# GateF8 vs Beacon

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Beacon at 100% against GateF8's 43%. Beacon also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2). GateF8's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Beacon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of GateF8's written reviews are positive against 100% of Beacon's.

GateF8 ships an update every 5 days, Beacon monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GateF8 | Beacon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gatef8/id6760747063/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-where-plans-happen/id6786542558/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 45 MB | 231 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [KYLE BARTHOLOMEW](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886060492) | [Beacon Meetup, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883447460) |

## What reviewers say

### GateF8

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gatef8/id6760747063)

Connect with fellow travelers at your airport gate. Discover new people, chat in real-time, and make the most of travel delays.

**Highlights:** Connect with travelers at your gate, Real-time chat functionality, Discover people nearby, Enhance travel experiences, Turn delays into social moments

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-where-plans-happen/id6786542558)

Discover spontaneous local activities and connect with people who share your interests. See what's happening around you in real-time, join or create plans easily, and meet new people without the hassle of endless scheduling.

**Highlights:** Live map of nearby activities, Create or join spontaneous plans, Filter by interest, time, and group size, Private by default location sharing, Group chat for meetups, Report and block users

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GateF8 free?

GateF8 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Beacon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, GateF8 or Beacon?

Beacon is rated higher. GateF8 averages 4.2 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Beacon averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do GateF8 or Beacon have ads?

Neither GateF8 nor Beacon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, GateF8 or Beacon?

GateF8 ships an update every 5 days, and Beacon monthly. Most recently, GateF8 was updated on November 5, 2026 and Beacon on November 10, 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.*