Comparison

DroneLook vs beacons

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

Head to head
About

DroneLook

Read full description

Drone detection. In your hands. Connect a DroneLook Micro to your iPhone and turn nearby Remote ID broadcasts into a live view of drone activity. Follow flight paths, see reported pilot or takeoff locations, and revisit saved flights in immersive 3D. Live detection requires compatible DroneLook receiver hardware, sold separately. You can explore the app without hardware in the built-in Demo Mode. No account or subscription is required. FOLLOW THE FLIGHT Switch between 2D maps and full-screen 3D satellite views without losing your place. Pan, zoom, tilt, and rotate to explore the scene. See flight trails and reported altitude, speed, and identification details when available. REPLAY THE MOMENT Open a saved flight in 3D. Play it back, scrub to a specific moment, and change playback speed to examine the route from another perspective. KNOW WHERE TO LOOK See the reported pilot or takeoff location when it is included in the broadcast. Use AR Finder to view the direction of a selected detection through your iPhone camera. KEEP THE WHOLE STORY Review saved encounters and telemetry. Download past detections from your Micro and export PDF flight reports, GPX tracks, KML maps, or CSV data. MAKE IT YOURS Classify aircraft, choose the map layers you need, and configure local detection and geofence alerts. Detection history and settings stay on your iPhone; you choose when and where to export them. KEEP YOUR MICRO CURRENT Install the firmware included with the app over USB. Check installed and included versions, follow transfer progress, and confirm the node has restarted. Firmware installation works offline; new firmware arrives through app updates. BEFORE YOU START USB-C is the preferred connection; optional Bluetooth supports compatible nodes. Live detection depends on supported Remote ID broadcasts, receiver configuration, range, and radio conditions. Some aircraft do not broadcast Remote ID or do not provide every field. Map imagery requires internet access, detailed 3D coverage varies by location, and flight altitude alignment is approximate. DroneLook is a passive situational-awareness tool. It does not control or interfere with aircraft and is not intended for air traffic control or safety-of-life use.

About

beacons

This app helps you identify surveillance devices broadcasting nearby, such as cameras and trackers, by displaying them on a live map. It works by listening for WiFi and Bluetooth signals from modern surveillance gear. The app is designed with privacy in mind and is open-source.

Highlights
  • Live map of nearby surveillance devices
  • Detects WiFi and Bluetooth signals
  • Identifies cameras, trackers, drones, and more
  • Open-source and privacy-focused design
  • Optional drive mode with lock screen counter
  • Community layer for known fixed sites
Features
Read full description

beacons is a free open-source companion app for the soyboi beacon detector. it finds the cameras, trackers, and other recording gear broadcasting around you and puts them on a live map on your phone. A lot of modern surveillance gear announces itself over WiFi and Bluetooth. beacons listens for those signals so you can see what's nearby. beacons pairs the pocket receiver that pairs with your phone over Bluetooth. No detector yet? Open the app and tap "See how it works" on the first screen to explore the whole app on sample data, with no hardware and no permissions required. WHAT IT FINDS - Automated license-plate readers: known fixed sites shown on a map, plus a live flag when nearby gear actually broadcasts over WiFi or Bluetooth (a bonus, not a guarantee, since many report home over cellular and stay silent) - Networked and WiFi cameras from known camera brands, professional and consumer (optional, off by default) - Bluetooth trackers like AirTags (optional, off by default, so everyday tags don't bury the rest) - Drones broadcasting Remote ID overhead - Body-worn and wearable cameras in range - Recording glasses, by the vendor IDs in their Bluetooth broadcasts - Anything you star: teach it your own category and it calls that device out every time it's near PRIVATE BY DESIGN - The detection side only listens. It never jams or spoofs, and can't track or affect any other device. The only thing the detector transmits is the Bluetooth link to your own phone. - No account, no cloud, no telemetry. Every detection stays on your device unless you explicitly export or send it. - The app and the firmware are fully open source, so you can read exactly what it does. HOW IT WORKS - Every detection lands on a live map with signal detail and history. - An optional Drive mode keeps a live counter on your lock screen while you travel. - An opt-in community layer also maps known fixed plate-reader sites near you, drawn from the DeFlock project and OpenStreetMap contributors, as a reference on top of live detection. - Free firmware updates install over Bluetooth, so it keeps recognizing new gear. - Spotted a device it mislabeled or missed? Share that capture from the app to help improve detection. It is manual and optional, and nothing leaves your phone unless you send it. HONEST ABOUT LIMITS It hears what announces itself over WiFi and Bluetooth, not what stays silent. Wired and purely optical systems won't show up, and neither will gear that reports home over its own cellular link, which some fixed plate readers do. A quiet screen means nothing spoke up, not that you're unwatched. beacons needs the beacons hardware for live detection. Learn more at soyboi.tech.

Screenshots

DroneLook4 screens
beacons4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: beacons at every 6 days against DroneLook's every 6 weeks. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DroneLook ships an update every 6 weeks, beacons every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
DroneLook versus beacons: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDroneLookbeacons
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.618.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander DingleySoyboi LLC

In-app purchases

None

DroneLook

No in-app purchases

None

beacons

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DroneLook free?
DroneLook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is beacons free?
beacons is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do DroneLook or beacons have ads?
Neither DroneLook nor beacons shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DroneLook or beacons?
DroneLook ships an update every 6 weeks, and beacons every 6 days. Most recently, DroneLook was updated on October 31, 2026 and beacons on November 10, 2026.

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