ARK vs PulseStar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ARK
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ARK by MRVL is your personal mobile security companion. Get a clear, honest security score for your device — and fix issues in seconds. NO FEAR. NO JARGON. JUST CLARITY. Your phone holds your life — banking, identity, photos, messages. ARK scans your device and tells you exactly how protected you are, with a simple score from 0 to 100. WHAT ARK CHECKS • Device Security — OS updates, encryption, screen lock, biometrics • Network Safety — Wi-Fi security, VPN status, connection risks • Privacy Audit — Which apps access your camera, microphone, and location • Breach Exposure — Has your email been in a data breach? INTELLIGENCE TOOLS (Shield & Fortress) • Call Shield — Check any UK phone number against our verified official registry. Know who's really calling before you call back. • Phishing Link Scanner — Honest 3-state results: confirmed threat, no known threat found, or unable to verify. We never falsely label a URL safe. • Password Health Check — Test strength and breach exposure • Wi-Fi Network Analyser — Deep security audit of your connection • Permission Audit — See exactly which apps can access your data • Secure QR Scanner — Verify QR code links before opening • Dark Web Monitor — 24/7 breach monitoring for your family • Privacy Report — Export and share your security posture DAILY SECURITY TIPS 365 unique insights — a new tip every day on protecting your privacy and digital life. PRIVACY-FIRST All scanning happens on your device. Your data never leaves your phone. We don't collect, store, or sell your information. Ever. COMPLETE DATA CONTROL Reset App wipes every piece of data ARK holds — scan history, breach emails, account session — completely and permanently. Your data, your choice. ONE-TAP FIXES (Shield & Fortress) Every issue comes with a clear explanation and a direct link to fix it. No searching through settings menus. SUBSCRIPTION PLANS • Free — 3 scans per month, security score, device/network/privacy check, issues listed • Shield (£3.99/mo | £29.99/yr) — Unlimited scans, one-tap fixes, breach monitoring, phishing scanner, password check, Wi-Fi analyser, QR scanner, privacy reports, Call Shield • Fortress (£7.99/mo | £59.99/yr) — Everything in Shield + 5 devices, dark web monitoring, family protection SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ARK Shield — Monthly (£3.99/month) and Yearly (£29.99/year) auto-renewable subscriptions unlock unlimited scans, one-tap fixes, breach monitoring, phishing link scanner, password health check, Wi-Fi analyser, secure QR scanner, exportable privacy reports, and Call Shield. ARK Fortress — Monthly (£7.99/month) and Yearly (£59.99/year) auto-renewable subscriptions include everything in Shield plus protection for up to 5 devices, dark web monitoring for up to 5 email addresses, and priority security alerts. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscription in your Apple ID Account Settings at any time. No free trial is offered. Privacy Policy: https://mrvltechnologies.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://www.mrvltechnologies.com/terms-and-conditions/ Built by MRVL Technologies.
PulseStar
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PulseStar is a free VPN client for employees of organizations using managed server infrastructure. A profile from your organization’s administrator is required to connect. Organizations separately pay for infrastructure deployment, configuration and maintenance services; employees do not buy subscriptions, access codes or individual app licenses. QR codes, codes and files provide connection configuration and authorization, not purchases of app features. Features: • Add access using a QR code, code or file. • Select an available server. • Automatic transport selection: TCP, then QUIC and UDP when needed. • Manual TCP, QUIC or UDP selection. • View connection status. • Access permitted local services directly using administrator-defined routing rules, while other traffic continues through the VPN. • Optional technical diagnostics to help investigate connection failures. The app is free to download and use. Available servers, access duration and limits depend on your profile and your organization’s infrastructure configuration. You can turn diagnostic reporting off in Settings. See the privacy policy for details about data processing. Support: https://pulsstar.com/support/ Privacy: https://pulsstar.com/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://pulsstar.com/terms/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PulseStar at none against ARK's 4. ARK's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. ARK sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. PulseStar asks for nothing beyond the download.
ARK ships an update every 9 days, PulseStar fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ARK | PulseStar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | John Hammond | MIRANDA FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS LLC |
In-app purchases
ARK
- ARK Shield Monthly$3.991 Month
- ARK Fortress Monthly$7.991 Month
- ARK Shield Yearly$29.991 Year
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- ARK Fortress Yearly$49.991 Year
PulseStar
No in-app purchases









