A scheduled daily check-in with no location tracking, or a multi-device SOS-and-timer app with a GPS link on request. They solve overlapping problems in different ways — here's how to pick.
Beacon Safe is a hands-off daily check-in: tap "I'm safe," and only a miss triggers a 4-phase email/SMS/voice escalation — with no location, ever, and a permanent free tier. My SOS Family is a multi-device SOS button and timer (phones, landlines, Alexa) that includes a GPS map link when you request help, priced around $19.99/yr. Choose Beacon for a quiet daily safety net with zero tracking; choose My SOS Family for multi-device panic alerts with location on request. See Beacon pricing.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Beacon Safe | My SOS Family |
|---|---|---|
| Core model | Scheduled daily check-in | SOS button + timer |
| Free tier | Yes — 3 contacts, email | 14-day free trial |
| Alerts to contacts | Email, SMS, voice | Email, SMS, calls, push |
| Escalation on a miss | Fixed 4-phase | Simultaneous to contacts |
| Location / GPS | None, ever | GPS link when you request help |
| Works on landlines / flip phones | No | Yes — speed-dial |
| Smart-speaker (Alexa) | No | Yes |
| Responder coordination | Ordered contact list | First-responder assignment |
| Professional dispatch center | No — contacts only | No — contacts only |
| Server-side triggering | Yes | Yes |
| Paid price | $19.99/mo · $199.99/yr | ~$3.49/mo · $19.99/yr |
| Languages | English + Spanish | Multiple regions |
Beacon Safe never requests location and stores no GPS — not even a link when help is requested. My SOS Family shares a GPS map link when you actively trigger an alert. If you want no location data involved at all, Beacon takes the stricter stance.
Beacon protects you through a once-a-day check-in that works in the background — you don't have to remember to press a button or set a timer before each activity. Miss the check-in and the escalation runs itself.
Beacon's free plan covers 3 contacts with email alerts, indefinitely. My SOS Family offers a 14-day trial and then requires a subscription — a very affordable one, but not an ongoing free option.
A miss triggers email and SMS, then an automated voice call, then a follow-up and a 24-hour re-alert. On Plus, Safety Check reaches out to you before your contacts hear anything — one more chance to confirm you're fine.
Choose Beacon Safe if you want a hands-off daily safety net: a once-a-day check-in with four-phase automated escalation across email, SMS, and voice, server-side triggering that fires even if your phone is dead or off, and zero location tracking — with a genuinely free tier. Choose My SOS Family if you want an SOS panic button, landline and flip-phone speed-dial, Alexa support, or the lowest price. For automatic, no-button-press protection every day, Beacon Safe does more.
Beacon's permanent free tier is the more generous way in — 3 contacts with email alerts at no cost, where My SOS Family's free window is a 14-day trial. On paid plans, though, My SOS Family is an established, genuinely capable service, and for some households the better choice. It reaches across smartphones, basic and landline phones, and Amazon Alexa, so it can protect someone who doesn't use a smartphone at all — something Beacon can't do. Its annual price is dramatically lower (about $19.99/year), it assigns the first responding contact to coordinate the incident, and it includes a GPS location link when you request help so contacts can see where you are. If you want multi-device reach, live location on an SOS, or the lowest paid price, My SOS Family is well worth considering.
Questions
Beacon Safe is a scheduled daily check-in app: confirm you're safe each day, and if you miss it your contacts are alerted through a 4-phase escalation across email, SMS, and voice, with no location ever shared. My SOS Family centers on an SOS button and a timer that alerts contacts if you don't cancel it, works across phones, landlines, and Alexa, and includes a GPS map link when you request help.
Beacon has a permanent free tier — 3 contacts with email alerts and unlimited check-ins — where My SOS Family offers only a 14-day free trial before a subscription is required. On paid plans, yes, My SOS Family is cheaper: about $3.49/month or $19.99/year in the US, versus Beacon Safe Plus at $19.99/month or $199.99/year. See Beacon Safe pricing.
Not continuously, but it includes a GPS map link in the alert when you actively request help. Beacon Safe never requests location at all — no GPS, no map link, ever, as explained on our no-location-tracking page. If you want your contacts to see where you are when you call for help, My SOS Family's on-request location can be an advantage; if you want none involved, Beacon is stricter.
My SOS Family. It works across smartphones, basic and landline phones via speed-dial, and Amazon Alexa voice, which suits a person who doesn't use a smartphone. Beacon Safe is a smartphone app for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Beacon Safe. Its model is a once-a-day check-in that runs on its own, with a 2-hour grace period and a defined 4-phase escalation — see how it works. My SOS Family leans on you pressing an SOS button or setting a timer per activity.
Beacon Safe is live on iOS and Android.
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