Pocket Beacon vs PAX Aus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pocket Beacon
Unlock exclusive content and benefits for fans of a popular web series. Enjoy ad-free viewing, early access to events, merchandise discounts, and bonus episodes. Support independent creator-owned media.
- Ad-free access to video and podcast library
- Exclusive pre-sales for live events
- Invitation to a private Discord server
- Persistent merchandise discount
- Bonus content (Cooldown, Fireside Chats)
- Same-day podcast releases
Read full descriptionHide full description
Beacon is a special membership program that offers unparalleled and ad-free access to Critical Role and its vast video and podcast library, exclusive pre-sales for live events, invitation to a private Discord server, and a persistent discount on merchandise throughout all international online shops! By becoming a Beacon member, you’ll unlock special bonus content like Critical Role Cooldown and Fireside Chats, same-day Critical Role podcast releases alongside the VODs, and more, all while directly supporting creator-owned independent media.
PAX Aus
Experience a massive gaming and culture celebration with panels, an expo hall, game demos, and tournaments. Connect with developers, publishers, and fellow gamers over three days.
- Gaming culture celebration
- Thought-provoking panels
- Massive expo hall
- Game demos
- Tournaments
- Community experience
Read full descriptionHide full description
PAX Aus is a celebration of gaming and gaming culture featuring thought-provoking panels, a massive expo hall filled with the best publishers and independent studios, game demos, tournaments, and a community experience unlike any other. Held across three full days and all under one roof, PAX offers the community the opportunity to meet with old friends, make new ones, interact with game developers, publishers and brands, and get hands-on with everything they love about gaming.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: PAX Aus at free against Pocket Beacon's subscription. Pocket Beacon's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 12 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pocket Beacon ships an update fortnightly, PAX Aus every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pocket Beacon | PAX Aus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (366 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 27.7% of reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 366 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 12 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 43 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Critical Role Productions, LLC | RX AUSTRALIA PTY LTD |
Customer experience
Pocket Beacon
PAX Aus
Bugs and requests
Pocket Beacon
Reported bugs
3 issues- Videos starting from the beginning
- Freezing when switching to audio mode
- Inconsistent behavior when locking screen
Requested features
4 requests- Picture-in-picture mode
- Offline video downloads
- Customizable playback controls
- Apple TV app support
PAX Aus
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pocket Beacon
No in-app purchases
PAX Aus
No in-app purchases
