Side-by-side comparison · 24 data points
Create smart announcement banners. Use live timers and targeted messages to highlight promotions.
| Beacon Smart Banner | XB | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | ||
| Description | ||
| Screenshots | images | images |
| Languages | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Developer | ||
| Listed |
| Metric | Beacon Smart Banner | XB: Announcement Bars & Banner |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | — | 5.0 ★ |
| Total reviews | 0 | 128 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Free plan available | Free |
| Built for Shopify | — | ★ Yes |
| Pricing tiers | 2 tiers | — |
| Listed features | 5 | 5 |
| Languages | 1 supported | 18 supported |
| Listed since | Jun 2026 | Dec 2025 |
Based on the data on this page, XB: Announcement Bars & Banner is the stronger choice for most Shopify App Store merchants — 5.0★ vs Beacon Smart Banner's 0.0★ is a meaningful gap that usually reflects real product or support quality differences across the user base.
Pricing entry tiers: Beacon Smart Banner at Free plan available, XB: Announcement Bars & Banner at Free. Check each app's tier structure for the capacity limits you actually need before deciding — the headline number is the same shape, but the gating shape per tier (seats, usage volume, integrations) varies.
XB: Announcement Bars & Banner has the larger user base (128 reviews vs 0), which usually maps to broader integration coverage, faster bug-fix cadence, and a deeper bench of community workflow patterns. Beacon Smart Banner's smaller cohort can be an advantage for niche workflows where the bigger app has accumulated bloat.
Recommended by size: small/early-stage merchants who need fast install and low risk should default to XB: Announcement Bars & Banner; mid-market and enterprise merchants with specific feature requirements should evaluate both — Beacon Smart Banner's 0-review base may include the workflow context that matches your specific use case better than XB: Announcement Bars & Banner's broader-but-shallower coverage.
This verdict is generated from the live marketplace data on this page — rating, review count, pricing tier, and category position all refresh from the canonical Shopify App Store listing every 24 hours. AppRanks does not accept payment to influence comparison outcomes; the methodology is documented on the About page and applies identically to every pair on the site.
Read each app's audit: Beacon Smart Banner audit • XB: Announcement Bars & Banner audit
| Last updated | — | — |
|---|
| Keyword | Beacon Smart Banner | XB |
|---|---|---|
| banner | Not ranked | #1 |
| bar banner | Not ranked | #2 |
| announcement banner with timer | Not ranked | #2 |
No tracked changes.
Both Beacon Smart Banner and XB: Announcement Bars & Banner offer paid plans only. Beacon Smart Banner starts at Free plan available; XB: Announcement Bars & Banner starts at Free. Compare the per-tier features in the Pricing section above before committing.
AppRanks cannot separate these two on rating, because neither publishes one. XB: Announcement Bars & Banner does carry the larger published review base (128 vs 0). Read both apps' detail pages for the feature breakdown and recent listing changes.
Both apps are one-click installs from the Shopify App Store. XB: Announcement Bars & Banner has the deeper published review base (128 vs 0), which often — though not always — accompanies better-tested setup docs. AppRanks doesn't measure setup time directly: read the recent reviews on each app's detail page for user-reported install experience.
Beacon Smart Banner typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (0 reviews). XB: Announcement Bars & Banner typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (128 reviews). A larger review base generally means the app has been exercised at scale — relevant if you are processing high volume or handling enterprise compliance requirements.
Migration support varies by app and category. Beacon Smart Banner and XB: Announcement Bars & Banner both publish their export options on their marketplace listing pages (or in their support docs); some apps offer one-click import from competitors, others require CSV. The fastest check: search "import from Beacon Smart Banner" in each app's help center. AppRanks does not track migration tooling directly — this is a category-specific capability worth verifying before commitment.
