# Pocket Beacon vs Ryuu App

The clearest difference is rating: Ryuu App at 4.2 against Pocket Beacon's 3.3. Ryuu App also leads on monetization model (free vs subscription) and review sentiment (58% vs 27%). Pocket Beacon's advantage is ratings volume (362 vs 18) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Ryuu App holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Beacon has 362 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Pocket Beacon's written reviews are positive against 58% of Ryuu App's.

Pocket Beacon ships an update fortnightly, Ryuu App every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Beacon | Ryuu App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (362 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-beacon/id6477957665/reviews) | **[4.2 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ryuu-app/id6754717708/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **362** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | 27.2% of reviews | **58.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 52 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Critical Role Productions, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1731211696) | [The Ryuu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1849767674) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-beacon/id6477957665)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth streaming
- 🎥 Great content organization
- 💰 Good value for subscription
- 👍 Easy to navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Inconsistent progress tracking
- 🔇 No background audio playback
- 🔒 Repeated login issues

**Reported bugs**

- Videos starting from the beginning
- Freezing when switching to audio mode
- Inconsistent behavior when locking screen

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-picture mode
- Offline video downloads
- Customizable playback controls
- Apple TV app support


### Ryuu App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ryuu-app/id6754717708)

Stream exclusive, original vertical anime series created specifically for mobile viewing. Discover human-made fantasy and sci-fi worlds brought to life by independent animation creators.

**Highlights:** Watch highest-quality vertical anime, Exclusive original series, Discover fantasy and sci-fi worlds, Follow new episodes, Human-made animation

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Beacon free?

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

### Is Ryuu App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pocket Beacon or Ryuu App?

Ryuu App is rated higher. Pocket Beacon averages 3.3 out of 5 from 362 ratings, while Ryuu App averages 4.2 from 18 ratings.

### Do Pocket Beacon or Ryuu App have ads?

Neither Pocket Beacon nor Ryuu App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Beacon or Ryuu App?

Pocket Beacon ships an update fortnightly, and Ryuu App every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pocket Beacon was updated on October 13, 2026 and Ryuu App on October 12, 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.*