# nRF Beacons vs ST BLE Toolbox

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: nRF Beacons at 8.0 against ST BLE Toolbox's 15.0. On price, update cadence, 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 ships an update every 4 months, ST BLE Toolbox every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | nRF Beacons | ST BLE Toolbox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-beacons/id879614768/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 3 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nordic Semiconductor ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/497679114) | [STMicroelectronics](https://appshunter.io/developer/1801774735) |

## 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


### ST BLE Toolbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/st-ble-toolbox/id1531295550)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is nRF Beacons free?

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

### Is ST BLE Toolbox free?

ST BLE Toolbox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do nRF Beacons or ST BLE Toolbox have ads?

Neither nRF Beacons nor ST BLE Toolbox shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, nRF Beacons or ST BLE Toolbox?

nRF Beacons ships an update every 4 months, and ST BLE Toolbox every 6 months. Most recently, nRF Beacons was updated on October 9, 2026 and ST BLE Toolbox on October 7, 2026.

---

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