Comparison

Bark vs Lenovo Smart Scanner

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

Head to head
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/

About

Lenovo Smart Scanner

Transform your device into a powerful scanner. Recognize text in images using OCR to convert documents, photos, and notes into editable PDF or JPEG files. Easily transfer your scanned content to any device.

Highlights
  • Document scanning
  • OCR text recognition
  • Convert to PDF
  • Convert to JPEG
  • Cross-device compatibility
Features
Read full description

Lenovo Smart Scanner is free to download and turns your device into a powerful scanner. With it, you can use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to automatically recognize text in images, enabling you to scan your paper documents, photos, or notes and convert them into editable PDF or JPEG files for use on your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Screenshots

Bark3 screens
Lenovo Smart Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lenovo Smart Scanner at none against Bark's 2. Lenovo Smart Scanner also leads on iOS requirement (13 vs 15.0). Bark's advantage is review sentiment (98% vs 83%). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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

Both are free to download. Bark sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.69 per year. Lenovo Smart Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, Lenovo Smart Scanner every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Bark versus Lenovo Smart Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarkLenovo Smart Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (111 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews98.4% of reviews — better83.3% of reviews
Number of ratings111 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB142 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer丰 黄Lenovo(Beijing) Limited

Customer experience

Bark

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

Lenovo Smart Scanner

Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Bark

Subscriptions1
  • Continuous support$2.691 Year
One-time1
  • One-time donation$2.69
None

Lenovo Smart Scanner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bark free?
Bark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lenovo Smart Scanner free?
Lenovo Smart Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bark or Lenovo Smart Scanner have ads?
Neither Bark nor Lenovo Smart Scanner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bark or Lenovo Smart Scanner?
Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lenovo Smart Scanner every 6 weeks. Most recently, Bark was updated on November 6, 2026 and Lenovo Smart Scanner on November 3, 2026.

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