PL Cares vs BARCS Trial
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PL Cares
Connect with your healthcare team and track your wellness from home. Communicate securely with providers and engage with a community of patients facing similar health conditions.
- Connect with care team
- Track health and wellness
- Secure messaging with providers
- Community message board
- Connect with similar patients
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PL Cares is a health and wellness platform that connects you from home with your care team. Track your health and wellness, communicate with your care providers via secure messaging, and connect with other patients with similar conditions via the community message board.
BARCS Trial
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This app teaches skills that can change the way you think and feel through brief and interactive exercises. The exercises are based on proven techniques in psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy. Depending on what conditions you are assigned, the app may contain brief and easy-to-follow exercises on any of the following: - Promoting a grateful outlook - Challenging negative thoughts - Living a value-driven life - Problem solving - Savoring positive experiences - Reducing worry - Relaxation techniques - Improving knowledge about mental health This app was created for a University of Virginia research study examining the impact of brief, targeted digital interventions for managing mental health symptoms in cancer survivors. This study was approved by the University of Virginia Institutional Review Board for Social and Behavioral Sciences (#6002). Only individuals enrolled in this study should download and use this app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: BARCS Trial at every 3 weeks against PL Cares's every 2 months. BARCS Trial also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PL Cares ships an update every 2 months, BARCS Trial every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PL Cares | BARCS Trial |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Warm Health Technology | University of Virginia (VA) |
In-app purchases
PL Cares
No in-app purchases
BARCS Trial
No in-app purchases
