Comparison

Universal Code Scanner vs Clean Links

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Universal Code Scanner

This app quickly scans and decodes various 2D barcodes and QR codes. It offers enhanced security by checking URLs for phishing and can convert specific payment codes into usable links. The application prioritizes user privacy with no tracking or ads.

Highlights
  • Scans QR, EAN, Aztec, DataMatrix, and more
  • Checks URLs against phishing (Quishing)
  • Converts EPC QR codes to bank/payto URLs
  • Shares decoded data via Airdrop
  • No user tracking or analytics
  • Ad-free and no in-app purchases
Features
Read full description

Universal Scanner is a privacy focused, simple and lightweight application for verifying the content of a wide range of 2d codes. The main features are: - Displays code type and raw content - Option to check scanned URLs against phishing (Quishing) - Converts EPC QR codes (SEPA transfers) to 'bank://' or 'payto://' URL (useful if your banking app does not support EPC codes) - Share raw data or converted data with Airdrop - No user tracking - No analytics - No ads - No in-app purchases (voluntary donations only) - No automatic opening of links (could be enabled in settings) - Scan history optional and disabled by default - Small download size Supported code types: QR, EAN8, UPCE, Aztec, EAN13, ITF14, Code39, Code93, PDF417, Code128, DataMatrix, Code39Mod43, Interleaved2of5, Codabar, MicroQR, MicroPDF417, GS1DataBar, GS1DataBarLimited, GS1DataBarExtended

About

Clean Links

This app scans QR codes and URLs to reveal hidden destinations and remove tracking parameters. It protects users from phishing and advertiser tracking, offering a private and free way to control digital privacy.

Highlights
  • QR code scanning
  • URL link cleaning
  • Phishing protection
  • QR code generation
  • iOS integration
  • Cross-device link sharing
Features
Read full description

That link a friend just sent you probably has a dozen tracking parameters glued to the end of it. Clean Links strips them off. It also opens up QR codes so you can read where they actually go before you commit to tapping. The app does a handful of things, and does them without an account, a subscription, or an ad: QR reader that shows you the destination URL first. Quishing scams work because nobody can read a QR code with their eyes, so you scan and hope. This one puts the real address on screen and waits. Link cleaner. Paste anything, get back the same link minus the utm tags, click IDs, and referral junk. Works on links from hundreds of shopping sites, social networks and search engines. Send to Mac. Push a cleaned link from your iPhone straight into the browser on your Mac. If the Mac is asleep or offline the link waits for it. Unshorten. Feed it a bit.ly or t.co address and it follows the chain to whatever sits at the end. Useful when a shortened link turns up from someone you don't know, which is how most phishing starts. Tracker blocker covering 71+ services, running as a parameter remover across everything you paste. QR generator for making your own codes out of links you trust. Safari extension that cleans every link on a page in one tap. Shortcuts, a Control Center widget, and a share sheet action, if you want the whole thing automated. Nothing leaves your device. There's no analytics SDK in here, no crash reporter phoning home, no account to create. Privacy isn't a feature we bolted on; there was never any data to collect. ■ Send Links to Your Mac Share a cleaned link from your iPhone or iPad and it lands in your Mac's browser. Links queue up if the Mac is offline. You can also fire Shortcuts on your Macs from an iOS device. You'll need Clean Links on both machines, iCloud turned on, and the same Apple account. ■ Coming from Hyperduck? Clean Links does the same handoff, adds tracker stripping on the way out, handles more than one Mac, and costs nothing. ■ Link Sharing FAQ ‣ Why not AirDrop? AirDrop needs both devices awake and nearby. This doesn't, and it drops the link straight into a background tab. ‣ Why not iCloud Tabs? Because iCloud Tabs only works in Safari, and the tabs are easy to lose. These open in whatever browser you actually use. ‣ Why not Reading List? Reading List is where links go to be forgotten. Yours open immediately. ‣ Why not Handoff? Handoff wants the devices in the same room. Clean Links supports Handoff anyway, for when they are. ‣ More than one Mac? Send to all of them. Any Mac signed into the same Apple account with the app installed will get it. ‣ Want to skip a particular Mac? Turn off receiving in that Mac's settings. ■ Spotted a tracker we don't catch yet? There's a link in Settings to tell us. We'll add them.

Screenshots

Universal Code Scanner3 screens
Clean Links4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Clean Links at none against Universal Code Scanner's 3. Clean Links also leads on ratings volume (68 vs 1) and review sentiment (94% vs 71%). Universal Code Scanner's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Universal Code Scanner sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Clean Links asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Universal Code Scanner against 4.9 for Clean Links. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clean Links has 68 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Universal Code Scanner's written reviews are positive against 94% of Clean Links's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Universal Code Scanner ships an update every 3 weeks, Clean Links every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 26, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Universal Code Scanner versus Clean Links: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUniversal Code ScannerClean Links
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.9 (68 ratings)
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews94.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings168 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarcus PleintingerNumen Technologies Limited

Customer experience

Universal Code Scanner

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative14.3%

Clean Links

All ratings68 ratings
Positive98.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews35 reviews
Positive94.3%
Neutral5.7%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Universal Code Scanner

One-time3
  • Small Donation$0.99
  • Mid Donation$2.99
  • Big Donation$5.99
None

Clean Links

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Universal Code Scanner free?
Universal Code Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Clean Links free?
Clean Links is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Universal Code Scanner or Clean Links?
Universal Code Scanner is rated higher. Universal Code Scanner averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Clean Links averages 4.9 from 68 ratings.
Do Universal Code Scanner or Clean Links have ads?
Neither Universal Code Scanner nor Clean Links shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Universal Code Scanner or Clean Links?
Universal Code Scanner ships an update every 3 weeks, and Clean Links every 2 weeks. Most recently, Universal Code Scanner was updated on August 26, 2026 and Clean Links on September 21, 2026.

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