# CamScanner vs Barcode Scanners

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barcode Scanners at none against CamScanner's 14. Barcode Scanners also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (88% vs 61%). CamScanner's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (1.9M vs 810). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CamScanner sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Barcode Scanners asks for nothing beyond the download.

CamScanner holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CamScanner has 1.9M ratings behind it against 810, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 61% of CamScanner's written reviews are positive against 88% of Barcode Scanners's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CamScanner ships an update weekly, Barcode Scanners every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CamScanner | Barcode Scanners |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.9M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camscanner-pdf-scanner-app/id388627783/reviews)** | [4.6 (810 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-scanners/id504201315/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.9M** | 810 |
| Positive reviews | 61.1% of reviews | **87.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#7** | — |
| Size | 383 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [INTSIG Information Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/344077850) | [Cognex Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/977274716) |

## What reviewers say

### CamScanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camscanner-pdf-scanner-app/id388627783)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Grossing · Productivity, #24 Top Free · Productivity, #129 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Transform your mobile device into a powerful portable scanner. Instantly scan, edit, and share documents in various formats like PDF, JPG, Word, and TXT. Features include OCR, e-signatures, and secure file management.

**Highlights:** Mobile document scanning, Text recognition (OCR), PDF conversion, E-signature creation, Secure file management, Cloud storage integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Account | $4.99 | per month |
| CamScanner Premium(1 week) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| CamScanner Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Account(1 Month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Account (1 month) | $9.99 | per month |
| CamScanner Premium(1 week) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| CamScanner Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| CamScanner Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium Account (1 year) | $59.99 | per year |
| Premium Account(1 year) | $59.99 | per year |
| Premium Account(1 year) | $69.99 | per year |
| CamScanner Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| One-page Fax | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient scanning and document management
- 📁 Convenient cloud storage and backup
- 🔍 Powerful OCR and document enhancement features
- 🔧 Customizable scanning and editing options
- 🏫 Useful for school and work applications

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Concerns about data privacy and security
- 🤖 Inconsistent OCR and text recognition accuracy
- 💰 Aggressive upselling and subscription model
- 🔌 App crashes and performance issues
- 📤 Difficulties with sharing and exporting files

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during scanning and editing
- Syncing and backup issues causing data loss
- Compatibility problems with newer devices
- Unexpected charges and subscription renewals
- Unreliable performance and frequent updates

**Requested features**

- Improved OCR and text recognition accuracy
- More flexible export and sharing options
- Customizable storage and backup settings
- Enhanced security and privacy controls
- Streamlined subscription and pricing model


### Barcode Scanners

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-scanners/id504201315)

This app offers robust barcode scanning capabilities, supporting over 30 different types including QR, UPC, and Data Matrix. It provides powerful parsing for industry-standard formats like driver's licenses and GS1 codes, simplifying data extraction.

**Highlights:** Scan over 30 barcode types, QR code scanning, UPC scanning, Data Matrix scanning, GS1 code parsing, Driver's license data parsing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and accurate scanning
- 👍 Reliable and easy to use
- 🔒 No data collection
- 💡 Supports wide range of barcode types
- 👍 Excellent parsing and decoding capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezing issues
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🐛 Duplicate delay feature not working as expected
- 🐛 Export to CSV not functioning properly

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing after iOS 12.3.1 update
- Unable to scan certain barcode types (e.g. GS1 DataMatrix)
- Frozen camera view after initial scan

**Requested features**

- Option to disable tips/tooltips on startup
- Batch export/logging of scan history
- Ability to display non-readable characters
- Deeper Shortcuts integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CamScanner free?

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

### Is Barcode Scanners free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CamScanner or Barcode Scanners?

CamScanner is rated higher. CamScanner averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.9M ratings, while Barcode Scanners averages 4.6 from 810 ratings.

### Do CamScanner or Barcode Scanners have ads?

CamScanner shows ads; Barcode Scanners does not.

### Which is updated more often, CamScanner or Barcode Scanners?

CamScanner ships an update weekly, and Barcode Scanners every 5 months. Most recently, CamScanner was updated on September 24, 2026 and Barcode Scanners on September 22, 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.*