# Bark vs Screenable

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Screenable at 100% against Bark's 13%. Screenable also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.2) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Bark's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (35K vs 37). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 Screenable sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Screenable holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bark has 35K ratings behind it against 37, 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 100% of Screenable's.

Bark ships an update every 2 months, Screenable fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bark | Screenable |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (35K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-parental-controls/id1477619146/reviews) | **[4.9 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/screenable-better-screen-time/id6477620270/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **35K** | 37 |
| Positive reviews | 12.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#71** | — |
| Size | 30 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bark Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1164495252) | [SCREENABLE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1629758424) |

## What reviewers say

### Bark

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

**Currently charting:** #71 Top Grossing · Productivity, #199 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


### Screenable

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/screenable-better-screen-time/id6477620270)

This app offers modern parental controls to make any iPhone or iPad suitable for children. It features customizable modes like 'Dumb Phone' and 'Screen Trainer' to manage device usage and promote self-control, with guided setup and remote management.

**Highlights:** Dumb Phone mode, Screen Trainer mode, One-tap focus features, Guided setup, Remote settings updates, Transforms existing devices

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Screenable Plus - Launch Promo | $4.99 | per month |
| Screenable Plus | $5.99 | per month |
| Screenable Plus - Launch Promo | $47.90 | per year |
| Screenable Plus | $54.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Transforms old iPhones into kid-friendly devices
- 👍 Easy setup and customization for parents
- 🚀 Effectively manages and monitors kids' screen time
- 👍 Encourages responsible digital habits in children
- 👍 Provides a safe and controlled smartphone experience for kids


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bark free?

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

### Is Screenable free?

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

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

Screenable is rated higher. Bark averages 4.2 out of 5 from 35K ratings, while Screenable averages 4.9 from 37 ratings.

### Do Bark or Screenable have ads?

Screenable shows ads; Bark does not.

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

Bark ships an update every 2 months, and Screenable fortnightly. Most recently, Bark was updated on September 24, 2026 and Screenable on August 4, 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.*