# Barcode vs GlowText

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barcode at none against GlowText's 7. Barcode also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17). GlowText's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 116 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GlowText sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Barcode asks for nothing beyond the download.

Barcode ships an update every 116 months, GlowText weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Barcode | GlowText |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 116 months | **Weekly** |
| Size | 8 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ramalingam Sivaramakrishnan](https://appshunter.io/developer/892706271) | [勇 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/1836620841) |

## What reviewers say

### Barcode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-camread/id1082062217)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### GlowText

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glowtext-led-scrolling-banner/id6760129431)

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly - All Access | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Weekly - All Access | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly - All Access | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly - All Access | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly - All Access | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly - All Access | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime - All Access | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Barcode free?

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

### Is GlowText free?

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

### Do Barcode or GlowText have ads?

Barcode shows ads; GlowText does not.

### Which is updated more often, Barcode or GlowText?

Barcode ships an update every 116 months, and GlowText weekly. Most recently, Barcode was updated on October 26, 2026 and GlowText on October 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*