# nRF Beacons vs Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs

The clearest difference is rating: nRF Beacons at 3.5 against Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs's 3.1. nRF Beacons also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (7 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

nRF Beacons holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 7 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 0% and 0% positive.

nRF Beacons ships an update every 4 months, Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | nRF Beacons | Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-beacons/id879614768/reviews)** | [3.1 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluetooth-mesh-by-silicon-labs/id1411352948/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **7** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 3 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nordic Semiconductor ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/497679114) | [Silicon Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/555074469) |

## What reviewers say

### nRF Beacons

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-beacons/id879614768)

This utility app demonstrates the capabilities of a Bluetooth beacon kit. It enables users to configure beacon settings and define actions triggered by proximity events. Supported actions include displaying content, opening web links, and playing alarms.

**Highlights:** Configure beacon UUID, Major, and Minor, Set calibrated RSSI, Define actions for proximity events, Trigger web browser opening, Play alarm sounds, Monitor multiple beacons simultaneously

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluetooth-mesh-by-silicon-labs/id1411352948)

This app enables Bluetooth mesh networking on iOS devices. It allows users to provision and configure Bluetooth mesh devices, manage network nodes, and control devices implementing light and lightness models.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth mesh networking implementation, Device provisioning, Node configuration, Publish and subscribe settings, Node grouping, Light and lightness model control

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is nRF Beacons free?

nRF Beacons is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs free?

Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, nRF Beacons or Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs?

nRF Beacons is rated higher. nRF Beacons averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs averages 3.1 from 7 ratings.

### Do nRF Beacons or Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs have ads?

Neither nRF Beacons nor Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, nRF Beacons or Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs?

nRF Beacons ships an update every 4 months, and Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs every 2 months. Most recently, nRF Beacons was updated on November 5, 2026 and Bluetooth mesh by Silicon Labs on November 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*