Comparison

nRF Toolbox vs BLE Terminal

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity
  • Demonstrates BLE profiles
  • Heart Rate Monitor support
  • Glucose Monitor support
  • Cycling Speed and Cadence
  • Running Speed and Cadence
Read full description

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

About

BLE Terminal

Communicate with Bluetooth Low Energy devices directly from your Apple devices. This tool allows makers and developers to scan, connect, and send commands to various BLE modules and IoT applications.

Highlights
  • Live Notify responses
  • Hex keyboard with ASCII switching
  • Customizable command presets
  • Read, Write, and Notify characteristics
  • Auto-reconnect functionality
  • Multiple simultaneous connections
  • Log selection, copying, and export
Features
Read full description

Talk to any Bluetooth Low Energy device — straight from your iPhone, iPad or Mac. BLE Terminal is built for makers, IoT and firmware developers who need more than a scanner: find a device, connect, and send commands in a couple of taps. BUILT FOR REAL WORK • Terminal with live Notify responses • Hex keyboard + one-tap Hex / ASCII switching • Command presets you can add, edit and reuse • Read, Write and Notify on any characteristic • Auto-reconnect when you send to a disconnected device • Multiple connections at once • Select, copy and export logs • Works on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro HOW IT WORKS 1. Scan — see nearby BLE devices with signal strength (RSSI) and advertisement data. 2. Connect — browse every service and characteristic. 3. Send — type Hex or ASCII, or tap a saved command. Responses appear live in the terminal. USE CASES - BLE module testing (e.g. ESP32, nRF5x, TI CC2541, HM-10) - IoT development for smart home, wearables, medical, and industrial applications (Also works perfectly with Bluetooth trackers, sensors, and remote controllers.) - Debugging BLE sensor data and notifications - Testing fitness trackers, smart watches, beacons, and Bluetooth accessories (Monitor and control your devices with this lightweight Bluetooth remote solution.) - Educational tool for learning BLE protocol and characteristics ONE PURCHASE. NO ADS. NO TRACKING. No subscriptions, no account, no data collected. Questions or feature requests? Contact us at hello@lanars.com— we read every message.

Screenshots

nRF Toolbox4 screens
BLE Terminal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: nRF Toolbox at Free against BLE Terminal's $9.99. BLE Terminal's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 2.6) and review sentiment (56% vs 22%). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

nRF Toolbox is free to download; BLE Terminal costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BLE Terminal holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of nRF Toolbox's written reviews are positive against 56% of BLE Terminal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

nRF Toolbox ships an update every 5 weeks, BLE Terminal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
nRF Toolbox versus BLE Terminal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameternRF ToolboxBLE Terminal
PriceFree — better$9.99
Rating2.6 (8 ratings)4.2 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.2% of reviews55.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNordic Semiconductor ASALANARS LLC

Customer experience

nRF Toolbox

All ratings8 ratings
Positive37.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative62.5%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive22.2%
Neutral16.7%
Negative61.1%

BLE Terminal

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative44.4%

In-app purchases

None

nRF Toolbox

No in-app purchases

None

BLE Terminal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is nRF Toolbox free?
nRF Toolbox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BLE Terminal free?
BLE Terminal costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, nRF Toolbox or BLE Terminal?
BLE Terminal is rated higher. nRF Toolbox averages 2.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while BLE Terminal averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.
Do nRF Toolbox or BLE Terminal have ads?
Neither nRF Toolbox nor BLE Terminal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, nRF Toolbox or BLE Terminal?
nRF Toolbox ships an update every 5 weeks, and BLE Terminal every 2 weeks. Most recently, nRF Toolbox was updated on November 3, 2026 and BLE Terminal on November 7, 2026.

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