# Bark Kids vs dumb MESSAGE

The clearest difference is rating: dumb MESSAGE at 5.0 against Bark Kids's 1.3. dumb MESSAGE also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 9 days). Bark Kids's advantage is ratings volume (9.6K vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

dumb MESSAGE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bark Kids has 9.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Bark Kids ships an update every 9 days, dumb MESSAGE every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bark Kids | dumb MESSAGE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.3 (9.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-kids/id1500629600/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dumb-message/id6789644646/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 12.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 68 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bark Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1164495252) | [Matt Jakob](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889098545) |

## What reviewers say

### Bark Kids

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bark-kids/id1500629600)

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:** Safari Extension

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps keep kids safe
- 🚀 Effective at monitoring online activity
- 🔒 Provides parental control and oversight

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Excessive invasion of privacy
- 🤖 Overly sensitive alerts and false positives
- 🔌 Negatively impacts device performance and connectivity
- 💔 Damages trust and relationship with parents
- 😞 Restricts teen freedom and independence

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### dumb MESSAGE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dumb-message/id6789644646)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bark Kids free?

Bark Kids is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is dumb MESSAGE free?

dumb MESSAGE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Bark Kids or dumb MESSAGE?

dumb MESSAGE is rated higher. Bark Kids averages 1.3 out of 5 from 9.6K ratings, while dumb MESSAGE averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Bark Kids or dumb MESSAGE have ads?

Neither Bark Kids nor dumb MESSAGE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bark Kids or dumb MESSAGE?

Bark Kids ships an update every 9 days, and dumb MESSAGE every 2 days. Most recently, Bark Kids was updated on October 26, 2026 and dumb MESSAGE on October 24, 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.*