# Awful vs Bardley

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Awful at none against Bardley's 1. Awful also leads on ratings volume (237 vs 4) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bardley sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Awful asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Awful against 5.0 for Bardley. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Awful has 237 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Awful ships an update every 2 weeks, Bardley every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Awful | Bardley |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (237 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/awful-sa-forums-browser/id567936609/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bardley/id6747647606/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **237** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 102 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dale Stonall-Mellor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583171231) | [Joseph Poirier](https://appshunter.io/developer/1781602385) |

## What reviewers say

### Awful

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/awful-sa-forums-browser/id567936609)

This app provides a streamlined browsing experience for the Something Awful forums on iOS devices. It offers access to all forums, bookmarked threads, private messages, and includes features like image uploads and a smilie keyboard.

**Highlights:** Browse all forums and subforums, Access bookmarked threads, Built-in SALR functionality, Smilie stickers and keyboard, Upload images and pictures, Manage private messages, Favorite forums

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🔒 Secure browsing experience
- 💡 Customizable layout and settings
- 🎨 Visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📉 Declining performance over time
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🚫 Compatibility issues with newer devices

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain forums
- Inability to load images and media
- Freezing and lagging on older devices
- Sync issues between app and website

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality
- Implement dark mode option
- Improve thread navigation and bookmarking
- Integrate with other social platforms


### Bardley

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bardley/id6747647606)

An audiobook player designed for privacy, allowing users to own their books and enjoy them without tracking or subscriptions. It offers powerful tools for organization, metadata enrichment, and a distraction-free listening experience.

**Highlights:** Privacy-first design with zero data collection, Instant metadata search from multiple sources, Built-in PDF companion viewer, Advanced series organization and tracking, Enhanced listening experience with variable speed and smart timer, Professional library management with various import and sorting options, Accessibility features including VoiceOver support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Pro | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Awful free?

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

### Is Bardley free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Awful or Bardley?

Bardley is rated higher. Awful averages 4.9 out of 5 from 237 ratings, while Bardley averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Awful or Bardley have ads?

Neither Awful nor Bardley shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Awful or Bardley?

Awful ships an update every 2 weeks, and Bardley every 8 days. Most recently, Awful was updated on September 25, 2026 and Bardley on September 18, 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.*