# CMG Chat vs Buddies Beacon

The clearest difference is rating: Buddies Beacon at 5.0 against CMG Chat's 3.0. Buddies Beacon also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). CMG Chat's advantage is ratings volume (48 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Buddies Beacon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CMG Chat has 48 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

CMG Chat ships an update every 3 months, Buddies Beacon weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CMG Chat | Buddies Beacon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmg-chat/id1479591904/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddies-beacon/id6797344092/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **48** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 33 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [CheckMate Gaming LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1271351266) | [Liam Maxwell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885715770) |

## What reviewers say

### CMG Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmg-chat/id1479591904)

Connect with other users directly within matches or through private conversations. This application also provides access to live support for assistance.

**Highlights:** Direct chat within matches, Private messaging, Live support access, Social networking

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Buddies Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buddies-beacon/id6797344092)

This app allows users to send location-based signals to a select group of friends. Friends can respond with quick status updates, and location sharing is temporary and controlled by the user. It focuses on direct communication without public feeds or usernames.

**Highlights:** Send location beacons to friends, Receive quick status responses, Temporary and controlled location sharing, Create custom buddy lists, Plan future meetups with flares, Signal presence in crowds

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CMG Chat free?

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

### Is Buddies Beacon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CMG Chat or Buddies Beacon?

Buddies Beacon is rated higher. CMG Chat averages 3.0 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while Buddies Beacon averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do CMG Chat or Buddies Beacon have ads?

Neither CMG Chat nor Buddies Beacon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CMG Chat or Buddies Beacon?

CMG Chat ships an update every 3 months, and Buddies Beacon weekly. Most recently, CMG Chat was updated on November 3, 2026 and Buddies Beacon on October 24, 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.*