# ARK vs PulseStar

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | ARK | PulseStar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Fortnightly |
| Size | 45 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Hammond](https://appshunter.io/developer/1873313560) | [MIRANDA FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6809132345) |

## What reviewers say

### ARK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ark-mobile-security-score/id6760629608)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ARK Shield Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| ARK Fortress Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| ARK Shield Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| ARK Fortress Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


### PulseStar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsestar/id6809132343)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ARK free?

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

### Is PulseStar free?

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

### Do ARK or PulseStar have ads?

Neither ARK nor PulseStar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ARK or PulseStar?

ARK ships an update every 9 days, and PulseStar fortnightly. Most recently, ARK was updated on October 28, 2026 and PulseStar on October 31, 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.*