Comparison

Constant Contact vs Bid Beacon

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

Head to head
About

Constant Contact

This app is an all-in-one marketing platform for small businesses. It allows users to create and manage email, social media, and SMS campaigns, track performance, and streamline contact management with a built-in CRM. Get started quickly with intuitive tools and AI assistance for content generation.

Highlights
  • Create professional email campaigns
  • Track campaign performance
  • Streamline contact management (CRM)
  • Compose social posts
  • Manage brand assets on the go
  • AI content assistance
Features
Read full description

Join the thousands of small business marketers who rated Constant Contact a Top 50 Marketing and Digital Advertising Software and Top 100 Global Software Company on G2 in 2025! Drive sales, monitor campaigns and manage contacts on the go! Constant Contact is an all-in-one marketing platform built for small businesses. The Constant Contact mobile app is the perfect companion app and helps you connect with your audience, manage campaigns, and grow your business from anywhere. With an intuitive design and powerful email, social and SMS marketing tools, you can get started in minutes! CREATE PROFESSIONAL EMAIL CAMPAIGNS • Design newsletters and promotional emails optimized for mobile • Edit and schedule emails, even when you are away from your computer • Generate content for announcements, newsletters, or promotions in a flash with AI assistance TRACK CAMPAIGN PERFORMANCE • Track your email campaigns, newsletters, and automations from anywhere • Monitor open, clicks, and engagement rates as they’re happening • Track your subscriptions in real-time and watch your number of contact profiles grow • Refine your strategy based on reports & analytics for email and social STREAMLINE CONTACT MANAGEMENT WITH A MARKETING CRM • Import new contacts directly from your mobile device • Access your contact profiles from anywhere • Capture new contact information with a built-in business card scanner • Segment your lists to send targeted emails • See who’s joined your list from landing pages and sign-up forms COMPOSE SOCIAL POSTS • Post to Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn at once • Track engagement across social platforms, all from one place • Integrate email and social media efforts for broader reach MANAGE YOUR BRAND ON THE GO • Work from anywhere with content management at your fingertips • Capture and upload images directly from your mobile device • Store your organization’s logos and images in your library ACCESS AWARD-WINNING SUPPORT • Talk to a live representative when you need support • Access free training to increase ROI

About

Bid Beacon

This app simplifies hosting online silent auctions for various organizations. It helps increase participation and fundraising by offering features like custom branding, multiple invitation methods, and various bidding options. Streamline your auction process from setup to payment and item pickup.

Highlights
  • Online silent auctions
  • Custom branding
  • Multiple invitation methods
  • Donation, Buy Now, Live Auction, Blind Bid
  • Instant outbid notifications
  • Integrated payment processing
  • Admin collaboration
Features
Read full description

Hosting a silent auction for your charity, nonprofit, sports team, school group, or private event? Increase auction participation, reach more donors, and raise more funds with online silent auctions! You put so much effort into gathering items and setting up the auction, let Bid Beacon help you get the most return on your efforts! Auction setup and managing users is super simple. Invite users to the auction in multiple ways (unique invite link, access code, and QR code). Custom branding features allow admins to create stunning, one-of-a-kind auctions. Upload a logo, banner image, apply a theme color, and personalize your invite link! Auction set up is simple and straightforward. The best part, you don’t have to do it alone! Onboard additional admins to help create and manage your silent auction. Start now for free with up to 5 items, 10 guests, and 1 administrator role. We proudly offer the most flexible pricing options available. In addition to classic silent auction bidding, Bid Beacon supports Donation, Buy Now, Live Auction, and Blind Bid items. Guests can place bids at the touch of a button and receive instant notifications when outbid. This leads to bidding wars that ultimately increase revenues for your fundraising event. Bid Beacon also offers payment of auction items, and lets you configure your Stripe, Square, or PayPal account. This hugely streamlines the auction close process! When the auction ends, manage item pickup all within the app. If you’re looking to host the most successful silent auction yet, try Bid Beacon today!

Screenshots

Constant Contact4 screens
Bid Beacon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Constant Contact at none against Bid Beacon's 10. Constant Contact also leads on ratings volume (11K vs 113) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Bid Beacon's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 34%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads 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. Bid Beacon sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Constant Contact asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Constant Contact holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Constant Contact has 11K ratings behind it against 113, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Constant Contact's written reviews are positive against 67% of Bid Beacon's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Constant Contact ships an update fortnightly, Bid Beacon every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Constant Contact versus Bid Beacon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterConstant ContactBid Beacon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (11K ratings) — better4.5 (113 ratings)
Positive reviews33.6% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11K — better113
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size286 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperConstant Contact, Inc.Launch57 Inc.

Customer experience

Constant Contact

All ratings10,671 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral2.2%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews146 reviews
Positive33.6%
Neutral5.5%
Negative61.0%

Bid Beacon

All ratings112 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral4.5%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral11.1%
Negative22.2%

Bugs and requests

Constant Contact

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when accessing photo library
  • Inconsistent sync between app and website
  • Unreliable email delivery from mobile app

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to edit emails created on desktop
  • Improved mobile-friendly templates
  • Real-time contact and campaign analytics

Bid Beacon

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Constant Contact

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Bid Beacon

One-time10
  • +25 Pictures$19.99
  • Remove Third Party Banners$24.99
  • +50 Products$29.99
Show 7 more
  • +50 Guests$29.99
  • Enabled Sponsors$39.99
  • Small Auction Bundle$49.99
  • Online Payment$49.99
  • Extended Auction$49.99
  • Large Auction Bundle$99.99
  • Gala Bundle$249.99

Questions

Is Constant Contact free?
Constant Contact is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bid Beacon free?
Bid Beacon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Constant Contact or Bid Beacon?
Constant Contact is rated higher. Constant Contact averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Bid Beacon averages 4.5 from 113 ratings.
Do Constant Contact or Bid Beacon have ads?
Neither Constant Contact nor Bid Beacon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Constant Contact or Bid Beacon?
Constant Contact ships an update fortnightly, and Bid Beacon every 2 months. Most recently, Constant Contact was updated on November 7, 2026 and Bid Beacon on November 4, 2026.

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