Comparison

Beacon Free vs Harmony Journal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Beacon Free

This app creates customizable light and sound cycles, useful for signaling presence during outdoor activities like night walks or camping. It offers adjustable cycle speed, randomization, sound, flashlight, and screen brightness.

Highlights
  • Adjustable cycle speed
  • Randomize setting
  • Sound customization
  • Flashlight control
  • Screen brightness adjustment
  • Clock function
Features
Read full description

"Beacon" produces a cyclic light and sound. It can for example be handy for a night walk or a forest camp because it might tell your existence to someone or some animals around you. It might even serve as a makeshift bear bell (no guarantees, though). This application has the functions listed below. - Cycle setting [Slow/Middle/Fast] - Randomize setting [No/Once/Always] - Sound setting [No/Soft/Sharp] - Flashlight setting [No/Cyclic/Always] - Screen setting [No/Dark/Bright] - Status bar setting [On/Off] - Background operation setting [On/Off] [Caution] - Flashlight control requires a compatible device.

About

Harmony Journal

Features
Read full description

Welcome to the best Journal app on iOS. Harmony Journal is a space to write the thoughts of the day, week, month, year. It’s a place to offload, to plan things, to let off some of that mental noise. Key features: - iOS 16 support: You don’t need the latest software to journal with us, this app supports any device capable of running iOS 16 and above. - Privacy: Lock your app with FaceID, TouchID or a Password of your choosing. - iCloud Syncing: Automatically syncs your journal across iPhone and iPad, so you’re always up to date and backed up. - Dark mode: A must have if you write your journal at the end of the day. - Photos: Add as many photos to your journal entry as you want. - Tagging: Add tags to your entries, so you can filter by tags later. - Colour: Express yourself with a variety of colourful backgrounds. - Apple Pencil (iPad only): A must have, for that true journal writing experience. - App Icons: Express yourself, by switching up your app icons. - Exporting: If you feel like sharing an entry, use our export feature to export to PNG or PDF. - Voice Memos: Add a voice memo to your journal entries. Terms of use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Beacon Free3 screens
Harmony Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Harmony Journal at none against Beacon Free's shown. Harmony Journal also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 17 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Beacon Free ships an update every 17 months, Harmony Journal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Beacon Free versus Harmony Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeacon FreeHarmony Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews64.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 17 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB69 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMasayuki AkamatsuPatrik Ell

In-app purchases

None

Beacon Free

No in-app purchases

None

Harmony Journal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Beacon Free free?
Beacon Free is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Harmony Journal free?
Harmony Journal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Beacon Free or Harmony Journal have ads?
Beacon Free shows ads; Harmony Journal does not.
Which is updated more often, Beacon Free or Harmony Journal?
Beacon Free ships an update every 17 months, and Harmony Journal every 2 months. Most recently, Beacon Free was updated on October 6, 2026 and Harmony Journal on October 20, 2026.

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