# Bark vs IKOS SMS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Bark at 98% against IKOS SMS's 0%. Bark also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (111 vs 1). IKOS SMS's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Bark holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bark has 111 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 98% of Bark's written reviews are positive against 0% of IKOS SMS's.

Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, IKOS SMS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bark | IKOS SMS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (111 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-custom-notifications/id1403753865/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikos-sms/id6751810701/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **111** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **98.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 32 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [丰 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1090589311) | [Ming Da Tong Da Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1310191516) |

## 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 |


### IKOS SMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikos-sms/id6751810701)

Efficiently manage multiple SIM cards from devices like W3700 for centralized SMS sending/receiving, history lookup, and missed call alerts. Consolidate all your numbers into one device for enhanced communication convenience and work efficiency.

**Highlights:** Multi-SIM card management, Centralized SMS sending and receiving, SMS history lookup, Missed call reminders, Device compatibility (W3700)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bark free?

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

### Is IKOS SMS free?

IKOS SMS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bark or IKOS SMS?

Bark is rated higher. Bark averages 4.9 out of 5 from 111 ratings, while IKOS SMS averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Bark or IKOS SMS have ads?

Neither Bark nor IKOS SMS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bark or IKOS SMS?

Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, and IKOS SMS every 2 months. Most recently, Bark was updated on November 2, 2026 and IKOS SMS on October 30, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*