Bark vs BetterCallGuard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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/
BetterCallGuard
Block unwanted promotional and spam calls efficiently. This app uses smart algorithms to block calls in bulk by number segments without tracking your private data, ensuring your privacy and peace of mind.
- Block promotional/spam calls
- Bulk blocking by number segments
- Whitelist specific numbers
- iCloud synchronization
- User data and privacy security
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Tired of unwanted promotional calls? Concerned about other call-blocking apps invading your privacy? “BetterCallGuard” puts an end to endless telemarketing interruptions. With its powerful smart algorithms, it can block promotional calls in bulk without tracking or using any of your private data. Restore peace to your phone and bring calm back to your life. Key Features: • Block promotional/spam calls individually or in bulk by entire number segments. • Whitelist to allow specific numbers to bypass blocking. • iCloud synchronization across multiple devices. • Ensures user data and privacy security, with no storage, tagging, or tracking of any sensitive data—use with confidence.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Bark at Free against BetterCallGuard's $0.99. Bark also leads on ratings volume (110 vs 1). BetterCallGuard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Bark is free to download; BetterCallGuard costs $0.99 up front. Bark sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.69 per year. BetterCallGuard asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Bark against 5.0 for BetterCallGuard. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bark has 110 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 98% of Bark's written reviews are positive against 100% of BetterCallGuard's.
Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, BetterCallGuard every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bark | BetterCallGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (110 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 98.4% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 110 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 丰 黄 | Qingdao Chuyan Technology Co., Ltd |
Customer experience
Bark
BetterCallGuard
In-app purchases
Bark
- Continuous support$2.691 Year
- One-time donation$2.69
BetterCallGuard
No in-app purchases









