Particle IoT vs Bluetooth Serial Connect
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Particle IoT
Configure and manage your hardware devices and cloud deployments. Easily set up new devices, monitor their status, and access detailed diagnostics. The app provides a centralized control panel for managing your entire device fleet.
- Device setup and configuration
- Real-time device diagnostics
- Online/offline device status tracking
- Device renaming and notes
- Device OS version viewing
- Device list filtering and sorting
- Tinker mode for hardware interaction
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The Particle mobile app is a tool to configure and manage your Particle hardware and cloud deployments. Set up a new device, check device diagnostics, and keep track of which devices are on- and offline with a few taps of the screen. Control Panel — rename devices, set notes, or even unclaim, all from a single section of the mobile app. Device Info Screen — view device ID, serial number, Device OS version; plus, you can ping, shout rainbows (signal mode), rename, and edit device notes. Device list filtering — sort and filter your fleet based on your needs right from the main screen of the app. UI refresh — improved information density and readability, plus multiple UI element tweaks across the app. Tinker improvements — review of pin layout, UX refresh, and updates to ensure consistent design across the mobile app experience.
Bluetooth Serial Connect
Control your Arduino projects with your phone. Design custom interfaces with buttons, joysticks, and displays to send and receive data via Bluetooth low-energy modules. An integrated library simplifies the connection process.
- Customizable control boards
- Button and joystick inputs
- Display integration
- Bluetooth low-energy module support
- Arduino library for easy integration
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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a custom control panel for Arduino and BLE projects, without building a dedicated iOS app. Bluetooth Serial Connect lets you design a board, connect to an HM-10-style Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) UART module, and exchange commands and live readouts with your hardware. The companion Bluetooth Serial Connect Arduino library makes it straightforward to read controls and update displays, indicators, and gauges in your sketch. DESIGN YOUR BOARD Place, move, resize, and customize nine component types: • Buttons with momentary, latch, and repeat behavior • Joysticks, sliders, toggles, and D-pads • Text displays, labels, indicators, and gauges Assign channel numbers that stay fixed when you rearrange controls. Fine-tune colors, labels, value ranges, board appearance, and haptic feedback. Undo and redo changes, duplicate and lock controls, snap them to the grid, and adjust their front-to-back order. START WITH TEMPLATES AND EXAMPLES Explore seven editable board templates for RC cars, robotic arms, menu remotes, sensor hubs, smart-home relays, and more. Companion Arduino sketches and protocol examples help you connect the app to your code. Follow the interactive walkthrough or try a board with simulated data—no hardware required. Import, export, share, and duplicate boards as your projects grow. CONNECT AND TROUBLESHOOT Scan for nearby BLE devices, follow clear connection progress, remember frequently used modules for quick reconnecting, and configure service and characteristic UUIDs. Use the timestamped two-way console to inspect sent and received messages or send console text while you troubleshoot. Setup guides, wiring help, complete examples, and the wire protocol reference are available at bluetooth.henhen1227.com. Bluetooth Serial Connect is designed for HM-10-style BLE modules. Other BLE UART hardware may work when its service and characteristic UUIDs match the app settings. HC-05 and HC-06 Bluetooth Classic modules are not supported. A compatible BLE module is required for live hardware control. FREE OR PRO Start with one board free. Add more by watching rewarded ads, or unlock Bluetooth Serial Pro with a one-time in-app purchase for unlimited boards and no ads. The free version may also show occasional ads after edits. Existing boards remain available to use. No app account is required. Board files stay on your device unless you choose to share them.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Particle IoT at 39% against Bluetooth Serial Connect's 0%. Particle IoT also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 10 months). Bluetooth Serial Connect's advantage is rating (3.7 vs 3.4). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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.
Bluetooth Serial Connect holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 39% of Particle IoT's written reviews are positive against 0% of Bluetooth Serial Connect's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Particle IoT ships an update monthly, Bluetooth Serial Connect every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Particle IoT | Bluetooth Serial Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (25 ratings) | 3.7 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 39.3% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 25 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 16.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Particle Industries Inc. | Henry Abrahamsen |
Customer experience
Particle IoT
Bluetooth Serial Connect
In-app purchases
Particle IoT
No in-app purchases
Bluetooth Serial Connect
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Particle IoT free?
Is Bluetooth Serial Connect free?
Which has better reviews, Particle IoT or Bluetooth Serial Connect?
Do Particle IoT or Bluetooth Serial Connect have ads?
Which is updated more often, Particle IoT or Bluetooth Serial Connect?
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