# Phoneless vs Beacon

The clearest difference is ads: Beacon at none against Phoneless's shown. Phoneless's advantage is ratings volume (12 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Phoneless sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month and Beacon sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Phoneless against 5.0 for Beacon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phoneless has 12 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Phoneless ships an update every 4 weeks, Beacon fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phoneless | Beacon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoneless-screen-time-control/id6749281040/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-focus-with-friends/id6785140782/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 1 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 45 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Glow Up](https://appshunter.io/developer/1747715096) | [John Cain](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785140784) |

## What reviewers say

### Phoneless

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phoneless-screen-time-control/id6749281040)

This app encourages you to walk more by converting your daily steps into minutes you can spend in distracting apps. Set a step goal and choose which apps to limit. Once your minutes are used up, you'll need to move to earn more time.

**Highlights:** Convert steps to app time, Limit distracting apps, Set daily step goals, Earn minutes by walking, Subscription for full access

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $12.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $17.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual access | $39.99 | per year |
| Annual | $69.99 | per year |


### Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-focus-with-friends/id6785140782)

Enhance your productivity with timed focus sessions and app blocking. Connect with friends for shared accountability and challenges to stay on track. Track your progress and build consistent focus habits.

**Highlights:** Timed focus sessions, App blocking via Screen Time, Recurring scheduled sessions, Focus streak and stats, Home Screen widget and Siri Shortcuts, Social accountability with friends, Monk Mode for deep focus

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beacon Pro | $5.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phoneless free?

Phoneless is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Beacon free?

Beacon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Phoneless or Beacon?

Phoneless and Beacon are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 12 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Phoneless or Beacon have ads?

Phoneless shows ads; Beacon does not.

### Which is updated more often, Phoneless or Beacon?

Phoneless ships an update every 4 weeks, and Beacon fortnightly. Most recently, Phoneless was updated on October 30, 2026 and Beacon on October 31, 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.*