# Beacon vs UoC App

The clearest difference is ads: UoC App at none against Beacon's shown. UoC App also leads on monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Beacon's advantage is review sentiment (21% vs 0%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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 every 3 weeks, UoC App fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Beacon | UoC App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-digital-guide/id1435526583/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | **21.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 40 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [University of Staffordshire](https://appshunter.io/developer/1157433122) | [University of Chester](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535838022) |

## What reviewers say

### Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-digital-guide/id1435526583)

This app serves as a comprehensive digital guide for student life, offering features like timetable viewing, campus navigation, and access to university services. It helps students find contact information, check resource availability, and stay updated on news and events.

**Highlights:** View timetable, Campus maps and points of interest, Staff and service contact details, PC availability checks, News and events browsing, Societies and clubs search, Answers to common service questions

**In-app purchases:** none


### UoC App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uoc-app/id6743432406)

Access your university timetable, attendance records, and check-in to sessions. Connect to essential resources like Moodle and find key student information, including assessment numbers and PAT details.

**Highlights:** Timetable access, Attendance history, Session check-in, Moodle integration, Assessment number lookup, PAT details

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Beacon free?

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

### Is UoC App free?

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

### Do Beacon or UoC App have ads?

Beacon shows ads; UoC App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Beacon or UoC App?

Beacon ships an update every 3 weeks, and UoC App fortnightly. Most recently, Beacon was updated on September 23, 2026 and UoC App on September 14, 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.*