Parenting & Family · head to head
Bark vs Apple Screen Time
Apple Screen Time
Parenting & Family
Apple's built-in parental controls for iOS and Mac
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Apple Screen Time has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Bark the hardware products lock you into 24 month device payments on top of the monthly service; Apple Screen Time parental controls require setting up Family Sharing and a Child Account rather than working standalone
- They diverge on capability: Bark covers AI-powered content monitoring, Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bark and Apple Screen Time actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bark | Apple Screen Time |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook | Ios, Ipados, Macos |
| Founded | 2015 | 2016 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Parenting & Family).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Bark
- AI-powered content monitoring
- Social media monitoring
- Text & email monitoring
- Screen time management
- Web filtering
- Location tracking
- Check-in alerts
- Cyberbullying detection
Only in Apple Screen Time
- Screen time tracking
- App limits
- Downtime scheduling
- Content filtering
- App restrictions
- Communication limits
- Purchase controls
- Family Sharing management
Both cover
- Cloud deployment
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bark
- Monitoring a child's texts, social media and photos for concerning contentnot Apple Screen Time
- Blocking websites and apps by schedulenot Apple Screen Time
- Location tracking for a child's phone or watchnot Apple Screen Time
- Screen time limits across home devicesnot Apple Screen Time
- A restricted phone or watch with no browser or social medianot Apple Screen Time
Apple Screen Time
- Screen time managementnot Bark
- Content filteringnot Bark
- Device controlnot Bark
- Family safetynot Bark
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Bark
- The hardware products lock you into 24 month device payments on top of the monthly service
- The app costs more on iOS at $20 a month than on Android at $14, because of what Apple allows a monitoring app to do
- Sold in the United States only, with the app also available in South Africa and Australia
- Bark Home at $6 a month covers home network devices only and does not travel with a phone
Apple Screen Time
- Parental controls require setting up Family Sharing and a Child Account rather than working standalone
Pricing, plan by plan
Bark
$5/month- Bark Jr$5/month
- Screen time scheduling
- Web filtering
- Location tracking
- Bark Premium$14/month
- Everything in Bark Jr
- Content monitoring
- 30+ social platforms
Apple Screen Time
Free- Included with iOS/macOSFree
- Screen time limits
- App restrictions
- Content filtering
Which should you pick?
Choose Bark if
- You need ai-powered content monitoring.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook.
- You also want social media monitoring.
Choose Apple Screen Time if
- You need screen time tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Ipados, Macos.
- You also want app limits.
Questions people ask
- Is Bark or Apple Screen Time better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bark starts at $5/month and Apple Screen Time at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bark or Apple Screen Time?
- Apple Screen Time has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Bark and Free for Apple Screen Time.
- Does Bark or Apple Screen Time run on more platforms?
- Bark runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook. Apple Screen Time runs on Ios, Ipados, Macos.
- Can I use Apple Screen Time for free?
- Yes. Apple Screen Time has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Bark starts at $5/month.
- What is Bark best used for?
- Bark is most often used for monitoring a child's texts, social media and photos for concerning content, blocking websites and apps by schedule, location tracking for a child's phone or watch, screen time limits across home devices. Of those, monitoring a child's texts, social media and photos for concerning content and blocking websites and apps by schedule are not what Apple Screen Time is typically brought in for.
- What can Bark do that Apple Screen Time cannot?
- Bark covers AI-powered content monitoring, Social media monitoring, Text & email monitoring, Screen time management. Apple Screen Time covers Screen time tracking, App limits, Downtime scheduling, Content filtering. Both handle Cloud deployment.