# AppClose vs Bark

The clearest difference is rating: AppClose at 4.7 against Bark's 4.3. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AppClose sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month and Bark sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

AppClose holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39K and 36K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 13% and 13% positive.

AppClose ships an update monthly, Bark every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | AppClose | Bark |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/appclose/id1019290876/reviews)** | [4.3 (36K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-parental-controls/id1477619146/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **39K** | 36K |
| Positive reviews | **13.2% of reviews** | 12.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | #73 |
| Size | 152 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [AppClose, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1019290875) | [Bark Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1164495252) |

## What reviewers say

### AppClose

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/appclose/id1019290876)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This platform simplifies co-parenting by providing tools for organized communication, scheduling, and expense tracking. It offers secure messaging, call recording, and court-trusted documentation to help families stay connected and compliant with legal requirements.

**Highlights:** Secure messaging and call recording, Shared calendars and parenting schedules, Expense tracking and reimbursements, Court-trusted, unalterable records, Parenting time tracker, Secure file storage

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Unlimited Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| One Year Subscription | $98.99 | per year |
| 30 Days of Call Recording | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Secure communication
- 💡 Helpful for co-parenting
- 👍 Customizable schedules
- 👍 Useful for court documentation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Calendar issues and bugs
- 🐛 Glitchy app performance
- 🐛 Unreliable notifications
- 🐛 Lost data and documents
- 🐛 Complicated user interface

**Reported bugs**

- Calendar events not saving properly
- Shared schedules not displaying correctly
- Inability to delete or edit calendar entries
- Notifications not working as expected
- Uploaded documents/photos not loading

**Requested features**

- Improved calendar functionality
- Better syncing between parents
- Group chat feature
- Call recording option
- Integration with other calendars


### Bark

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-parental-controls/id1477619146)

**Currently charting:** #73 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This service helps families manage their children's digital lives by monitoring online content, managing screen time, and filtering websites. It alerts parents to potential issues like cyberbullying or adult content, offering peace of mind.

**Highlights:** Content monitoring for texts, email, YouTube, and social media, Alerts for cyberbullying, adult content, and threats, Screen time limits and scheduling, Website filtering by category or specific sites, Monitors 30+ apps and social media platforms

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bark Jr Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Bark Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Bark Jr Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| Bark Annual | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 Solid recommendation
- 🔒 Helps keep watch over family
- 🔒 Necessary for child safety
- 🚀 Disturbingly good app so far
- 🚀 Unique helpful tracker

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Very hard to navigate
- 🐛 Can't install
- 🐛 Annoying features
- 🐛 Useless, don't waste money
- 🐛 Confusion during setup

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent disconnections and reconnections required
- Inability to monitor certain popular apps like TikTok and Snapchat
- Delayed alerts and notifications
- Unexpected phone performance issues like slower speeds and battery drain

**Requested features**

- Improve compatibility with iOS devices
- Provide cloud-based backups instead of manual device backups
- Add password protection to prevent app uninstallation
- Improve sensitivity settings and notification management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AppClose free?

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

### Is Bark free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AppClose or Bark?

AppClose is rated higher. AppClose averages 4.7 out of 5 from 39K ratings, while Bark averages 4.3 from 36K ratings.

### Do AppClose or Bark have ads?

Neither AppClose nor Bark shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AppClose or Bark?

AppClose ships an update monthly, and Bark every 2 months. Most recently, AppClose was updated on October 17, 2026 and Bark on October 17, 2026.

### Which is more popular, AppClose or Bark?

AppClose currently peaks at #32 in the App Store charts, and Bark at #73. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*