More protection than Bark Phone at lower cost

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Remote text monitoring
Approved contacts only

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No social media or adult apps

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Works with Bark parental control app

Compare Bark vs. Pinwheel

Pinwheel allows you to customize your child's phone to match their maturity level as they grow.
Pinwheel
Bark Phone
No social media apps
Safety ratings for 1,200+ popular apps to help you choose
Loopholes to Internet blocked inside apps
Read text messages remotely, even if child has deleted it
Lock contacts or apps based on time of day
Choose your phone model and cellular carrier

Choose your Pinwheel. Choose your carrier.

Pinwheel is the only phone designed for kids and teens that allows you to choose your cellular provider. You can add Pinwheel to your family plan, or choose an affordable one from our partners.
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See why thousands of parents are choosing Pinwheel over Bark Phone

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Why Pinwheel
Parents Mag endorse star
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Complete remote access to your child’s phone means complete peace of mind for you

No social media icon100

No social media or adult apps

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Safelist blocks 100% of strangers and spam

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Monitor text messages remotely

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See app safety ratings before installing

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Set schedules for contacts and apps

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Locate your child

More affordable options than Bark Phone.
No required contracts.

Pinwheel offers several phone models, all with lower monthly charges than Bark Phone. Plus you can choose your own cellular carrier.

Pinwheel
Bark Phone
Pinwheel Plus or Bark Phone Read More
$299

Pinwheel Plus is the same Samsung model as the Bark Phone.

Pinwheel also offers starter phones as low as $99, and the premium Pixel.

Monthly charges Read More
$33
$69

Includes parent portal subscription, unlimited talk and text, 5GB high speed data with no contract, using a cellular plan from a Pinwheel partner.

Bark includes 8GB high speed data, but you have to use Bark wireless service.



Total 1-year cost Read More
$695
$828

Save more with Pinwheel's annual plan, for a total first year cost of $593.99

Annual cost (after first year) Read More
$396
$828

Save more with a Pinwheel Annual Plan, just $294.99 per year.

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We make switching easy.

Pinwheel doesn't require any contracts and you have a 30-day money back guarantee. You can keep your current phone number if you choose too. Just contact our Customer Care team.

Pinwheel vs. Bark Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Pinwheel with the Bark app?

Yes! If you use the Bark app to monitor your other devices (laptop, iPad, etc.), you can add the Bark App on your child's Pinwheel phone too.

When your child is ready for a web browser, or YouTube, we suggest using a monitoring app such as Bark when you add these apps to your Pinwheel.

Does Pinwheel allow social media?

While parents can choose to download nearly any app, social media and adult apps are not allowed. Bark Phones allow social media apps.

What cellular carriers can I use?

Pinwheel is the only phone for kids that allows you to choose your own cellular carrier and plan. Bark Phone requires your child to get cellular service from Bark.

What apps are available on Pinwheel vs. Bark?

Pinwheel doesn't allow social media or adult apps, which can be added on a Bark Phone.

On a Bark Phone, kids see all of the apps available in the Google Play Store (including social media apps), but they need parental approval to download them.

Pinwheel gives parents the option to hide the Google Play Store app so kids need to know about an app to request it. We hope this reduces kids constantly requesting new apps -- tiring!

The Pinwheel App Library contains more than 1,200 vetted apps with in-depth safety ratings, including popular apps like Duolingo, Google Classroom and Maps and Spotify.

No busy parent has the time or energy to evaluate every app, so Pinwheel's dedicated app team provides easy-to-understand ratings for each app in the library, along with what you need to know before adding an app to your child's phone.

How can I see my child's text messages and call history?

Parents and caregivers can remotely view a child's entire text and call history on Pinwheel's Caregiver Portal from their own device. Even if a child deletes a text message, it will still show up on the portal for the parent.

How can I manage who my child can communicate with?

With Pinwheel, nobody can call or text the phone who isn't on the Safelist of approved contacts. Parents can limit the phone to emergency contacts at school and at night, but enable friends, family, coaches, or neighbors during other modes. Once your child is ready, you can give them the ability to manage their own contacts.

Pinwheel blocks 100% of unwanted / unapproved calls and texts.

How can I manage my child's screen time?

For a Pinwheel, caregivers can schedule when their kids can use specific features. Modes like "school mode," "everything mode," and "family time mode" change every app, contact, and routine on the phone to lock or unlock features, contacts and apps depending on the time of day.

The only mode on the Bark Phone is full access to everything on the phone. You can't turn off calls and texts during school or bedtime, change it to an "emergency contacts only" device, or turn on just the piano practice apps.