# Bark vs Simple CF

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simple CF at none against Bark's 2. Bark's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, Simple CF monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bark | Simple CF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-custom-notifications/id1403753865/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **109** | — |
| Positive reviews | 98.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [丰 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1090589311) | [ZEYAN LIN](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785373009) |

## 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 |


### Simple CF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-cf/id6785373007)

**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 Simple CF free?

Simple CF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Bark or Simple CF have ads?

Neither Bark nor Simple CF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bark or Simple CF?

Bark ships an update every 3 weeks, and Simple CF monthly. Most recently, Bark was updated on September 26, 2026 and Simple CF on September 9, 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.*