# Bar vs Barcode Scanners

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Barcode Scanners at none against Bar's 1. Barcode Scanners also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 64%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.4). Bar's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bar sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Barcode Scanners asks for nothing beyond the download.

Bar ships an update every 2 months, Barcode Scanners every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bar | Barcode Scanners |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.6 (810 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-scanners/id504201315/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **810** |
| Positive reviews | 64.0% of reviews | **87.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 7 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.4 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Roberto Sonzogni](https://appshunter.io/developer/402429427) | [Cognex Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/977274716) |

## What reviewers say

### Bar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bar-code/id422314523)

Scan barcodes and QR codes to save, email, copy, or search for information online. Export scanned data and photos to your PC for use in other applications. Ideal for small businesses, libraries, or home organization.

**Highlights:** Scan barcodes and QR codes, Save scanned codes for later, Email scanned codes, Copy/paste codes into other apps, Search scanned codes on the web, Export data and photos via iTunes file sharing, Integrate with web apps via URL scheme

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads and enable web app mode | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast scanning
- 👍 Simple and effective
- 📤 Ability to email scanned barcodes
- 🔍 Reads various barcode types

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy after updates
- 🚫 Doesn't work on some devices
- 💤 Slow or inaccurate scanning
- 📢 Intrusive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Scan history list disappearing
- Crashing when switching camera modes
- Inability to scan certain barcode types

**Requested features**

- Direct link to open scanned URLs
- Option to save scanned barcodes in folders
- Ability to export data to spreadsheets


### 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 Bar free?

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

### Is Barcode Scanners free?

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

### Do Bar or Barcode Scanners have ads?

Neither Bar nor Barcode Scanners shows ads.

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

Bar ships an update every 2 months, and Barcode Scanners every 5 months. Most recently, Bar was updated on September 29, 2026 and Barcode Scanners on September 27, 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.*