# ntfy vs Barcode & QR Scanner

The clearest difference is ratings volume: ntfy at 442 against Barcode & QR Scanner's 6. Barcode & QR Scanner's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Barcode & QR Scanner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ntfy has 442 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of ntfy's written reviews are positive against 100% of Barcode & QR Scanner's.

ntfy ships an update fortnightly, Barcode & QR Scanner every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ntfy | Barcode & QR Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (442 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ntfy/id1625396347/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-and-qr-scanner-rawcode/id1636758263/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **442** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 78.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 3 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Philipp Heckel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625396349) | [Glitchbuster Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448053032) |

## What reviewers say

### ntfy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ntfy/id1625396347)

This app allows you to send push notifications to your phone from scripts or other applications using simple HTTP requests. It acts as a client for a free, open-source pub-sub service, enabling you to receive alerts and updates directly on your device.

**Highlights:** Send notifications via REST API, Subscribe to topics, Publish messages via HTTP, Integrates with Bash/PowerShell, Free and open source client

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Great for self-hosting
- 👍 Reliable and works as expected
- 🚀 Quick and easy to set up
- 🚀 Lightweight and functional

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notification issues on iOS
- 🔍 Limited features compared to other platforms
- 🔍 Lacks customization options
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or delivery issues

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working on iOS
- Broken click URLs in notifications
- Compatibility issues with iOS notification summarizing

**Requested features**

- Ability to change notification sounds
- Support for Apple Watch
- Customizable topic names/aliases
- Improved iOS notification handling
- All topics view and read/unread indicators


### Barcode & QR Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-and-qr-scanner-rawcode/id1636758263)

Quickly scan QR codes and barcodes to reveal their contents. This utility app provides a simple interface to understand the data encoded in various codes. It also keeps a history of scanned codes for easy reference.

**Highlights:** Scan QR codes, Scan barcodes, View code contents, Scan history, Simple interface

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ntfy free?

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

### Is Barcode & QR Scanner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ntfy or Barcode & QR Scanner?

Barcode & QR Scanner is rated higher. ntfy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 442 ratings, while Barcode & QR Scanner averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do ntfy or Barcode & QR Scanner have ads?

Neither ntfy nor Barcode & QR Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ntfy or Barcode & QR Scanner?

ntfy ships an update fortnightly, and Barcode & QR Scanner every 4 days. Most recently, ntfy was updated on September 30, 2026 and Barcode & QR Scanner on September 15, 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.*