# Bark vs APTV

The clearest difference is rating: Bark at 4.9 against APTV's 4.5. Bark also leads on review sentiment (98% vs 81%). APTV's advantage is chart position (#59 vs unranked) and ratings volume (457 vs 109). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bark sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.69 per year and APTV sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Bark holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 109 and 457 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 98% of Bark's written reviews are positive against 81% of APTV's.

Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, APTV every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bark | APTV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-custom-notifications/id1403753865/reviews)** | [4.5 (457 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aptv/id1630403500/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 109 | **457** |
| Positive reviews | **98.4% of reviews** | 80.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#59** |
| Size | 32 MB | 204 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [丰 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1090589311) | [Suzhou Xiying Guangnian Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1619964518) |

## What reviewers say

### Bark

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-custom-notifications/id1403753865)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Continuous support | $2.69 | per year |
| One-time donation | $2.69 | one-time |


### APTV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aptv/id1630403500)

**Currently charting:** #59 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

A versatile IPTV player offering real-time previews and playback capabilities for M3U playlists. It supports various streaming protocols, high-quality video decoding, and advanced IPTV features like EPG and channel management across multiple platforms.

**Highlights:** Real-time M3U playlist preview, Live playback and rewind (source dependent), HLS, HTTP, RTMP protocol support, 4K/HDR/HLG video decoding, EPG electronic program guide, Channel management (categorization, favorites, history), iCloud data synchronization

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| APTV Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bark free?

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

### Is APTV free?

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

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

Bark is rated higher. Bark averages 4.9 out of 5 from 109 ratings, while APTV averages 4.5 from 457 ratings.

### Do Bark or APTV have ads?

Neither Bark nor APTV shows ads.

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

Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, and APTV every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bark was updated on September 26, 2026 and APTV on September 27, 2026.

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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.*