Pocket Beacon vs Ryuu App
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
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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.
Ryuu App
Stream exclusive, original vertical anime series created specifically for mobile viewing. Discover unique creator-led worlds and human-made animation across fantasy and sci-fi genres.
- Watch full-screen vertical anime
- Exclusive original series
- Discover fantasy and sci-fi worlds
- Follow new episodes
- Human-made animation
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WATCH VERTICAL ANIME ORIGINALS FROM INDIE ANIMATION CREATORS Ryuu is a streaming app for original vertical anime made for your phone. Watch internet-born original characters and creator-led worlds become highest quality fantasy and sci-fi anime series made natively in 9:16. No cropping. No repurposed horizontal video. No AI-generated content. No shortcuts. Ryuu is made from the first frame for full-screen mobile anime with full crew putting in thousands hours of craft and aristry into every season. ORIGINAL SERIES ANIMATED FOR MOBILE Discover exclusive animation originals released in short, cinematic episodes designed for mobile viewing. Ryuu brings together independent creators, voice actors, animators, editors, and production teams to build new anime worlds from the ground up. From dark fantasy, cozy fantasy, science fantasy and science fiction to emotional character-driven stories, Ryuu is where original characters become full anime series. FEATURED ORIGINALS • Granite Waves, a dark science fantasy thriller-heist from creator Tezeze • Sonnenlied, an original dark romance fantasy series from Alindraws • Infinit, an original utopia-dystopia science fantasy animated series from No Sam APP FEATURES • Watch highest-quality vertical anime in full-screen 9:16 • Discover exclusive original series only on Ryuu • Follow new episodes • Explore fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, and character-driven worlds BUILT FOR FANS OF ORIGINAL CHARACTERS Ryuu is made for fans who discover original characters, lore, ships, fan theories, and creator-led worlds online, and want to see those stories become real anime series. HUMAN-MADE ANIME Ryuu backs real artists. Every series is created with human writers, directors, animators, voice actors, editors, designers, and production crews. In a world flooded with generated content, Ryuu is built around original human artistry, creative freedom, and premium storytelling. Start watching the next wave of vertical anime originals on Ryuu.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Ryuu App at free against Pocket Beacon's subscription. Ryuu App also leads on review sentiment (43% vs 28%). Pocket Beacon's advantage is ratings volume (366 vs 44) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.3 for Pocket Beacon against 3.3 for Ryuu App. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Beacon has 366 ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 28% of Pocket Beacon's written reviews are positive against 43% of Ryuu App's.
Pocket Beacon ships an update fortnightly, Ryuu App every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pocket Beacon | Ryuu App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (366 ratings) — better | 3.3 (44 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 27.7% of reviews | 43.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 366 — better | 44 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 72 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Critical Role Productions, LLC | The Ryuu |
Customer experience
Pocket Beacon
Ryuu App
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
Ryuu App
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pocket Beacon
No in-app purchases
Ryuu App
No in-app purchases
