# Bark vs PetScope

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.

Both are free to download. Bark sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. PetScope asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bark | PetScope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (35K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-parental-controls/id1477619146/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/petscope/id6745103939/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **35K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 12.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#67** | — |
| Size | 30 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bark Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1164495252) | [Remotex](https://appshunter.io/developer/1705190213) |

## What reviewers say

### Bark

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

**Currently charting:** #67 Top Grossing · Productivity, #194 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


### PetScope

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/petscope/id6745103939)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*