Stud Finder vs Beam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Stud Finder
This utility app uses your iPhone's magnetometer to detect metal fasteners behind drywall, helping you locate stud lines. Simply sweep your phone across the wall to find screws and nails, then mark the spikes to identify the stud's position for mounting.
- Detects metal fasteners behind drywall
- Locates stud lines
- Uses iPhone's magnetometer
- Simple sweep-and-detect method
- No ads or interruptions
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Find studs behind drywall using your iPhone's built-in magnetometer. This app detects metal fasteners (the screws and nails holding your drywall to wood studs) and helps you locate stud lines behind your wall. HOW IT WORKS Your drywall is screwed into wooden studs roughly every 16 inches. This app picks up those screws by reading changes in the magnetic field as you sweep your phone across the wall. Find screws in a vertical line and you've found the stud. HOW TO USE Take your case off. Hold your phone flat against the wall. Sweep slowly left and right. When the signal spikes, there's metal nearby. Mark each spike, look for a vertical line of hits, and that's your stud. Drill a small pilot hole before you mount anything heavy. If the bit hits something solid, you're on the stud. If it punches right through, move an inch and try again. Takes 30 seconds. WHAT THIS APP CANNOT DO It detects metal, not wood. If there are no screws or nails in the wall where you're scanning, it won't find anything. It also won't work well through thick plaster, concrete, or tile. And it's not a replacement for a professional stud finder on structural work. For mounting a TV, hanging shelves, or putting up pictures on normal drywall, it works. No ads. No nag timers. No interruptions. PRIVACY No account. No tracking. No data leaves your phone.
Beam
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Your iPhone has a magnetometer. Beam turns it into an honest stud finder: hold the phone flat on the wall, sweep slowly, and watch the gauge climb as you approach the screws that hold your drywall to the studs. When you're right over one, Beam flips green — mark it and hang with confidence. HONEST BY DESIGN Beam finds metal fasteners and infers stud lines. It will never pretend to see wood, wires, pipes or depth — no phone can. The gauge shows one real number, the magnetic field above your room's baseline, and the built-in guide teaches you to read it like a pro. FIND ONE. KNOW THEM ALL. The Stud-Line Assistant is the feature hardware finders don't have: confirm one stud with two marks, and Beam projects the standard 16-inch or 24-inch framing rhythm across your wall map. Sweep the projected lines to confirm, then drill once, right. FEEL THE SIGNAL Haptic ticks quicken as you close in — like a Geiger counter in your hand — and land with a solid thump on the hit. Adjustable sensitivity, a peak-hold Precision mode, and a bubble level for mounting. BUILT FOR THE JOB Blueprint looks, gaffer-tape labels, measurements in real units. Save your walls per room and your marks are waiting next time. Everything runs on your device — no account, no tracking, no ads. ONE-TIME $6.99. NO WEEKLY SUBSCRIPTION. The scanner is free forever. One small purchase unlocks the Stud-Line Assistant, saved walls, Precision mode and the level — less than half a hardware stud finder, yours for life. Beam is a magnetic fastener locator, not a substitute for professional detection tools. Never use any phone app to rule out electrical wiring or pipes. Terms of Use (EULA): https://arytec.ch/beam/terms Privacy Policy: https://arytec.ch/beam/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Stud Finder at none against Beam's 1. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Beam sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Stud Finder asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Stud Finder | Beam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (10 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Monolayer Studio | Liridon Tahiraj |
In-app purchases
Stud Finder
No in-app purchases
Beam
- Beam Pro$6.99









