Comparison

Aria2Server vs Beam

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

Head to head
About

Aria2Server

This utility app allows users to run an Aria2 server on their iOS devices. It supports various download protocols like HTTP and FTP, offering a convenient way to manage downloads directly from your phone or tablet.

Highlights
  • Aria2 server functionality
  • HTTP, FTP, and other protocol support
  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Runs on iOS devices
Features
Read full description

Aria2 server that can run successfully on iOS, easy-to-use http, ftp and other protocol downloaders

About

Beam

Features
Read full description

See your Mac on your iPhone or iPad, and control it from there. Beam streams your Mac's screen and sound to your phone. Tap to click, type with real Mac keys, run your own shortcuts and macros, and play Mac games with a controller. Answer a prompt on the Mac from the couch. Keep a film going in bed. Watch a render finish from the kitchen, then tap in when it needs you. CONTROL YOUR MAC FROM YOUR PHONE • Click mode: tap to click, double or triple tap, touch and hold then lift to right-click, touch and hold then move to drag, slide two fingers to scroll • Live keyboard with a row of Mac keys above it: esc, tab, arrows, home, end, page up and down, F1 to F12, plus command, option, control and shift (tap for one use, hold to lock) • A bar of up to eight buttons you design in Beacon on the Mac: keys and shortcuts, media keys, recorded macros, a text box, the live keyboard and click mode • Pair a game controller with your iPhone or iPad and your Mac sees a real gamepad. No driver to install. STREAM YOUR MAC • Your whole Mac display, or one window you pick from the phone • Mac audio on your phone, or turn it off • About 25 ms typical delay on good home Wi-Fi • Up to 4K or your Mac display's native resolution • Up to 120 fps on ProMotion iPhones and iPads when your Mac's display runs that fast • Picture in Picture, pinch to zoom, and crop to one area of the screen • Flip the picture for teleprompter glass SET UP IN ABOUT 2 MINUTES 1. Install the free Beacon app on your Mac from beamscreen.app. It needs macOS 14 or later. 2. Open Beam on the same Wi-Fi and tap Pair Your Mac. 3. Type the 6-digit code Beacon shows. You only pair once. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • The stream goes straight from your Mac to your phone. It never passes through a Beam server. • The picture, the sound, your clicks and everything you type are encrypted end to end with keys from your pairing. • No account, no sign-up, no email. • Beam and Beacon are open source under AGPL-3.0. FREE, THEN BEAM UNLIMITED • Your first stream starts a 3-day trial with no limits. • After that, 30 minutes of streaming in every 24 hours on your home Wi-Fi, with every feature and every quality setting. • Beam Unlimited is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. It removes the time limit and lets you stream and control your Mac from anywhere over your own Tailscale network (free for personal use). GOOD TO KNOW • Clicking and typing from the phone need Accessibility permission for Beacon on the Mac. • Beam shows and controls your Mac's screen. It doesn't add a second display, move files or sync the clipboard. • Beacon runs on Macs only, not Windows or Linux. • Beam needs iOS 16 or later. Questions go to support@beamscreen.app. A person reads every message, usually within a day.

Screenshots

Aria2Server4 screens
Beam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Beam at Free against Aria2Server's $3.99. Aria2Server's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On update cadence, ads and device support 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

Beam is free to download; Aria2Server costs $3.99 up front. Beam sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Aria2Server asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Aria2Server ships an update weekly, Beam every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Aria2Server versus Beam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAria2ServerBeam
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (9 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer悦 刘KEVIN ERIK IIN

In-app purchases

None

Aria2Server

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Beam

One-time1
  • Beam Unlimited2 variants$7.99

Questions

Is Aria2Server free?
Aria2Server costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Beam free?
Beam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Aria2Server or Beam have ads?
Neither Aria2Server nor Beam shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Aria2Server or Beam?
Aria2Server ships an update weekly, and Beam every 10 days. Most recently, Aria2Server was updated on October 24, 2026 and Beam on October 28, 2026.

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