# Forward vs QR Reader

The clearest difference is price: QR Reader at Free against Forward's $4.99. Forward's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

QR Reader is free to download; Forward costs $4.99 up front. QR Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Forward asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Forward against 5.0 for QR Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Forward's written reviews are positive against 71% of QR Reader's.

Forward ships an update every 2 weeks, QR Reader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Forward | QR Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forward/id1238689873/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-reader-scanner-and-generator/id6448917043/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 71.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 24 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [westlink](https://appshunter.io/developer/1238689872) | [SAN MOBILE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1678140821) |

## What reviewers say

### Forward

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forward/id1238689873)

Capture ideas and tasks to be delivered to you at a future date, up to a week in advance. This app acts as a rapid note-taking tool and a time-independent reminder system.

**Highlights:** Quickly capture ideas, Schedule notes for future dates, Set reminders up to a week ahead, Time-independent reminders, Rapid note taking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### QR Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qr-reader-scanner-and-generator/id6448917043)

Effortlessly scan and generate QR codes and barcodes with this fast, intuitive iOS app. It also includes a PDF scanner and document signing features to manage your documents on the go.

**Highlights:** Fast QR code and barcode scanning, Generate custom QR codes and barcodes, Portable PDF document scanner, Document signing functionality, Supports various QR code formats, User-friendly interface

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| QR Scanner & Reader Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| QR Scanner & Reader Monthly | $24.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Forward free?

Forward costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is QR Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Forward or QR Reader?

Forward and QR Reader are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do Forward or QR Reader have ads?

QR Reader shows ads; Forward does not.

### Which is updated more often, Forward or QR Reader?

Forward ships an update every 2 weeks, and QR Reader weekly. Most recently, Forward was updated on October 8, 2026 and QR Reader on October 1, 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.*