nRF Toolbox vs IoT Plug and Play
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
IoT Plug and Play
Transform your phone into an Internet of Things (IoT) device. Connect to Azure IoT cloud to send device telemetry, receive commands, and manage device twins. Upload media directly to Azure storage.
- Connect to Azure IoT cloud
- Send device telemetry (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer)
- Send and receive commands
- Manage device twin updates
- Upload media to Azure storage
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Turn your phone into an Internet of Things (IoT) device and discover the simplicity of IoT Plug and Play by Microsoft Azure. This app supports connecting your device to the Azure IoT cloud, where you can: ▶ Send telemetry from your device like accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer to Azure IoT. ▶ Send and receive commands and device twin updates from Azure IoT. ▶ Upload media to Azure storage. This app requires an active Azure IoT Central application or Azure IoT Hub. Learn more at https://aka.ms/iot-paad
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: IoT Plug and Play at 5.0 against nRF Toolbox's 2.6. IoT Plug and Play also leads on review sentiment (43% vs 22%) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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.
IoT Plug and Play holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of nRF Toolbox's written reviews are positive against 43% of IoT Plug and Play's.
nRF Toolbox ships an update every 5 weeks, IoT Plug and Play every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | nRF Toolbox | IoT Plug and Play |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.6 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (22 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 22.2% of reviews | 42.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 8 | 22 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 12.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nordic Semiconductor ASA | Microsoft Corporation |
Customer experience
nRF Toolbox
IoT Plug and Play
In-app purchases
nRF Toolbox
No in-app purchases
IoT Plug and Play
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is nRF Toolbox free?
Is IoT Plug and Play free?
Which has better reviews, nRF Toolbox or IoT Plug and Play?
Do nRF Toolbox or IoT Plug and Play have ads?
Which is updated more often, nRF Toolbox or IoT Plug and Play?
Other comparisons
