# Gen Con vs Pocket Beacon

The clearest difference is monetization model: Gen Con at free against Pocket Beacon's subscription. Pocket Beacon's advantage is rating (3.3 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (365 vs 41). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Pocket Beacon holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Beacon has 365 ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 30% of Gen Con's written reviews are positive against 27% of Pocket Beacon's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gen Con | Pocket Beacon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gen-con/id1382454840/reviews) | **[3.3 (365 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-beacon/id6477957665/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 41 | **365** |
| Positive reviews | **30.0% of reviews** | 27.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 42 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Gen Con, LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1272336773) | [Critical Role Productions, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1731211696) |

## What reviewers say

### Gen Con

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gen-con/id1382454840)

Navigate and enhance your convention experience with this official guide. Discover events, manage your schedule, connect with friends, and utilize an interactive map to explore the venue. Event hosts can also use it for electronic badge scanning.

**Highlights:** Event browsing and searching, Ticket purchasing, Personal event schedule, Friend messaging, Interactive convention map, Electronic badge scanning

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pocket Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-beacon/id6477957665)

Unlock exclusive content and benefits for fans of a popular web series. Enjoy ad-free viewing, early access to events, merchandise discounts, and bonus episodes. Support independent creator-owned media.

**Highlights:** Ad-free access to video and podcast library, Exclusive pre-sales for live events, Invitation to a private Discord server, Persistent merchandise discount, Bonus content (Cooldown, Fireside Chats), Same-day podcast releases

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth streaming
- 🎥 Great content organization
- 💰 Good value for subscription
- 👍 Easy to navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Inconsistent progress tracking
- 🔇 No background audio playback
- 🔒 Repeated login issues

**Reported bugs**

- Videos starting from the beginning
- Freezing when switching to audio mode
- Inconsistent behavior when locking screen

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-picture mode
- Offline video downloads
- Customizable playback controls
- Apple TV app support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gen Con free?

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

### Is Pocket Beacon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Gen Con or Pocket Beacon?

Pocket Beacon is rated higher. Gen Con averages 3.0 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Pocket Beacon averages 3.3 from 365 ratings.

### Do Gen Con or Pocket Beacon have ads?

Neither Gen Con nor Pocket Beacon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gen Con or Pocket Beacon?

Gen Con ships an update fortnightly, and Pocket Beacon fortnightly. Most recently, Gen Con was updated on October 14, 2026 and Pocket Beacon on October 20, 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.*