Comparison

Bark Kids vs Upper Decky

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

Head to head
About

Bark Kids

This app helps parents manage their child's device usage and online safety. It allows for screen time management, web filtering, and real-time location tracking. Children can also connect their accounts for enhanced privacy.

Highlights
  • Screen time management
  • Web filtering
  • GPS location tracking
  • Check-ins for arrival confirmation
  • Personal account connections
  • Device usage monitoring
Features
Read full description

Bark Kids is the free child companion app for both Bark and Bark Jr. To use it, you’ll need to have an established Bark account and install Bark Kids on your child’s device. Here are the features this app enables: 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. GPS-POWERED LOCATION TRACKING Bark’s robust location tracking enables you to track your child in real time on a map. You can even find out if they’re stationary, walking, biking, or moving in a car. CHECK-INS Check-Ins are an easy way for families to get peace of mind when their kids are out and about. Rather than sending a "Did you get there?" or "Where are you?" text, you can rely on a GPS-based location confirmation from your children to verify that they've safely arrived at their destinations. It can even give you step-by-step directions via Google Maps so you can meet them where they are if necessary. PERSONAL ACCOUNT CONNECTIONS The Bark Kids app allows kids to connect their own accounts to Bark’s monitoring service (not available with Bark Jr). By allowing them to connect directly to our monitoring service, they get more privacy without having to share their usernames or passwords. HOW BARK KIDS WORKS WITH THE BARK PARENT APP Download the Bark Parent companion app to manage your child’s entire digital world - Monitor texts, apps & social media - Create custom screen time schedules - Block websites & apps - Get insights into online activities - Track location WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING - "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 might have. Email help@bark.us or visit help.bark.us to get answers and advice from the Bark Team.

About

Upper Decky

This app helps you monitor and manage your nicotine pouch consumption. It offers tools to track usage, set reduction goals with AI coaching, and monitor costs. Social features and home screen widgets enhance the experience.

Highlights
  • Log pouch usage with one tap
  • Daily, weekly, monthly trend charts
  • Personalized reduction goals
  • AI Coach for motivation and tips
  • Product catalog with favorites
  • Cost tracking and savings monitoring
  • Home screen widgets for quick access
  • Social features with privacy controls
Features
Read full description

Upper Decky turns nicotine pouches into a social experience. See what your friends are using, compete on leaderboards, and discover what's trending — all in one place. COMPETE WITH FRIENDS See what your friends are using right now, climb daily and weekly leaderboards, and compete for the top spot. Bragging rights included. Challenge your crew on the friends-only board or take on the global community. Find out what your friends actually use — and what they avoid. DISCOVER THE BEST POUCHES See what your friends rate 5 stars, find out what's trending, and discover your next go-to faster. Browse a community-powered catalog and sort by Top Rated. Rate flavor, nicotine feel, and longevity on everything you log. See what's actually worth using — according to your friends and global community. TRACK YOUR USAGE Log instantly, track trends, and understand your habits without overthinking it. Daily, weekly, and monthly charts — plus a full calendar view. BUILT FOR DAILY USE • Quick Log widget — log without opening the app • Cost tracking — see your monthly spend • Offline logging with auto sync • Sign in with Apple and Google REDUCE OR QUIT MODE Ready to cut back? Set a personalized goal and let the smart algorithm gradually reduce your daily limits while keeping withdrawals manageable. Track milestones on a dedicated dashboard. AI COACH Your AI Coach analyzes your actual usage patterns and delivers real-time advice — whether you're trying to cut back or stay in control. SUBSCRIPTION Start with a 7-day free trial. Then $4.99/month or $49.99/year for full access to all features including AI Coach, detailed analytics, social features, and community reviews. Terms of Use: https://upperdecky.org/terms Privacy Policy: https://upperdecky.org/privacy

Screenshots

Bark Kids3 screens
Upper Decky4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Upper Decky at 100% against Bark Kids's 13%. Upper Decky also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.3). Bark Kids's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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. Upper Decky sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Bark Kids asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Upper Decky holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bark Kids has 9.4K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Bark Kids's written reviews are positive against 100% of Upper Decky's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bark Kids ships an update every 9 days, Upper Decky every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Bark Kids versus Upper Decky: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBark KidsUpper Decky
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.3 (9.4K ratings)5.0 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews12.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9.4K — better13
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 11 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB32 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperBark Technologies, Inc.Matthew Howell

Customer experience

Bark Kids

All ratings9,431 ratings
Positive6.5%
Neutral2.2%
Negative91.3%
Written reviews825 reviews
Positive12.8%
Neutral4.4%
Negative82.8%

Upper Decky

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Bark Kids

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Persistent VPN issues causing internet connectivity problems
  • Incompatibility with certain apps and device functionality

Requested features

4 requests
  • More customizable alert settings
  • Improved filtering and classification of content
  • Better integration with family devices and accounts
  • Gradual relaxation of restrictions as child matures

Upper Decky

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Bark Kids

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Upper Decky

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Bark Kids free?
Bark Kids is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Upper Decky free?
Upper Decky is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bark Kids or Upper Decky?
Upper Decky is rated higher. Bark Kids averages 1.3 out of 5 from 9.4K ratings, while Upper Decky averages 5.0 from 13 ratings.
Do Bark Kids or Upper Decky have ads?
Upper Decky shows ads; Bark Kids does not.
Which is updated more often, Bark Kids or Upper Decky?
Bark Kids ships an update every 9 days, and Upper Decky every 11 days. Most recently, Bark Kids was updated on October 18, 2026 and Upper Decky on October 4, 2026.

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