Comparison

Loon vs Bark

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Loon

This app is a powerful network tool for debugging and optimizing connections. It offers comprehensive traffic capture, detailed record-keeping, and advanced routing options. Features include robust ad-blocking and cutting-edge DNS capabilities.

Highlights
  • Wide protocol support (ss, vmess, trojan, etc.)
  • Comprehensive traffic capture (HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, UDP)
  • Detailed request/response header and body recording
  • MITM functionality over HTTP2
  • Advanced domain-based routing
  • Robust ad-blocking with custom rules
  • Traffic usage monitoring
  • Advanced DNS features (IPv6, DoH, DoQ, DoH3)
Features
Read full description

Loon is not just another network tool—it's a powerhouse for debugging and optimizing your network connections. With Loon, you're in command, equipped with an array of features to streamline your network troubleshooting experience. Here's what sets Loon apart: Protocol Support: Loon supports a wide range of protocols including ss, ssr, vmess, trojan, vless, HTTP/S, SOCKS5, hysteria2,Shadow-TLS, and WireGuard. No matter your preferred protocol, Loon has you covered. Comprehensive Traffic Capture: Capture all HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, and UDP traffic on your device effortlessly and redirect it to your proxy server for thorough analysis and debugging. Detailed Record-Keeping: Gain insights into your network activity with Loon's ability to record HTTP and HTTPS request and response headers and bodies. With this level of detail, troubleshooting becomes a breeze. MITM Capabilities: Loon offers Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) functionality over HTTP2 connections, allowing you to intercept and analyze encrypted traffic for deeper debugging insights. Advanced Routing Options: Take control of your network traffic with Loon's powerful router, which can be configured based on domain, URL, IP, Protocol, Port, and HTTP headers. This granular control ensures that your traffic flows exactly where you need it to go. Robust Ad-blocking: Loon's ad-blocking capabilities are second to none. Develop custom rules, rewriting, and scripting to effectively block unwanted ads and streamline your browsing experience. Traffic Usage Monitoring: Stay informed about your data usage with Loon's built-in traffic measurement tools, giving you valuable insights into your network activity. Cutting-edge DNS Features: Loon boasts full IPv6 support, asynchronous DNS requests, and the ability to query DNS over HTTPS, QUIC, and HTTP3. Record DNS results and ensure a seamless DNS resolution experience. Extendable Functionality: Unlock limitless possibilities with Loon's support for using JavaScripts to extend proxy functionality. Customize and tailor Loon to meet your specific needs and preferences. Experience the next level of network debugging with Loon. Download now and take control of your network connections like never before. For more about proxy: https://nsloon.app/docs/intro Join our telegram group: https://t.me/Loon0x00 Contact us loon0x00@gmail.com

About

Bark

Send custom push notifications to your iPhone via an HTTP API. Supports advanced features like custom icons, grouping, and critical alerts. Offers privacy-protected, end-to-end encrypted pushes with self-deployable server options.

Highlights
  • HTTP API for push notifications
  • Custom icons and grouping
  • Continuous and critical alerts
  • End-to-end push encryption
  • Self-deployable server options
  • Privacy-protected notifications
Features
Read full description

You can send push notifications to your iPhone by simply calling an HTTP API. Bark supports many advanced iOS push features, such as custom icons, notification grouping, custom ringtones, continuous alerts, critical alerts, and encrypted pushes. Bark does not consume device battery, as its core functionality relies on system push services and push extensions, and the app itself does not need to be running. Bark ensures your privacy and security with high reliability. Bark supports self-deploying the server, which can be deployed via Docker, Serverless, or Cloudflare Worker. The bark-server supports most operating systems, and you can also run it manually. The app is compiled and uploaded through Github Action, ensuring that the version you’re using is compiled from open-source code, without any modifications by anyone (including the author). Bark supports end-to-end push encryption with a custom key, ensuring that the push content is not accessed or leaked by the Bark server or Apple’s APNs server during transmission. The notification message history saved locally by Bark is also very secure. Using the NotificationServiceExtension, the push message is only stored on the device when the push is received. Feedback email: to@day.app Privacy Policy: https://api.day.app/privacy User Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Loon4 screens
Bark3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bark at 98% against Loon's 53%. Bark also leads on price (Free vs $7.99) and rating (4.9 vs 4.0). Loon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#15 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Bark is free to download; Loon costs $7.99 up front. Bark sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.69 per year. Loon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bark holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 517 and 109 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Loon's written reviews are positive against 98% of Bark's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Loon ships an update every 5 weeks, Bark every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Loon versus Bark: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLoonBark
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (517 ratings)4.9 (109 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.9% of reviews98.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings517 — better109
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#15 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLoon Lab Limited丰 黄

Customer experience

Loon

All ratings517 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral5.0%
Negative21.9%
Written reviews244 reviews
Positive52.9%
Neutral7.8%
Negative39.3%

Bark

All ratings109 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews61 reviews
Positive98.4%
Neutral1.6%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Loon

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Nodes not working after iOS 16 update
  • Subscription issues and inability to refund
  • Mitm and script features not functioning properly
  • Incompatibility with certain games and apps

Requested features

6 requests
  • Support for Reality protocol
  • Support for gRPC protocol
  • Proxy sharing feature
  • Improved DNS hijacking protection
  • Better widget and shortcut support
Show 1 more
  • macOS and Windows versions

Bark

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Loon

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Bark

Subscriptions1
  • Continuous support$2.691 Year
One-time1
  • One-time donation$2.69

Questions

Is Loon free?
Loon costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bark free?
Bark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Loon or Bark?
Bark is rated higher. Loon averages 4.0 out of 5 from 517 ratings, while Bark averages 4.9 from 109 ratings.
Do Loon or Bark have ads?
Neither Loon nor Bark shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Loon or Bark?
Loon ships an update every 5 weeks, and Bark every 3 weeks. Most recently, Loon was updated on October 16, 2026 and Bark on October 14, 2026.

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