Comparison

Polyreader vs beacio

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

Head to head
About

Polyreader

Features
Read full description

The official app and Safari extension for Polyreader, the send-to-Kindle service. Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

About

beacio

Features
Read full description

beacio brings Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to Safari on iOS, letting you connect to BLE devices directly from web pages β€” no dedicated native app needed for each device. HOW IT WORKS beacio is a Safari Web Extension paired with a companion app. Install it, then finish setup in Safari: on any website, tap aA, tap Manage Extensions, and turn beacio on. For site access, tap aA, tap beacio, and tap Enable on all websites β€” Safari's own permission sheet follows, where you choose Always Allow… and then on every website. This route never touches Settings. If you prefer, the same grant can also be made in Settings β†’ Apps β†’ Safari β†’ Extensions β†’ beacio under Permissions, where the row is labelled Other Websites on iOS 26. Once enabled, websites use the standard Web Bluetooth API: beacio installs navigator.bluetooth in Safari, so a site already built for Web Bluetooth works with no code changes and no script tag. A vendor-prefixed navigator.beacio namespace is available alongside it for sites that want to detect beacio explicitly. KEY FEATURES - Full Web Bluetooth API support: requestDevice(), GATT service and characteristic discovery, read/write operations, and real-time notifications - Batch GATT operations for fast, efficient device communication - Native iOS device picker for secure device selection - Connection persistence across tab switches and brief app suspensions - Optional background sync registrations for alerts and beacon monitoring that you explicitly enable from supported websites - Standalone BLE scanner in the companion app for independent testing - Extension status dashboard with real-time monitoring USE CASES - IoT Dashboards: Monitor and control smart home devices, sensors, and actuators from web-based dashboards in Safari, including optional background alerts for important state changes - Fitness & Health: Connect to heart rate monitors, cycling sensors, and other fitness peripherals through web apps, with optional notifications for tracked measurements - Smart Home: Interact with BLE-enabled lights, locks, thermostats, and appliances via browser-based interfaces - Development & Prototyping: Test and debug BLE peripherals using web-based tools like nRF Connect for Web, without switching between native apps - Education: Build and experiment with BLE projects using web technologies SECURITY & PRIVACY beacio is secure by design. Every Bluetooth connection requires your explicit consent through the native iOS device picker. Optional background monitoring is available only when a supported website explicitly registers it and you grant the required permissions. The extension collects no personal data and performs no tracking. Crash reporting via Sentry uses EU-based data residency and captures only diagnostic data (crash logs, performance metrics) that is never linked to your identity. REQUIREMENTS - iOS 26.2 or later - iPhone with Bluetooth Low Energy support - Compatible BLE peripherals INSPIRED BY OPEN STANDARDS beacio implements the W3C Web Bluetooth specification used by Chrome and Edge on desktop and exposes it under the standard navigator.bluetooth name β€” the same device discovery, GATT read/write and notification operations. Existing Web Bluetooth sites work unchanged, with the vendor-prefixed navigator.beacio namespace available for explicit feature detection. FOR DEVELOPERS Visit beacio.com for integration documentation and the API reference. No SDK and no script tag is required: navigator.bluetooth comes from the extension itself, and the optional beacio.js helper only adds convenience and feature detection.

Screenshots

Polyreader2 screens
beacio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: beacio at none against Polyreader's 1. beacio also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs monthly). Polyreader's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.2). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Polyreader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. beacio asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Polyreader ships an update monthly, beacio every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
Polyreader versus beacio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPolyreaderbeacio
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 6 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.6 β€” better26.2
Further details β€” not scored
Size4 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNaftali BederWojciech Kulma

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Polyreader

Subscriptions1
  • Premium$1.991 Month
None

beacio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Polyreader free?
Polyreader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is beacio free?
beacio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Polyreader or beacio have ads?
Neither Polyreader nor beacio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Polyreader or beacio?
Polyreader ships an update monthly, and beacio every 6 days. Most recently, Polyreader was updated on October 7, 2026 and beacio on September 26, 2026.

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