nRF Toolbox vs ESP SoftAP 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 SoftAP Provisioning
Configure Wi-Fi credentials for ESP32 or ESP8266 devices using SoftAP transport. This utility supports Wi-Fi provisioning from ESP IDF version 3.2 and later, including security level 1 and Proof of Possession.
- SoftAP Wi-Fi Provisioning (ESP IDF v3.2+)
- Security Level 1
- Proof of Possession (PoP)
- Wi-Fi scan list
- Configure Network Name and Passphrase
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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 SoftAP transport using the wifi-provisioning feature of ESP IDF (V3.2 and later). Supported Features - SoftAP 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
nRF Toolbox and ESP SoftAP Provisioning both sit at 2.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 22% of nRF Toolbox's written reviews are positive against 0% of ESP SoftAP Provisioning's. nRF Toolbox also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). ESP SoftAP Provisioning's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 2.6 for nRF Toolbox against 2.6 for ESP SoftAP Provisioning. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 5 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of nRF Toolbox's written reviews are positive against 0% of ESP SoftAP Provisioning's.
nRF Toolbox ships an update every 5 weeks, ESP SoftAP Provisioning every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | nRF Toolbox | ESP SoftAP Provisioning |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.6 (8 ratings) | 2.6 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 22.2% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 5 |
| 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 SoftAP Provisioning
In-app purchases
nRF Toolbox
No in-app purchases
ESP SoftAP Provisioning
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is nRF Toolbox free?
Is ESP SoftAP Provisioning free?
Which has better reviews, nRF Toolbox or ESP SoftAP Provisioning?
Do nRF Toolbox or ESP SoftAP Provisioning have ads?
Which is updated more often, nRF Toolbox or ESP SoftAP Provisioning?
Other comparisons
