# Beacon vs Alert

The clearest difference is ads: Beacon at none against Alert's shown. Beacon also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). Alert's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Beacon ships an update monthly, Alert every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Beacon | Alert |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 4 months |
| Size | 6 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marija Gvozdenovic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1244055478) | [Jose Jimenez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1830848287) |

## What reviewers say

### Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-panic-button-and-sos/id1301300836)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Alert

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alert-sos/id6778055286)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Beacon free?

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

### Is Alert free?

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

### Do Beacon or Alert have ads?

Alert shows ads; Beacon does not.

### Which is updated more often, Beacon or Alert?

Beacon ships an update monthly, and Alert every 4 months. Most recently, Beacon was updated on October 24, 2026 and Alert on October 24, 2026.

---

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