# Gimbal Beacon Manager vs HID Reader Manager

Gimbal Beacon Manager and HID Reader Manager both sit at 2.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 43% of Gimbal Beacon Manager's written reviews are positive against 13% of HID Reader Manager's. Gimbal Beacon Manager also leads on iOS requirement (7.0 vs 14.0). HID Reader Manager's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (26 vs 5). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 2.6 for Gimbal Beacon Manager against 2.6 for HID Reader Manager. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HID Reader Manager has 26 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 43% of Gimbal Beacon Manager's written reviews are positive against 13% of HID Reader Manager's.

Gimbal Beacon Manager ships an update every 4 months, HID Reader Manager every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 7, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gimbal Beacon Manager | HID Reader Manager |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gimbal-beacon-manager/id785688563/reviews) | [2.6 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hid-reader-manager/id1328840981/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **26** |
| Positive reviews | **42.9% of reviews** | 12.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 4 MB | 174 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gimbal, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/404624702) | [HID Global](https://appshunter.io/developer/657306800) |

## What reviewers say

### Gimbal Beacon Manager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gimbal-beacon-manager/id785688563)

This application allows developers to view and configure Gimbal beacons. It provides tools for managing beacon settings and data.

**Highlights:** View Gimbal beacons, Configure Gimbal beacons, Manage beacon settings, Access beacon data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### HID Reader Manager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hid-reader-manager/id1328840981)

This app simplifies the management of compatible HID readers. It allows administrators to configure settings, update firmware, and export reader status. Users can also upgrade readers to support Bluetooth and OSDP.

**Highlights:** Configure reader settings, Upgrade reader firmware, Inspect and export reader status, Enable Bluetooth support, Enable OSDP support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Gimbal Beacon Manager free?

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

### Is HID Reader Manager free?

HID Reader Manager is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Gimbal Beacon Manager or HID Reader Manager?

Gimbal Beacon Manager and HID Reader Manager are both rated 2.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 26 ratings respectively.

### Do Gimbal Beacon Manager or HID Reader Manager have ads?

Neither Gimbal Beacon Manager nor HID Reader Manager shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Gimbal Beacon Manager or HID Reader Manager?

Gimbal Beacon Manager ships an update every 4 months, and HID Reader Manager every 2 months. Most recently, Gimbal Beacon Manager was updated on June 7, 2026 and HID Reader Manager on September 22, 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.*