ST BLE Sensor vs nRF Blinky
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ST BLE Sensor
This app connects to ST development boards via Bluetooth Low Energy to access sensor data. You can log data to cloud providers, update board firmware, and explore various demo functionalities like environmental sensing and machine learning.
- Access sensor data
- Log data to cloud
- Update board firmware
- Explore demo functionalities
- Bluetooth Low Energy communication
- Motion-sensor data fusion
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The ST BLE Sensor application is used in conjunction with an ST development board and firmware compatible with the BlueST protocol to give you access to all the sensor data, which you can log to different cloud providers, and to update the board firmware directly from a mobile device via the Bluetooth® Low Energy protocol. After discovery ST development board, the app shows you a list of available demos and you can navigate through them to discover the functionalities of your board. Demos can be related about environmental, cloud, audio, board configuration, machine learning and and many other functionalities. The application is built on top of the BlueST SDK library implementing the BlueST protocol and helps you export the data easily via Bluetooth® Low Energy. The application also supports firmware library algorithms like motion-sensor data fusion, activity recognition and pedometer functionality. Both SDK and application source code are freely available at: https://github.com/STMicroelectronics
nRF Blinky
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nRF Blinky is an application targeted towards developers who are new to Bluetooth Low Energy. nRF Blinky has the following features: - Scan and connect to any nRF5 DK containing the Nordic Semiconductor’s proprietary LED/Button Service. - Toggle the LED on the development kit On and Off from within the application. - Receive Button press and release events from the development kit and display it within the application. This application is open sourced and the is written in Swift 5 and available on GitHub: https://github.com/NordicSemiconductor/IOS-CoreBluetooth-Mock
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ST BLE Sensor at every 2 months against nRF Blinky's every 9 months. nRF Blinky's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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.
ST BLE Sensor ships an update every 2 months, nRF Blinky every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ST BLE Sensor | nRF Blinky |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (10 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | STMicroelectronics | Nordic Semiconductor ASA |
In-app purchases
ST BLE Sensor
No in-app purchases
nRF Blinky
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ST BLE Sensor free?
Is nRF Blinky free?
Do ST BLE Sensor or nRF Blinky have ads?
Which is updated more often, ST BLE Sensor or nRF Blinky?
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