# Playground Buddy vs Beacon

The clearest difference is rating: Beacon at 4.9 against Playground Buddy's 4.1. Beacon also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (91% vs 67%). Playground Buddy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Beacon sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Playground Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Beacon holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beacon has 495 ratings behind it against 48, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Playground Buddy's written reviews are positive against 91% of Beacon's.

Playground Buddy ships an update every 3 months, Beacon every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Playground Buddy | Beacon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (48 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-buddy/id933016168/reviews) | **[4.9 (495 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-postpartum-support/id6754093355/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 48 | **495** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **90.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Birds Eye Technology](https://appshunter.io/developer/928915141) | [Keagan Scott](https://appshunter.io/developer/1846614886) |

## What reviewers say

### Playground Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-buddy/id933016168)

Discover playgrounds globally with a vast database of over 700,000 locations. Get directions, view photos, and share playground details. Save favorites, log visits, and contribute new playgrounds and photos.

**Highlights:** Worldwide playground database, Search by location, Get directions, View playground photos, Share playground info, Save favorite playgrounds, Log playground visits, Add new playgrounds

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Great for finding nearby parks
- 💡 Useful concept for exploring
- 🌍 Good for travel and road trips
- 👍 Easy to use and add info
- 💖 Loved by parents and families

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🗄️ Outdated information and photos
- 🤷 Lacks detailed information
- 📉 Few completed parks in some areas
- 🚫 Some parks not publicly accessible
- ❓ Missing critical data

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes within seconds
- Submitting feedback results in a blank screen
- Contributions and photos disappear
- Text shows up black on black background (dark theme)
- Favorites list not linking to park data

**Requested features**

- Add personal notes on places
- Filter out school playgrounds
- Ability to build a personal list of parks visited
- Support dark screens (writing visible)
- Filter for inclusive playground equipment


### Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-postpartum-support/id6754093355)

Connect with other mothers during challenging postpartum moments. Share your experience anonymously on a live map, track your baby's needs, monitor your mood, and access helpful resources and community support.

**Highlights:** Live map of awake mothers, Baby feeding, sleep, and diaper tracker, Mood and wellness tracking, Postpartum journaling, Community forum, Expert resources and guides, Helpful tools and calculators

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beacon Premium (Weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Beacon Premium (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Beacon Premium (Annual) | $44.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Playground Buddy free?

Playground Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Beacon free?

Beacon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Playground Buddy or Beacon?

Beacon is rated higher. Playground Buddy averages 4.1 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while Beacon averages 4.9 from 495 ratings.

### Do Playground Buddy or Beacon have ads?

Neither Playground Buddy nor Beacon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Playground Buddy or Beacon?

Playground Buddy ships an update every 3 months, and Beacon every 9 days. Most recently, Playground Buddy was updated on October 14, 2026 and Beacon on October 18, 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.*