# Bark vs LockMe

The clearest difference is monetization model: Bark at free with in-app purchases against LockMe's subscription. Bark also leads on ratings volume (36K vs 229) and chart position (#69 vs unranked). LockMe's advantage is review sentiment (47% vs 13%) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bark sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and LockMe sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

LockMe holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bark has 36K ratings behind it against 229, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Bark's written reviews are positive against 47% of LockMe's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Bark | LockMe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (36K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-parental-controls/id1477619146/reviews) | **[4.6 (229 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lockme-applock-for-lock-apps/id6460862187/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **36K** | 229 |
| Positive reviews | 12.5% of reviews | **47.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#69** | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 16.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bark Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1164495252) | [Tyson Gill](https://appshunter.io/developer/1683191398) |

## What reviewers say

### Bark

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-parental-controls/id1477619146)

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Grossing · Productivity, #202 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This service helps families manage their children's digital lives by monitoring online content, managing screen time, and filtering websites. It alerts parents to potential issues like cyberbullying or adult content, offering peace of mind.

**Highlights:** Content monitoring for texts, email, YouTube, and social media, Alerts for cyberbullying, adult content, and threats, Screen time limits and scheduling, Website filtering by category or specific sites, Monitors 30+ apps and social media platforms

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bark Jr Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Bark Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Bark Jr Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| Bark Annual | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💯 Solid recommendation
- 🔒 Helps keep watch over family
- 🔒 Necessary for child safety
- 🚀 Disturbingly good app so far
- 🚀 Unique helpful tracker

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Very hard to navigate
- 🐛 Can't install
- 🐛 Annoying features
- 🐛 Useless, don't waste money
- 🐛 Confusion during setup

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent disconnections and reconnections required
- Inability to monitor certain popular apps like TikTok and Snapchat
- Delayed alerts and notifications
- Unexpected phone performance issues like slower speeds and battery drain

**Requested features**

- Improve compatibility with iOS devices
- Provide cloud-based backups instead of manual device backups
- Add password protection to prevent app uninstallation
- Improve sensitivity settings and notification management


### LockMe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lockme-applock-for-lock-apps/id6460862187)

Control app usage on your device or for your children with time and location-based restrictions. Automate app blocking, minimize distractions, and protect sensitive information for a balanced digital life.

**Highlights:** Time-based app restrictions, Location-based app blocking, Automated app access control, Minimize distractions, Protect sensitive apps, App grouping management

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| App Lock Unlimited | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| LockMe Pro | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| App Lock Unlimited | $9.99 | per month |
| LockMe Pro | $12.99 | per month |
| App Lock Unlimited | $24.99 | per year |
| Lock Unlimited Apps | $49.99 | per year |
| LockMe Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| App Lock Unlimited | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for protecting kids
- 👍 Useful for restricting apps
- 👍 Helps with homework focus
- 👍 Good for safeguarding children
- 👍 App ran smoothly (one instance)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes frequently
- 🐛 App does not lock apps
- 🐛 Cannot access app after forgetting PIN
- 🐛 App requires premium for full functionality
- 🐛 Misleading promo for free lifetime premium

**Reported bugs**

- App does not lock apps
- App freezes during use
- App crashes when trying to turn on Face ID
- App is locked out after setting passcode
- App crashes when Face ID option is turned off

**Requested features**

- Option to reset PIN
- More free functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bark free?

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

### Is LockMe free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Bark or LockMe?

LockMe is rated higher. Bark averages 4.3 out of 5 from 36K ratings, while LockMe averages 4.6 from 229 ratings.

### Do Bark or LockMe have ads?

Neither Bark nor LockMe shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bark or LockMe?

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