Software · head to head
Bark vs Find My Kids
The short version
- Only Find My Kids 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; Find My Kids screen time limiting on Android depends on the accessibility services permission
- They diverge on capability: Bark covers AI-powered content monitoring, Find My Kids covers Real-time GPS tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bark and Find My Kids actually diverge.
| Attribute | Bark | Find My Kids |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook | Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2015 | 2016 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Find My Kids
- Real-time GPS tracking
- Location history
- SOS button
- Loud signal
- App usage stats
- Screen time control
- Geofencing
- Battery status
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 Find My Kids
- Blocking websites and apps by schedulenot Find My Kids
- Location tracking for a child's phone or watchnot Find My Kids
- Screen time limits across home devicesnot Find My Kids
- A restricted phone or watch with no browser or social medianot Find My Kids
Find My Kids
- Viewing a child's live location and the route they travelled during the daynot Bark
- Getting alerts when a child arrives at or leaves school, home or another saved placenot Bark
- Sending a loud signal that rings through silent mode and receiving SOS alertsnot 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
Find My Kids
- Screen time limiting on Android depends on the accessibility services permission
- The app requires camera and photo access to set a child avatar and microphone access to send voice messages in chat
- Tracking requires the child to carry a phone running the paired child app
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
Find My Kids
Free- FreeFree
- Basic location
- SOS button
- Limited history
- Premium$2.99/month
- Real-time tracking
- Unlimited history
- Multiple children
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 Find My Kids if
- You need real-time gps tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Android.
- You also want location history.
Questions people ask
- Is Bark or Find My Kids better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bark starts at $5/month and Find My Kids at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bark or Find My Kids?
- Find My Kids has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Bark and Free for Find My Kids.
- Does Bark or Find My Kids run on more platforms?
- Bark runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows, Mac, Chromebook. Find My Kids runs on Ios, Android.
- Can I use Find My Kids for free?
- Yes. Find My Kids 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 Find My Kids is typically brought in for.
- What can Bark do that Find My Kids cannot?
- Bark covers AI-powered content monitoring, Social media monitoring, Text & email monitoring, Screen time management. Find My Kids covers Real-time GPS tracking, Location history, SOS button, Loud signal. Both handle Cloud deployment.