# Theodolite vs Beacons

The clearest difference is price: Beacons at Free against Theodolite's $8.99. Beacons also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months). Theodolite's advantage is chart position (#17 vs unranked). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Beacons is free to download; Theodolite costs $8.99 up front. Theodolite sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Beacons asks for nothing beyond the download.

Theodolite ships an update every 4 months, Beacons every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Theodolite | Beacons |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $8.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (902 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theodolite/id339393884/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **902** | — |
| Positive reviews | 87.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#17** | — |
| Size | 30 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Craig Hunter](https://appshunter.io/developer/286743884) | [Jr Cabbry](https://appshunter.io/developer/6772217681) |

## What reviewers say

### Theodolite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theodolite/id339393884)

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

This app combines a compass, inclinometer, rangefinder, GPS, and map with augmented reality features. Capture photos and videos with overlaid geographical data, and navigate using detailed offline maps. Share locations and collaborate with others for various outdoor and professional uses.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality viewfinder, Compass and inclinometer, GPS and map navigation, Data-overlay photo/video camera, Offline map support, Rangefinder and nav calculator, Coordinate system support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1,000 Outdoors Map Tiles | $0.99 | one-time |
| Team Tracking | $1.99 | one-time |
| World Datum Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| US Mountain Summits AR Layer | $2.99 | one-time |
| 5,000 Outdoors Map Tiles | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10,000 Outdoors Map Tiles | $8.99 | one-time |
| 20,000 Outdoors Map Tiles | $17.99 | one-time |
| US State Plane Coordinates | $24.99 | one-time |


### Beacons

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacons-light/id6774511490)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Theodolite free?

Theodolite costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Beacons free?

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

### Do Theodolite or Beacons have ads?

Neither Theodolite nor Beacons shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Theodolite or Beacons?

Theodolite ships an update every 4 months, and Beacons every 10 days. Most recently, Theodolite was updated on October 17, 2026 and Beacons on October 10, 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.*