Comparison

Beaconator vs GemTot SDK

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

Head to head
About

Beaconator

Features
Read full description

Beaconator is an all-in-one iBeacon broadcaster and detector for developers, testers, and educators. Whether you're building an indoor navigation app, testing proximity interactions, validating hardware, or learning about Bluetooth beacons, Beaconator makes iBeacon development simple. Configure a custom UUID, Major, and Minor, then instantly turn your iPhone into an iBeacon transmitter. On another device, detect nearby beacons, monitor signal strength, verify your configuration, and troubleshoot deployments without additional hardware. Features • Broadcast fully configurable iBeacon signals • Detect nearby iBeacons in real time • Adjustable UUID, Major, and Minor values • Generate random UUIDs for testing • Share beacon configurations with QR codes • Scan QR codes to configure another device instantly • View beacon proximity, RSSI, and estimated distance • Clean SwiftUI interface optimized for quick testing Perfect for • iOS developers • Bluetooth LE developers • Indoor positioning projects • Museum and exhibit installations • Retail and proximity marketing prototypes • Classroom demonstrations • QA and field testing • Hardware validation Typical Workflow 1. Configure a beacon on one device. 2. Display a QR code containing the beacon UUID. 3. Scan the QR code with a second device. 4. Begin ranging immediately to verify the broadcast. No typing. No extra hardware. No complicated setup. Beaconator was created by a developer who needed a simple way to test iBeacon-enabled applications in real-world environments. It has helped validate countless Bluetooth beacon deployments and continues to evolve with modern iOS and SwiftUI. All of the code is open-source and available at https://github.com/jeffreality/beaconator . Whether you're shipping a production app or experimenting with Core Location and Bluetooth LE, Beaconator gives you the tools you need to test quickly and confidently.

About

GemTot SDK

This utility app enables users to configure, test, and demonstrate GemTot Bluetooth beacons. It showcases proximity detection, distance calculation using RSSI, and triggering local notifications or Apple Wallet content when entering or exiting beacon regions.

Highlights
  • Beacon configuration
  • Distance demonstration
  • Proximity detection
  • RSSI and power calibration
  • Lock screen notifications
  • Apple Wallet integration demo
Features
Read full description

This utility app allows owners of GemTot bluetooth beacons to easily configure, test and demonstrate them. Distance demonstration: Demonstrates how an app is aware of a beacon's relative proximity when moving closer or further away from a beacon source and how the RSSI and power calibration of the beacon can be used to calculate a crude distance to the beacon source. Proximity demonstration: Demonstrates how the device's proximity to the beacon can trigger 3 different states (immediate, near and far), also shows how an app can respond to the event of no longer being able to see a beacon. Lock screen demonstration: Demonstrates how entering or exiting a beacon region can trigger a local notification and how a notification could be used to deliver content to Apple Wallet. This demo requires that background location monitoring and local notifications are enabled. Please note that continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. This app acts as a tool to demonstrate the capabilities of iBeacon. To save battery life, location permissions should be disabled when the app is not in use.

Screenshots

Beaconator1 screens
GemTot SDK4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: GemTot SDK at every 3 months against Beaconator's every 7 months. GemTot SDK also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.2). 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

Beaconator ships an update every 7 months, GemTot SDK every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Beaconator versus GemTot SDK: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeaconatorGemTot SDK
PriceFreeFree
Rating—1.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.29.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerpushplay.netPassKit, Inc.

In-app purchases

None

Beaconator

No in-app purchases

None

GemTot SDK

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Beaconator free?
Beaconator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GemTot SDK free?
GemTot SDK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Beaconator or GemTot SDK have ads?
Neither Beaconator nor GemTot SDK shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Beaconator or GemTot SDK?
Beaconator ships an update every 7 months, and GemTot SDK every 3 months. Most recently, Beaconator was updated on October 3, 2026 and GemTot SDK on October 1, 2026.

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