Two different safety apps that get compared a lot. Citizen tells you about incidents nearby. Beacon Safe makes sure someone gets called if you don't check in. Here's an honest side-by-side.
$19.99/mo Beacon Plus · $19.99/mo Citizen ProtectRead This First
Before the feature table: Citizen Protect and Beacon Safe sit in different categories. Picking one over the other depends on what you're actually worried about — not on a price comparison.
You set a check-in schedule. If you miss it, your chosen emergency contacts get alerted automatically — Email first, then SMS, then a real voice call, with follow-ups for hours and days. The product assumes nobody else is watching out for you, so it watches the clock.
Citizen pushes real-time crime, fire, and emergency alerts in your area based on your location. The Protect tier adds a 24/7 live agent you can call when you feel unsafe. The product assumes something might happen near you, and helps you respond when it does.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Beacon Safe | Citizen Protect |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | Personal check-in → alert your contacts | Neighborhood alerts → situational awareness |
| Free tier | Yes — 3 contacts, email | Yes — basic alerts & map |
| Paid plan price | $19.99/mo | $19.99/mo (Protect) |
| Annual pricing | $199.99/yr | Not publicly listed |
| Scheduled check-ins | Yes — 12–72h interval | No |
| Alerts your emergency contacts if you miss check-in | Yes — automated 4 phases | No |
| Email alerts to contacts | Yes — Free + Plus | No |
| SMS alerts to contacts | Yes — Plus | No |
| Voice calls to contacts | Yes — automated, Plus | No |
| Push reminders to user | Yes — Free + Plus | Yes |
| 24/7 live human agent | No | Yes — Protect Agents |
| Real-time neighborhood crime alerts | No | Yes |
| Location tracking | No — by design | Yes |
| Emergency contacts | 3 (Free) / 10 (Plus) | Not the core model |
| Escalation phases | 4 automated phases | Live agent escalates per call |
| Contact response tracking | Yes — digital action tokens | No |
| Vacation mode | Yes | No |
| Server-side triggering (works if phone is off) | Yes | Requires the app + location |
| 24-hour re-notification | Yes | No |
Beacon Safe Plus is $19.99/mo. Citizen Protect is $19.99/mo. They're solving different problems — if your concern is "make sure someone gets called when I don't check in," Beacon does exactly that, with automated multi-channel escalation and a free tier to start.
Beacon Safe runs in the background. You don't have to call anyone, panic, or open the app to trigger help — missing your check-in is the trigger. Useful when you're unconscious, in danger, or simply unable to act.
Beacon Safe doesn't collect or transmit your location. It only knows whether you confirmed you were safe by your deadline. Privacy is a default, not a setting.
Set check-ins anywhere from every 12 hours to every 72 hours. Good for night shifts, multi-day hikes, road trips, or anyone whose routine isn't perfectly daily.
Citizen's Protect Agents are real humans you can call 24/7 when you feel unsafe in the moment — walking to your car late at night, hearing a strange noise, being followed. That's a meaningful service Beacon Safe doesn't replicate. Citizen also surfaces real-time crime, fire, and emergency incidents in your neighborhood. If situational awareness and on-demand human help during an active threat are your top concerns, Citizen Protect is purpose-built for that.
Pick the right tool
You live alone, travel solo, work nights, hike or fish in low-signal areas, do gig work at odd hours, or just want a safety net so a parent or partner gets a real phone call if you go silent. You'd rather pay less and skip location tracking.
You want to know about incidents happening near you in real time, you want a live agent on the line during walks home or rideshares, and you're comfortable sharing your location with the app and its agents. Higher price, broader scope.
Pricing
Pricing verified via citizen.com and the Citizen App Store listing on 2026-04-26. Citizen also offers separate "Premium" ($14.99/mo per App Store) and "Plus" ($5.99/mo) tiers focused on alert features rather than the live agent.
FAQ
No. Citizen Protect is a reactive neighborhood safety app — it pushes real-time crime and incident alerts near you and offers a 24/7 live Protect Agent you can call when you feel unsafe. Beacon Safe is a proactive personal check-in app — if you don't check in by your scheduled time, it automatically alerts your chosen emergency contacts via Email, SMS, and voice calls. Different problems, different categories. Many people use both.
Beacon Safe Plus is $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year. Citizen Protect is $19.99 per month (verified via citizen.com / App Store listing on 2026-04-26). The two apps are priced the same but cover different scenarios: Beacon Safe is proactive missed-check-in escalation with no location tracking, while Citizen is reactive crime alerts — so price alone isn't the whole story.
No. Citizen Protect's Protect Agents are humans you can talk to live during an unsafe situation — that's a real value-add Beacon Safe does not replicate. Beacon Safe's escalation goes to your own emergency contacts (the people you chose) via automated Email, SMS, voice calls, and follow-ups. If you specifically need a live operator on demand, Citizen Protect is the better fit.
No. Beacon Safe does not collect or transmit your location. It only knows whether you checked in by the deadline you set. Citizen does use location to surface nearby incidents and to share your location with a Protect Agent. If location-free personal safety is important to you, Beacon Safe is built around that.
Yes. They solve different problems. Citizen tells you about a fire, robbery, or active incident in your neighborhood right now. Beacon Safe makes sure your emergency contacts get notified if you stop responding. Many users keep Citizen for situational awareness and add Beacon Safe to cover solo travel, night shifts, hiking, or living alone.
Three things: (1) real-time crime and emergency alerts based on your location, (2) on-demand 24/7 access to a live Protect Agent who can stay on the line during an unsafe situation, and (3) the ability to share your live location with that agent. Beacon Safe doesn't do any of those. Beacon Safe is purpose-built for one job: making sure someone you trust gets contacted if you don't check in.
Beacon Safe is live on iOS and Android.