Beacon Scout vs NearCast
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Beacon Scout
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Search and find your missplaced BLE or Bluetooth devices with this simple scanner app. Simply scan for devices in the environment and select the oine you want to locate. It will then show signal strength and the direction you are facing in a "Radar screen look" allowing you to see where the signal ius strongest. Usually when the signal gets stronger, you get closer to the device until its directly infront of you. You never had this issue? You put your wireless in-ear headphones somewhere and can't remember where. They are even connected to your phone, but playing music would not work because those modern erapühones only play while ion your ear. Also they would not be very loud... At this point, this app is very usefull. Just select the device and follow the signal. You can even mark a device as favourite so you can find it faster when it happens again. Otherwise the devices you connected to will be persistently stored in a list. Long press on a device in the list to get some additional information about it. All this functionality without the need to be online, without payment or hidden fees, without registration and without advertisement.
NearCast
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NearCast turns your iPhone into a powerful Bluetooth radar. Scan for nearby BLE devices, track their signal strength, estimate distance, and never lose your gear again. RADAR SCANNING • Real-time Bluetooth Low Energy scanning with a visual radar display • Animated sonar sweep shows device blips color-coded by saved status • RSSI-based distance estimation using signal strength analysis • Smart device name resolution identifies 50+ manufacturers including Apple, Samsung, Google, Sony, Bose, Tile, and more • Proximity levels from Immediate to Out of Range with haptic feedback DEVICE MANAGEMENT • Save devices with custom names and categories (Phone, Laptop, Headphones, Watch, Keys, Wallet, Tracker, and more) • Organize with favourites and mark devices as lost • View battery level, signal strength, and connection status at a glance • Full scan history with timestamped RSSI readings • Swipe actions for quick management FIND YOUR DEVICES • Play Sound triggers an audible alert to help locate nearby devices • Compass needle points toward your device's last known direction • Proximity indicator with hot/cold feedback guides you closer • Haptic patterns intensify as you approach — feel your way to the device MAP & LOCATION • See every saved device's last known location on an interactive map • Category-colored pins make it easy to identify devices at a glance • Tracks and updates GPS coordinates each time a device is scanned SAFE ZONES • Create geographic safe zones around locations like Home or Office • Configurable radius from 50 to 1000 metres • Alerts are automatically suppressed inside enabled safe zones • Manage zones from the map or the dedicated settings panel SMART ALERTS • Separation alerts notify you the moment a saved device goes out of range • Found alerts let you know when a lost device comes back • Customizable alert sounds: Chime, Beep, Ping, or Sonar • Adjustable volume and global mute control PRIVACY & ANTI-TRACKING • Anti-tracking detection monitors for unknown Bluetooth devices that may be following you • Alerts you if an unfamiliar device persists near you for over 15 minutes across 100+ metres of movement • Clear tracker history at any time • All data stored locally on your device — we never collect or share your information BACKGROUND SCANNING • Continue monitoring saved devices even when the app is in the background • Receive push notifications for separation and found events • Background mode can be toggled on or off in Settings SYNC & STORAGE • iCloud sync keeps your saved devices available across all your Apple devices • Powered by SwiftData for fast, reliable local storage • Export-ready scan history with timestamps and signal data CUSTOMIZATION • 11 device categories with unique icons and colours • Per-device alert settings for separation and found notifications • Dark mode support throughout the app • Onboarding flow guides you through Bluetooth, Location, and Notification setup DeviceFinder requires Bluetooth and Location permissions to scan for and locate devices. Background scanning may affect battery life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Beacon Scout at 16.4 against NearCast's 18.6. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Beacon Scout | NearCast |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Next Level Order Engineering UG (haftungsbeschrankt) | MURAD AL WAJED |
In-app purchases
Beacon Scout
No in-app purchases
NearCast
No in-app purchases









