Comparison

CompetitionSuite Commentary vs Beam

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

Head to head
About

CompetitionSuite Commentary

This app provides directors and staff with easy access to competition commentary files. Receive in-app notifications for important updates and announcements from your circuits. Streamline performance feedback review to focus on team growth and improvement.

Highlights
  • Access commentary files
  • In-app notifications
  • Circuit updates
  • Performance feedback review
  • Streamlined access
Features
Read full description

Introducing the CompetitionSuite Commentary app - a seamless and convenient solution designed specifically for directors and staff members to effortlessly access their commentary files following a competition. Stay connected with direct in-app notifications from your circuits, ensuring you never miss important updates and announcements. This powerful iOS app streamlines the process of reviewing performance feedback, enabling users to focus on what truly matters - the growth and improvement of their teams. Unlock the full potential of your competitive experience with this essential app for all directors and staff members.

About

Beam

This app provides ensembles with tools to organize, annotate, and perform music collaboratively. It streamlines rehearsal processes, allowing for easy score management and shared annotation layers for different roles. Access a library of free sheet music and integrate with other tools for attendance and drill management.

Highlights
  • Interactive music organization
  • Score annotation tools
  • Customizable annotation layers
  • Sheet music library access
  • Attendance tracking integration
  • Seamless page management
Features
Read full description

Beam transforms rehearsal into an interactive experience, giving ensembles powerful tools to organize, annotate, and perform music together. Built for bands, orchestras, choirs, drum corps, and performing ensembles of every kind, Beam makes it easy to keep every performer on the same page, whether you’re in rehearsal, on the field, or on stage. NEW * Completely redesigned interface now integrated with the full Arc ecosystem * Update licenses or access in Beam, and changes are reflected across all Arc products * Easily upload, re-order and crop scores in the re-designed upload center * Create and save customizable annotation tools Features for Members * One login grants you access to Beam, UDBapp, and Geo * Check-in with Geo without ever leaving Beam, no more interrupted rehearsals * Discover free sheet music in the Beam Public Library Features for Admins and Staff * Easily add, edit, or delete scores in your ensemble's account directly from the app * Assign collections, set lists and songs based on subject, group or subgroup * One tap access to UDB for drill, and Geo for attendance * Discover royalty free sheet music in the Beam Public Library ready to perform or record Integrated with the Arc Ecosystem As part of the Arc ecosystem, Beam integrates seamlessly with UDBapp and Geo, so your music, drill, attendance, and rehearsal tools all work together. With Arc, Beam now offers: * A single login for all your Arc apps: Directors, staff, and performers can access everything they need in one connected platform. * Seamless page management: Edit one or multiple pages at a time with the crop, cut, and delete tools. Reorder, or duplicate pages, and assign a single page to multiple parts all from the upload screens. * Custom Annotation Layers: Role-dependent layers offer directors, students and staff managed access to annotations and notes. * Calendar & Attendance Integration with Geo: See full rehearsal and performance schedules, check-in to events with multiple locations, and track attendance throughout the season. Use Live Attendance to get a real-time view of who is at rehearsal and who is not.

Screenshots

CompetitionSuite Commentary3 screens
Beam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Beam at every 4 days against CompetitionSuite Commentary's every 4 months. Beam also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). CompetitionSuite Commentary's advantage is ratings volume (29 vs 3) and review sentiment (21% vs 12%). On price, rating, 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Beam holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CompetitionSuite Commentary has 29 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 21% of CompetitionSuite Commentary's written reviews are positive against 12% of Beam's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CompetitionSuite Commentary ships an update every 4 months, Beam every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
CompetitionSuite Commentary versus Beam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCompetitionSuite CommentaryBeam
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (29 ratings)3.3 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.4% of reviews — better11.6% of reviews
Number of ratings29 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB107 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCompetitionSuite LLCUltimate Drill Book

Customer experience

CompetitionSuite Commentary

All ratings29 ratings
Positive41.4%
Neutral17.2%
Negative41.4%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive21.4%
Neutral28.6%
Negative50.0%

Beam

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive11.6%
Neutral7.0%
Negative81.4%

In-app purchases

None

CompetitionSuite Commentary

No in-app purchases

None

Beam

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CompetitionSuite Commentary free?
CompetitionSuite Commentary is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Beam free?
Beam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CompetitionSuite Commentary or Beam?
Beam is rated higher. CompetitionSuite Commentary averages 3.1 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Beam averages 3.3 from 3 ratings.
Do CompetitionSuite Commentary or Beam have ads?
Neither CompetitionSuite Commentary nor Beam shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CompetitionSuite Commentary or Beam?
CompetitionSuite Commentary ships an update every 4 months, and Beam every 4 days. Most recently, CompetitionSuite Commentary was updated on October 12, 2026 and Beam on October 18, 2026.

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