# Code Reader vs QR Code Guru

The clearest difference is ads: Code Reader at none against QR Code Guru's shown. QR Code Guru's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (73% vs 64%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Code Reader sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and QR Code Guru sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Code Reader against 4.5 for QR Code Guru. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 251 and 291 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Code Reader's written reviews are positive against 73% of QR Code Guru's.

Code Reader ships an update every 6 weeks, QR Code Guru every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Code Reader | QR Code Guru |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/code-reader-qr-scanner/id1225393668/reviews)** | [4.5 (291 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-code-guru-barcode-scanner/id1403846323/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 251 | **291** |
| Positive reviews | 64.0% of reviews | **73.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel ILLESCAS ROMERO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1225393667) | [Tam Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/898637894) |

## What reviewers say

### Code Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/code-reader-qr-scanner/id1225393668)

Easily scan, generate, and share QR codes and barcodes. Quickly read various code types, including links, contacts, and product information. Generate new codes from text, emails, or Wi-Fi details, and utilize convenient extensions for seamless integration.

**Highlights:** Scan QR codes and barcodes, Generate QR codes and barcodes, Read codes from images via extension, Generate codes from text, email, Wi-Fi, Save and share scanned/generated codes, Automatic web page opening for product barcodes, Scanner preview with zoom and stabilization

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Code Reader Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Code Reader Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Donation 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Donation 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Donation 5 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Donation 10 | $8.99 | one-time |
| Code Reader Pro Lifetime | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Works fast
- 🆓 Free to use
- 💡 Auto-copies to clipboard
- ✅ Scans QR codes effectively

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Doesn't work for some users
- 🚫 Camera focus issues on Mac
- ❌ Unable to save codes
- 🤷 No instructions provided
- ⚠️ Scams reported

**Reported bugs**

- App not working after MacOS update
- Cannot get permissions to save
- QR codes not readable by Mac camera
- App crashes QREncoder
- Sequence of letters then stops

**Requested features**

- Add date & time to QR history
- Option to select camera
- Ability to save QR codes
- Support for SVG files
- Add logos to QR codes


### QR Code Guru

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-code-guru-barcode-scanner/id1403846323)

Quickly scan and decode various QR codes and barcodes, including contact info, URLs, and more. Generate your own codes and save your scan history. Open web links directly within the app for convenience.

**Highlights:** Fast QR code and barcode scanning, Generate custom QR codes and barcodes, Decode various data types, Scan from photos, Open web links directly, Unlimited scan history storage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| QR Code Scanner Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| QR Code Reader Weekly Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| QR Code Scanner Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| QR Code Reader Yearly Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads QRCode & Barcode | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime QRCode Barcode Scan | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Scanner | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Works perfectly
- ✨ Great for accessing info
- 🌟 Best QR/barcode reader
- 👍 Supports scan and generator

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Ads are intrusive
- 👎 Repetitive ads
- 👎 Lack of information
- 👎 Doesn't show prices/names
- 👎 App is useless (Russian review)

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Ads/space visible briefly after payment
- 🐛 Ads are 30 seconds long

**Requested features**

- Bulk code scanning and saving
- Add all features (Russian request)
- Show prices and product names
- Provide more information/guidance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Code Reader free?

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

### Is QR Code Guru free?

QR Code Guru is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Code Reader or QR Code Guru?

Code Reader is rated higher. Code Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 251 ratings, while QR Code Guru averages 4.5 from 291 ratings.

### Do Code Reader or QR Code Guru have ads?

QR Code Guru shows ads; Code Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, Code Reader or QR Code Guru?

Code Reader ships an update every 6 weeks, and QR Code Guru every 3 weeks. Most recently, Code Reader was updated on October 20, 2026 and QR Code Guru on October 17, 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.*