Comparison

Bark vs PetScope

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Bark

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
Read full description

Bark provides families with all the tools they need to raise kids in the digital age. Our comprehensive service lets you monitor content, manage screen time, and filter websites so you can get peace of mind while your child is online. CONTENT MONITORING Bark monitors your child’s texts, email, YouTube, and 30+ apps and social media platforms for issues like cyberbullying, adult content, sexual predators, profanity, suicidal ideation, threats of violence, and more. Parents receive alerts only when something potentially problematic occurs online. You won’t have full access to everything on your child’s phone — just the things you might need to know about. SCREEN TIME MANAGEMENT Families can set healthy time limits and create schedules for when their children’s devices can connect to the internet (through both cell service and Wi-Fi). WEB FILTERING Our web filter lets you select which websites your child can access on their devices. You can allow or block specific sites — or even whole categories like streaming services, online gaming, sexual content, and more. BARK TESTIMONIALS • "My wife and I LOVE Bark. We've had some tough but productive conversations with our 13-year-old son. It's proving to be extremely valuable." — Josh L. • “It’s just another set of protections we as parents give our kids for the digital environment (or as my 10-year-old calls it, a “cell phone seat belt”). My oldest is a 9th grader, and while I trust her, I’ve come to realize through the alerts that some of her friends aren’t truly her friends. It’s led to some amazing conversations about choosing friends wisely and recognizing toxic people. While she wasn’t for Bark at first, she’s since said she’s grateful that I saw those messages because it reaffirmed what she was feeling but didn’t know how to verbalize without sounding sensitive.” — Bark Parent • "Bark notified me that my young daughter had unknowingly revealed her phone number to strangers on Twitter. The fact that Bark notified me was impressive and led to an informative discussion with her the same day." — Jon B. • “Since Bark alerted us to the suicidal language used in the Google doc that was being used in a chat document with a friend, we have seen both a pediatrician and a licensed counselor. We are hopeful for a positive outcome. Thanks to Bark for letting us peek into our child’s mind!” — Bark Parent • “This app is a lifesaver! It has allowed us to catch so many “red flags” in the content my kids have accessed on their devices and in their interactions with friends and other people online that I wouldn’t have ever known about otherwise. The big difference between Bark and other “Parental Control” software is that Bark allows your kids to have so much more privacy. It doesn’t show you everything they do, but sends an instant alert regarding any activity that might be concerning. Highly recommended!” — Bark Parent With Bark, you can help keep your kids safe both online and in real life. Try it out for seven days absolutely free! Our Family Online Safety Specialists are standing by to help answer any questions you may have. Email help@bark.us or visit help.bark.us to get answers and advice from the Bark Team. Terms of Use https://www.bark.us/terms

About

PetScope

Easily record and manage your pet's daily observations using audio or text notes. Review, edit, and share your pet's wellness records securely with anonymous IDs. This app is for personal organization and educational purposes, not medical advice.

Highlights
  • Record observations via audio or text
  • Jot down quick notes
  • Review, edit, and manage notes
  • Share recordings and notes securely
  • Anonymous ID for privacy
Features
Read full description

Discover the Future of Note-Taking with PetScope Unlock the full potential of your phone with PetScope, a versatile app designed eith seamless note-taking and record management for your pet. With PetScope, you can: - Record observations as audio or text during your pet’s daily routines. - Jot down quick notes for future reference. - Effortlessly review, edit, and manage your notes whenever you need them. - Share your recordings or notes easily while maintaining control of your data. - All records are linked to an anonymous ID, ensuring your privacy and security. PetScope Disclaimer PetScope is a utility app intended for educational and personal organization purposes. It is not a medical device or application and must not be used to provide medical opinions, advice, or diagnoses. The app does not analyze or interpret health-related information. For any medical needs, always consult a qualified healthcare professional. Connect with us for any inquiries at Info@remotex.care. KeyWords: Wellness Notes, Pet Tracking, Healthy Lifestyle, Pet Copyright © 2024 Remotex Care Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: info@remotex.care

Screenshots

Bark4 screens
PetScope4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PetScope at 100% against Bark's 13%. PetScope also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). Bark's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (35K vs 1). On price and ads 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 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. PetScope asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PetScope holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bark has 35K ratings behind it against 1, 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 PetScope's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bark ships an update every 2 months, PetScope every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Bark versus PetScope: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBarkPetScope
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (35K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews12.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings35K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 10 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#67 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB19 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperBark Technologies, Inc.Remotex

Customer experience

Bark

All ratings34,867 ratings
Positive80.5%
Neutral3.4%
Negative16.1%
Written reviews565 reviews
Positive12.9%
Neutral7.1%
Negative80.0%

PetScope

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

Bugs and requests

Bark

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

4 requests
  • 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

PetScope

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Bark

Subscriptions4
  • Bark Jr Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Bark Monthly7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Bark Jr Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Bark Annual7 Days trial$99.991 Year
None

PetScope

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bark free?
Bark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PetScope free?
PetScope is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bark or PetScope?
PetScope is rated higher. Bark averages 4.2 out of 5 from 35K ratings, while PetScope averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Bark or PetScope have ads?
Neither Bark nor PetScope shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bark or PetScope?
Bark ships an update every 2 months, and PetScope every 10 months. Most recently, Bark was updated on September 24, 2026 and PetScope on July 6, 2026.

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