# Carly vs Barcode Scanners

Carly and Barcode Scanners both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 88% of Barcode Scanners's written reviews are positive against 29% of Carly's. Barcode Scanners also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 12) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). Carly's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (9.9K vs 811). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Carly sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per year. Barcode Scanners asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Carly against 4.6 for Barcode Scanners. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Carly has 9.9K ratings behind it against 811, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of Carly's written reviews are positive against 88% of Barcode Scanners's.

Carly ships an update weekly, Barcode Scanners every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Carly | Barcode Scanners |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (9.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carly-obd2-car-scanner/id467344155/reviews) | **[4.6 (811 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-scanners/id504201315/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.9K** | 811 |
| Positive reviews | 29.2% of reviews | **87.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 417 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Carly Solutions GmbH Co KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/408379680) | [Cognex Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/977274716) |

## What reviewers say

### Carly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carly-obd2-car-scanner/id467344155)

This app allows car owners to diagnose issues, monitor live engine data, and perform maintenance tasks. It offers advanced features like coding hidden car functions and detecting mileage manipulation, helping users save on repairs and understand their vehicle's health.

**Highlights:** Read and clear fault codes from all ECUs, Monitor engine live data parameters, Step-by-step car repair guides, Perform car maintenance and reset service intervals, Check starter battery condition, Code and unlock hidden car features, Detect mileage manipulation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smart Mechanic | $11.99 | per year |
| Toyota | $21.99 | per year |
| Mercedes | $28.99 | per year |
| Smart Mechanic | $35.99 | per year |
| Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda | $53.99 | per year |
| Carly for BMW Full-Version | $59.99 | per year |
| BMW and Mini | $63.99 | per year |
| All Brands Upgrade | $78.99 | per year |
| All Brands | $82.99 | per year |
| VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda + Mechanic | $89.99 | per year |
| BMW and Mini + Smart Mechanic | $99.99 | per year |
| All Brands + Smart Mechanic | $118.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great customer service
- 🚀 Lots of functionality
- 💡 Useful diagnostic and coding features
- 🔒 Secure and reliable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Connectivity and compatibility issues
- 🔍 Limited functionality for some vehicles
- 📚 Confusing or lacking documentation

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes
- Adapter not working as expected
- Inaccurate or misleading diagnostic information

**Requested features**

- More vehicle support
- Improved user interface
- Offline functionality
- Easier subscription management


### 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 Carly free?

Carly 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, Carly or Barcode Scanners?

Barcode Scanners is rated higher. Carly averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9.9K ratings, while Barcode Scanners averages 4.6 from 811 ratings.

### Do Carly or Barcode Scanners have ads?

Neither Carly nor Barcode Scanners shows ads.

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

Carly ships an update weekly, and Barcode Scanners every 5 months. Most recently, Carly was updated on October 31, 2026 and Barcode Scanners on October 20, 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.*