Please refer https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/stable/api-reference/provisioning/wifi_provisioning.html for additional information.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ESP BLE Provisioning at 3.1 against nRF Toolbox's 2.6. ESP BLE Provisioning also leads on review sentiment (33% vs 22%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). nRF Toolbox's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ESP BLE Provisioning holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of nRF Toolbox's written reviews are positive against 33% of ESP BLE Provisioning's.
nRF Toolbox ships an update every 5 weeks, ESP BLE Provisioning every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | nRF Toolbox | ESP BLE Provisioning |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.6 (8 ratings) | 3.1 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 22.2% of reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nordic Semiconductor ASA | ESPRESSIF SYSTEMS (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD. |
Customer experience
nRF Toolbox
ESP BLE Provisioning
In-app purchases
nRF Toolbox
No in-app purchases
ESP BLE Provisioning
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is nRF Toolbox free?
Is ESP BLE Provisioning free?
Which has better reviews, nRF Toolbox or ESP BLE Provisioning?
Do nRF Toolbox or ESP BLE Provisioning have ads?
Which is updated more often, nRF Toolbox or ESP BLE Provisioning?
Other comparisons
