Comparison

APS Panic Button vs Beacon

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

Head to head
About

APS Panic Button

This utility app enables alarm monitoring companies using specific software to receive panic alarms from subscribers. It allows dispatchers to contact users or send help to their GPS location. A 'follow me' feature can automatically send alarms at set intervals for GPS tracing.

Highlights
  • Receive panic alarms
  • GPS location tracking
  • Contact user or dispatch help
  • Follow me feature for interval alarms
  • Compatible with SECURITHOR software
Features
Read full description

*Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.* APS allows alarm monitoring companies using SECURITHOR software (Securithor - http://www.securithor.com) to receive panic alarms from their subscribers owning a compatible iOS device. When a panic alarm is received by the central station, the dispatcher can contact the user with the information they have on file or send help to the GPS location where the alarm was sent from. With the follow me feature, alarms are automatically sent at a user defined interval, allowing to trace the GPS route sent from the device.

About

Beacon

Features
Read full description

When a moment turns scary, one tap sends an SOS. Beacon alerts your trusted circle with your live location, gets you to a call fast, and can even fake an incoming call to help you slip away — plus a check-in timer so someone always knows you got there. Beacon is your quiet safety net — simple enough to reach for in a rush, private enough to trust completely. PANIC ALERT Hold to arm, then one tap prepares an SOS with your live tracking link for your trusted circle. One more tap sends. One more tap calls. A built-in Fake Call helps you step away from an uncomfortable situation without alerting anyone around you. LIVE LOCATION SHARE Send a private tracking link and let your trusted contact watch your dot move in real time. They open a link — no app needed on their end, no account, nothing to install. Sharing stops the moment you say you're safe. Nothing is ever stored. WATCH ME CHECK-IN Set a timer before you head out — a night walk, a first date, a rideshare home, a solo hike. Check in with one tap when you arrive. If you don't, Beacon gets your last known location ready to send to the people you chose. YOUR TRUSTED CIRCLE Add up to 5 contacts. They need no account and no app — they just get a text. You choose who hears about a Panic, a Watch Me, or both. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No account. No sign-up, ever. • No analytics, no ads, no tracking. • Your circle and settings live only on your device — visible to you, erasable any time. • Live location passes through an ephemeral relay and is never written to disk, never logged, gone the moment you stop. HONEST ABOUT HOW IT WORKS Beacon is a safety net, not a replacement for emergency services. In a real emergency, call your local emergency number first. iOS always asks you to tap Send — Beacon cannot text silently, by design. Personal safety since 2017 — years before iPhone added Check In. Still free. Still no account. ROIDS software — indie-built, privacy-first.

Screenshots

APS Panic Button3 screens
Beacon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Beacon at monthly against APS Panic Button's every 10 months. APS Panic Button's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (6.1 vs 16.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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

APS Panic Button ships an update every 10 months, Beacon monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
APS Panic Button versus Beacon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAPS Panic ButtonBeacon
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS6.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMCDI Security Products Inc.Marija Gvozdenovic

In-app purchases

None

APS Panic Button

No in-app purchases

None

Beacon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is APS Panic Button free?
APS Panic Button is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Beacon free?
Beacon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do APS Panic Button or Beacon have ads?
Neither APS Panic Button nor Beacon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, APS Panic Button or Beacon?
APS Panic Button ships an update every 10 months, and Beacon monthly. Most recently, APS Panic Button was updated on November 1, 2026 and Beacon on November 4, 2026.

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