# Recon vs Smart Beams

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Smart Beams at none against Recon's 5. Smart Beams also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). Recon's advantage is iOS requirement (16.1 vs 26.1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Recon sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $99.99 per month. Smart Beams asks for nothing beyond the download.

Recon ships an update every 2 months, Smart Beams every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Recon | Smart Beams |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (275 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recon-3d/id1594797748/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **275** | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 94 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 26.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Recon-3D Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1594797750) | [Guangzhou Cardi Auto Parts Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1543616817) |

## What reviewers say

### Recon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recon-3d/id1594797748)

Capture accurate 3D data using photogrammetry and your device's lidar sensor. Process data locally for privacy or in the cloud. Includes optional scaling with April Tags and exports in e57 format for further analysis.

**Highlights:** Photogrammetry and lidar fusion, Cloud or on-device processing, Optional April Tag scaling, e57 format export, Privacy-focused local processing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Recon3D One Month Subscription | $99.99 | per month |
| Recon3D 1 Year Subscription | $599.99 | per year |
| 5 Additional Uploads | $49.99 | one-time |
| 10 Additional Uploads | $79.99 | one-time |
| Recon3D 1 Year Subscription | $299.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Accurate 3D scanning
- 🚀 Efficient workflow revolution
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Innovative use of iPhone features
- ✅ Excellent data quality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes at save
- 🐛 Loses data and video
- 🐛 Update required in rural areas
- 🐛 Camera laggy after update
- 🐛 Slow screen update after update

**Reported bugs**

- Program crashes when hitting save
- App requires update in rural areas without data
- Camera is laggy and slow to update screen after update
- Permission problems block app usage
- App shows 'Oops' screen asking for permission despite all permissions granted

**Requested features**

- Tool for measuring in the app


### Smart Beams

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-beams/id6768614783)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Recon free?

Recon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Smart Beams free?

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

### Do Recon or Smart Beams have ads?

Neither Recon nor Smart Beams shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Recon or Smart Beams?

Recon ships an update every 2 months, and Smart Beams every 9 days. Most recently, Recon was updated on October 11, 2026 and Smart Beams on October 11, 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.*