# Beam Terminal vs Merchant.app

The clearest difference is update cadence: Merchant.app at every 2 weeks against Beam Terminal's every 5 months. Beam Terminal's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Beam Terminal ships an update every 5 months, Merchant.app every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 6, 2026 and July 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Beam Terminal | Merchant.app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchantapp/id6443734854/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **6** |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 19 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GBC S.A.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1230943315) | [Merchant Platforms, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1648883273) |

## What reviewers say

### Beam Terminal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-terminal/id603488666)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Merchant.app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchantapp/id6443734854)

This app streamlines payment processing for businesses, allowing for quick transactions via terminal, text, or email. It offers a real-time dashboard to monitor all business transactions and refunds, ensuring secure and efficient customer payments.

**Highlights:** Process payments via terminal, text, or email, Lightning-fast transactions, Customer payments via phone or email, Real-time transaction dashboard, Refund tracking, Industry-leading data security

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Beam Terminal free?

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

### Is Merchant.app free?

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

### Do Beam Terminal or Merchant.app have ads?

Neither Beam Terminal nor Merchant.app shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Beam Terminal or Merchant.app?

Beam Terminal ships an update every 5 months, and Merchant.app every 2 weeks. Most recently, Beam Terminal was updated on June 6, 2026 and Merchant.app on July 8, 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.*