Comparison

Bark vs Refly

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

Refly

This AI-powered app breaks down language barriers in podcasts by providing real-time bilingual transcripts and natural-sounding audio translations. It offers AI summaries and Q&A features to enhance understanding and engagement with global podcast content.

Highlights
  • Multi-language podcast translation
  • Bilingual transcript generation
  • AI-powered summaries
  • AI question and answer
  • Natural Chinese audio output
Features
Read full description

Refly是一款AI驱动的全球播客同传APP,利用先进的AI技术,我们生成高质量的双语对照转录文稿和真实自然的中文音频,以此,我们打破播客语言的“信息墙”。 核心功能: 1.支持多国语言播客翻译同传播放 2.将多国语言播客翻译为双语对照文本 3.AI总结和AI问答 Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ 在使用期间,有任何疑问,请随时反馈!

Screenshots

Bark3 screens
Refly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bark at 4.9 against Refly's 4.0. Bark also leads on ratings volume (110 vs 1). Refly's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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 and Refly sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bark holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. 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 complicate that: 98% of Bark's written reviews are positive against 100% of Refly's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, Refly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Bark versus Refly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarkRefly
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (110 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews98.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings110 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB85 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer丰 黄深圳市涌现效应设计科技有限公司

Customer experience

Bark

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

Refly

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Bark

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

Refly

Subscriptions6
  • Pro 月付$0.991 Month
  • Max 月付$2.991 Month
  • Ultra 月付$4.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Pro 年付$11.991 Year
  • Max 年付$24.991 Year
  • Ultra 年付$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Bark free?
Bark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Refly free?
Refly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bark or Refly?
Bark is rated higher. Bark averages 4.9 out of 5 from 110 ratings, while Refly averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Bark or Refly have ads?
Neither Bark nor Refly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bark or Refly?
Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, and Refly every 3 days. Most recently, Bark was updated on October 22, 2026 and Refly on October 11, 2026.

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