# BARFLi vs Root

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Root at none against BARFLi's 7. BARFLi's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BARFLi sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Root asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for BARFLi against 5.0 for Root. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively.

BARFLi ships an update fortnightly, Root weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BARFLi | Root |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barfli/id1619731661/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-debate-and-discuss/id6761019717/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 69 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [BARFLi Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1619731663) | [Marcus Holloway](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887340650) |

## What reviewers say

### BARFLi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barfli/id1619731661)

Connect with people at your local bar in real-time. See who's single, interested, and discover potential matches before approaching. Enhance your bar experience by blending online interaction with in-person dating.

**Highlights:** See who's single at the bar, Match with crushes across the room, Interactive map of bar patrons, Swipe through nearby users, In-app messaging, View match's favorite drink, Customize profile with preferences

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beginner Plan for subscribers | $19.99 | per month |
| 1month19.99 | $19.99 | per month |
| Intermediate Plan | $38.99 | per 6 months |
| Best Value Plan | $47.99 | per year |
| super_like_05 | $2.99 | one-time |
| super_like_barfli_10 | $9.99 | one-time |
| super_like_barfli_18 | $17.99 | one-time |


### Root

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/root-debate-and-discuss/id6761019717)

Engage in structured debates on current events and thought-provoking questions. Share your reasoning, see community stances, and join live discussions. Submit your own questions to drive conversations.

**Highlights:** Take a stance on debates, Share reasoning and cite sources, View community breakdowns, Join live AI-moderated discussions, Submit custom debate questions, Browse trending and curated questions

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BARFLi free?

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

### Is Root free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BARFLi or Root?

BARFLi and Root are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do BARFLi or Root have ads?

Neither BARFLi nor Root shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BARFLi or Root?

BARFLi ships an update fortnightly, and Root weekly. Most recently, BARFLi was updated on November 3, 2026 and Root on November 5, 2026.

---

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