Both check in on you daily and raise the alarm if you don't respond. The core split: Beacon Safe is a smartphone app with a free tier, while CheckRise is an app-free text-and-call service that works on any phone.
CheckRise needs no app on anyone's phone — it texts a daily check-in, then calls the person, then texts and calls their care circle — which makes it ideal for a parent on a flip phone. It's $14.99/mo with no free tier and no email. Beacon Safe is a smartphone app that adds email alerts, a permanent free tier (3 contacts), up to 10 contacts, a 4-phase escalation, and Spanish support. Pick CheckRise for a non-smartphone user; pick Beacon for an app with a free option and email. See Beacon pricing.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Beacon Safe | CheckRise |
|---|---|---|
| Needs an app | Yes — iPhone, iPad, Android | No — text & call, any phone |
| Works on flip / basic phones | No | Yes |
| Free tier | Yes — 3 contacts, email | $1 7-day trial only |
| Paid price | $19.99/mo · $199.99/yr | $14.99/mo (~$10/mo annual) |
| Email alerts to contacts | Yes | No |
| SMS alerts to contacts | Yes — Plus | Yes |
| Voice-call alerts to contacts | Yes — Plus | Yes |
| Calls the person first | Safety Check (Plus) | Yes — before care circle |
| Max contacts | 10 (Plus) | 5 care circle |
| Check-ins per day | 1 (daily / 48h / 72h) | Up to 3 |
| Location / GPS | None | None |
| Languages | English + Spanish | English |
Beacon Safe covers 3 contacts with email alerts for free, indefinitely. CheckRise has a $1 seven-day trial and then a subscription — there's no ongoing free option.
Beacon reaches contacts by email as well as SMS and voice, which is useful when a contact is at a desk or their phone is silenced. CheckRise works over text and phone calls only.
Plus supports up to 10 contacts, alerted in the order you set through a fixed 4-phase escalation. CheckRise supports a care circle of up to 5.
Beacon Safe runs fully in English and Spanish. If the person checking in prefers Spanish, that's built in.
CheckRise is purpose-built for a case Beacon can't serve: someone who doesn't use a smartphone. There's no app to install for anyone, it works over plain text and phone calls on any device including flip phones, and it calls the person directly before escalating to the care circle — a voice-first cascade that's well suited to older adults. It's also priced a little below Beacon Plus. If you're setting this up for a parent or relative on a basic phone, CheckRise is likely the better fit; if the person is comfortable with a smartphone app, Beacon adds email, a free tier, and more contacts. See Beacon Safe for seniors.
Questions
Beacon Safe is a smartphone app with a free tier that alerts contacts by email, SMS, and automated voice call through a 4-phase escalation. CheckRise is app-free: it texts a daily check-in to the person and, if there's no reply, calls them and then texts and calls their care circle. CheckRise works on any phone including flip phones; Beacon needs a smartphone but adds email, a free tier, and up to 10 contacts.
CheckRise needs no app at all — not for the person checking in and not for their contacts — so it suits basic and flip phones. Beacon Safe is an app for iPhone, iPad, and Android; contacts, however, never need to install anything.
CheckRise is $14.99/month after a $1 seven-day trial (annual ≈ $10/month). Beacon Safe Plus is $19.99/month or $199.99/year, and Beacon also has a permanent free tier with 3 contacts and email alerts, which CheckRise doesn't offer. See Beacon Safe pricing.
CheckRise, in most cases — it's app-free, works by text and call on any phone, and calls the person before escalating. Beacon Safe is a better fit when the person is comfortable with a smartphone app and you'd also like email alerts, a free tier, or Spanish support — see Beacon for seniors.
Neither tracks location. CheckRise states it does no GPS location sharing, and Beacon Safe never requests location or stores GPS data — more on our no-location-tracking page.
Beacon Safe is live on iOS and Android.
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